here is another one -- And you do not have to have tons of time!!!

The recipe:

Makes 12

1⅓ cup of blanched almonds, toasted
⅞ cup of superfine sugar
2 egg whites
½ tbs almond or vanilla extract
confectioner’s sugar, for dusting – optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Reserve 12 almonds for decorating. In a food processor fitted with metal blade, process the rest of the almonds and sugar until finely ground.
2. With the machine running, slowly pour in enough of the egg whites to form a soft dough. Add almond or vanilla extract and pulse to mix.
3. With moistened hands, shape the mixture into walnut-size balls and arrange on the baking sheet.
4. Press one of the reserved almonds onto each ball, flattening them slightly, and dust lightly with confectioner’s sugar. (I did not do this last time and the cookies still came out great)
5. Bake the macaroons for about 10-12 minutes until the tops are golden and feel slightly firm. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool slightly, then peel the cookies off the paper and leave to cool completely.

To toast the almonds: Spread them on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until golden. Cool before grinding.

Who ever interested, here is recent picture of our homemade macaroons
http://burlaki.com/blog/2009/01/12/almond-macaroons/

I think, I'll go and make it now!

On a recent episode of The Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten made fleur-de-sel caramels; you can get the recipe at her web site.

I have some free time tomorrow, and it's going to be raining, so macarons for sure and maybe caramels, here I come!!!

matroskin, do you still have some macaroons left?
the look toooooo yummy.

Has anyone taken a cooking or baking class in Paris? I came across this through a RS posting.

http://tinyurl.com/btvslw

Class description:
Macaroons class NEW!

You will prepare from scratch 3 kinds of macaroons, using seasonal and fresh ingredients only.

Pino will guide you through the recipes and will show you some of the great tips he learned along is 10 years of experience as Pastry chef in France, Italy and USA.

You might prepare that day a chocolate Macaroons, a Raspberry macaroons and lime and rosemary (for example)

All the macaroons you do (around 3 dozens) will be to taken home with you.

OMG, that macaroon class sounds so good!!! It is on Tuesday mornings, which is the day we arrive. I am going to see if I can make it work for DD and myself:D

Personally I would not spend any money for something that is really simple, even if you try the chocolate macarons or other different ones, for the chocolate I believe that they are similarly prepared. Taking for instance the recipe several of us have listed here the only thing you have to do is mix 4 tables spoons of flour
into the almond-sugar mixture. Melt 1 1/2 ounces of good chocolate over low heat, then allow to cool until lukewarm. Continue as in the basic recipe and fold the chocolate at the end.
I am sure the recipes for other flavor are no big deal.

Of course cooking classes are fun the only thing I meant is that macarons are so easy to make that I do not justify a class for only macarons. But of course I am sure he can teach great Secrets that might make the class fun and useful.

I have a Laudree box from my trip to Paris last March. I swear, I can still smell the macaroons. I even kept the tissue paper they wrap them up in.

Sacramento, CA sources for macarons (the sandwich kind, not the coconut):

Le Petit Paris, 1221-19th Street; Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, 1801 L St., Suite 60; and Hawks, 5530 Douglas Blvd., Granite Bay.

The recipes listed are not the same type that you find at Laduree. The Macaroon class does make those kind however, and that is what I think would be a lot of fun:) I have been in contact with them and they can do a class that works with our dates. DD thought it sounded like a lot of fun too, so I will let them know we are a go for it!

Well, I made the recipe listed. Either I let them "dry out" too long, or they were just too dry for my taste by design (also too sweet, for what it's worth). Aren't they supposed to be "dry" on the outside, but "chewy" on the inside?

sf7307 - the outside should be dry but not bone dry. the inside should be soft.

That's what I thought yk, and they definitely were not - - they were bone dry throughout, so I'll have to try again. Thanks.

Look wht I found - it's about a year and a half old, so probably not entirely "current", but I'm sure it's a good start:

http://tinyurl.com/bbrveq

The March/April 2008 issue of <i>Teatime Magazine</i> had the following recipe. (I haven't tried it. If anyone does, I'd appreciate a report.)

STRAWBERRY MACARONS
(Makes 40 to 54 cookies, 20 to 27 sandwiches)

1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/4 cups almond flour*
3 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 4 drops red food coloring
Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Blend in almond flour.
3. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat egg whites until foamy; add salt. Slowly add granulated sugar; blend until soft peaks form. Add vanilla extract and food coloring, being careful not to overmix.
4. Gently fold the almond flour mixture into the egg whites until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
5. Gently fill pastry bag with mixture. (No tip is necessary.) Pipe batter into 1- to 1-1/2&quot; rounds on prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake until bottoms of cookies are just set and tops are only slightly firm, about 20 minutes. Do not overbake.
7. Remove parchment sheets from baking sheets immediately after removing from the oven. Allow cookies to cool completely on parchment sheets.
8. When completely cool, spread a thick layer of Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling on the flat bottom of a cookie. Sandwich with a second cookie; repeat with remaining cookies. Reserve any remaining filling for another use, if desired.

*Almond flour is available at specialty culinary stores or online at Amazon.com.

Note: If possible, prepare cookies one day before serving to allow Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling to set fully.

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FILLING
(Makes about 1-1/2 cups)

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup strained strawberry preserves

In a large bowl and using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Sift confectioners' sugar into mixture. Add vanilla extract and preserves; blend until smooth.

<i>Do not overbake.</i>

I think this is the part I missed :-)

There is a bakery in Santana Row, in San Jose, that sells great macaroons (the French ones). I believe it is called Fleur de Coco.

My &lt;&lt;francaise&gt;&gt; French teacher thinks the macaroons from this bakery are almost as good as the ones in France.

I cannot compare as I have eaten almost everything in France except a macaroon. Maybe in March...

Well, I just had my first ever macaron, from Miette in the Ferry Bldg. in SF. They only had pistachio, which I happen to love, so that was fine. Let's just say these are a far cry from the ones I made over the weekend -- not even in the same universe!! It was delicious, a little &quot;crispy&quot;, but still soft on the outside (meaning if you pressed it with your fingers, it was pliant) and soft/chewy on the inside. I am hooked -- and since I have absolutely nothing to compare this to, I just have to assume (given the universal adoration here) that the Laduree version are even that much better!! Can't wait to try them.

sf7307 - this is all YOUR fault. I got this huge macaron crave after reading this thread for the last few days, so today I went to buy some from LA Burdick in Harvard Sq. People on chowhound praised it as having authentic French macarons.

Ughh! I wasted $9 on a dozen of them. The filling, IMO, was too chewy and stuck to my teeth! Perhaps I remembered wrong (those with fresh Laudree memories please correct me), but I thought the Laduree macarons fillings were lighter and more like cream instead of a chewy paste.