Over the last few years, french macarons have become a common place dessert in bakeries across the country. Many of these bakeries even fly macarons from French bakeries over here to the U.S. to sell. I first encountered macarons while studying abroad in Paris. While, I didn’t get a chance to try them, I was intrigued by the colorful hamburger shaped cookies.

Fast forward to a few years later, and while looking for desserts to make for Mother’s Day I came across recipes for french macarons and was intrigued by the versatility of the cookie. French macarons are essentially almond meringue cookies filled with a jam, frosting, or ganache. Once you learn the basic technique and ratios, the variations you can create are endless. Since mastering the basics, I have not only made a variety of flavors, but also experimented with using other nut flours and shapes.

The first time I made macarons, I found it a bit overwhelming going through all the different recipes and variations. While many macaron recipes may tell you need to used aged egg whites, I’ve found you can get perfectly delicious cookies without having to decide you’re going to make them days in advance. Below you’ll find my basic macaron recipe which has been adapted from a recipe found on the blog “My Favorite Recipes”. Once you’ve mastered Vanilla Macarons, you an easily make a variety of flavors by adding food coloring to the cookie and changing the flavor of the fillings.