Macaron Magic

Macarons, the delicate French almond-based meringue cookies, have a reputation for being as difficult to make as they are delicious. The small cookies require a bit of practice and a bit of luck to get right in most cases. Of course, having some good directions to follow will help you become a macaron master in short order. I’ve tried to be as detailed as possible in my macaron recipes, but if you want to expand your reach to include even more flavors, you might want to move on to a copy of Macaron Magic. This book is a complete guide to making all kinds of macarons. What sets it apart from other cookbooks is the level of precision with which the author approaches the process of making macarons and the guidelines set out in this book will not only help you to make excellent ones at home, but will help you understand the whys and hows of making perfect macarons.

The book is divided into seven chapters. The first is an introduction to macaron basics, helping you get your shell technique down pat and giving you a very detailed overview of two basic filling recipes for ganache and buttercream. The rest of the chapters feature macaron recipes with different themes, including boozy cocktail-inspired cookies and holiday-themed macarons. The Maple Bacon recipe will catch the eye of anyone who loves sweet-savory combinations.

Visually, the cookbook is almost as exciting as browsing through a pastry case filled with rainbow-colored macarons. There are lots of photos of the finished products, as well as plenty of pictures that illustrate the macaron-making process step-by-step. Macaron making doesn’t need to be complicated, but to get your homemade cookies to turn out as well as those that you’ll see at fancy French pastry shops, you will need to put some time into learning the basic techniques required for good results. This book makes the process clear and enjoyable – with a fun variety of recipes to choose from on top of that.