Macarons

If you've been on the interweb lately you've probably seen an ad that looks something like this:

the stupid Groupon ad is everywhere I'm interested in. And it haunts me because those delicious, perfect, colorful cookies are macarons, my newest culinary love.

My first macaron was in Honolulu, a lilikoi (passionfruit) flavored delight with a cup of strong kona coffee. I had no idea what to expect from it, taste or texture, but it just looked so alluring there between the cupcakes and pound cakes.

Hello. I can see that we are gonna be friends.

I didn't even know what to call that most incredible cookie I had just consumed, and only much later did my friend Laura identify it as a macaron. I know what you're thinking- macaroons are those coconut lump cookies, occasionally made more edible with chocolate. And that's so. But these my dears, are FRENCH macarons (distinguished by the single o, you see?) and are infinitely superior. Laura just spent a year in France and she should know.

The cookie involved is a sort of almond-meringue, crisp on the outside and chwy on the inside, and can apparently be flavored with any ingredient known to man. Then there is a filling, either a creme or a jelly, thinly spread, to hold the two halves together. The French don't need Oreos. They have macarons and they are a very very happy people. Apparently this is the next big thing here in the states, and macarons are becoming more popular than cupcakes. It only took one to convert me.

Seriously, treat your eyes, google image "macaron" and just flip through the gorgeousness of this cookie! I can further suggest this great how-to with pictures of the process from a london foodie, Tamarind and Thyme. I'm extraordinarily jealous of her, so if anyone wants to get me a trip to London and a macaron cooking class for my birthday, that'd be just fine, thanks.