Bringing the Coveted & Highly Sought-After Perfect Macaron Back Down to Earth

Up until three years ago, I hadn’t so much as heard of a macaron, let alone tasted one. It was my daughter who seemed to hold these delicate little goods on a high pedestal.

“It’s a cookie,” I told her.

Fast-forward three years, and she took a macaron-making class. Seriously? A class — for a cookie?

She then invited me to help her recreate the recipe she’d learned. My casual, laissez-faire approach irritated her to no end.

“Mommy,” she scolded, “we have to be very precise with the measurements. Everything must be in grams. We need glass bowls. We have to sift the almond flour and sugar. We have to check the humidity. And — don’t you dare — turn on the ceiling fans. Oh, and don’t run water near the macarons.”

To be blunt: it just sounded like a lot of nonsense.

Because I love a challenge — and because my daughter wouldn’t let me “meaningfully” help with the first batch thanks to my macaron attitude problem — I decided to prove myself.

After watching dozens of YouTube videos, it became clear that the world of amateur and hobbyist bakers had gone macaron mad. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought making the perfect macaron required divine intervention.