Macaron recipe

The most fashionable cookie in the world is the macaron. Here’s the recipe for 4 dozen macaron halves (2 dozen complete macarons).

Ingredients
2/3 cup almond meal

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 large egg whites at room temperature (preferably aged up to 3 days)

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 280º.
Place egg whites in the bowl and use a mixer to beat the eggs until they are frothy. Then gradually add granulated sugar. Continue to beat the mixture until glossy and stiff peaks form when you lift the mixer.
Add half of the almond meal and gently ‘fold’ it into the egg white mixture. Be careful to not overagitate the meringue and lose too much air. Once the almond mixture is predominantly incorporated, add the second half.
‘Punch’ the mixture until it has the consistency of molten lava.
Pour batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 0.4-inch tip. Pipe out 1-inch rounds on two or three baking sheets (place them at least 5 cm apart).
Rap the baking sheet firmly on the counter two or three times (hold with two hands), so the tops smooth out and become circles instead of towers. Allow the macarons to dry for 30 minutes.
Place baking sheets in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. The’re done when the shells are just hard.

When fully cooled, assemble the macarons with your choice of filling. The assembled macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.