Macarons Take Two

My current 'strange addiction' could be mastering French Macarons. I blame my fascination with French Macarons on my friend Tammy and Pinterest. Tammy has mastered making them; however, she is a full-time pastry chef. Through Pinterest, I found David Lebovitz and Helene Dujardin they are simply amazing. They share their knowledge through their sites.

Second attempt at French Macarons - I give myself a B+

I tried making macarons earlier this month and needless to say the shells were a failure. Back to the internet I went ... in search of tips for making French Macarons. I came across "How to make macarons: what's working for me right now" on the blog Eat. Live. Travel. Write. This post is full of great tips and tricks. It was here that I found the best tip about piping the shells - pipe from the side. This combined with taps / whacks of the tray on the counter help create the little foot and a smooth shell.

Today was attempt number two at making David Lebovitz' Chocolate French Macarons, and I'm thrilled with how they turned out. I also made his chocolate filling - mine didn't seem to be as thick as I thought it should be. I took them with me to share with the card girls. They all agreed they were tasty.

What's working for me:

• Weighing the ingredients with a food scale.
• Grinding the almond flour, confectioners sugar and dutch coco in a food processor then shifting it.
• Piping the shell filing from the side.
• Leaving the egg whites out for about 30 minutes to an hour. Long enough to get about room temperature.
• Whacking the cooking sheet on the counter - it seems to help the shells get the foot and a smooth top.
• Baking them right away. That's right, I don't let them set out for an extended period of time.

I'm now ready to try a new flavor. What should I try next?