In patisseries across France, delicate sandwich cookies in every colour of the rainbow take their place beside elegant eclairs, tarts and other works of pastry art. French macarons -- not to be confused with chewy coconut macaroons -- are tiny dome-shaped pastry shells filled with ganache, buttercream or fruit mixtures. They're gently crunchy on the outside and light as air and chewy inside.

Parisians line up at Pierre Herme for classic flavours, as well as such creative combinations as olive oil and vanilla, or chocolate and foie gras -- an acquired taste, to be sure. The petite treats can cost a pretty euro, though.

In Ottawa, macarons can usually be found at the French Baker stores on Murray Street in the ByWard Market and on Bank Street in the Glebe. "We do all kinds (of macarons), but most of the time, it's raspberry, hazelnut, chocolate and pistachio," said David Tadiello, the French Baker's manager. The latter two flavours are the most popular, he said.

You can make macarons at home, and it's not nearly as intimidating as it sounds, especially if you take a class from a master or browse a cookbook, such as I Love Macarons (Chronicle Books, $14.95) by Japanese pastry chef Hisako Ogita. The book, published in November, is so popular, it's already on back order.

At the renowned Ecole Ritz Escoffier Paris, chef Didier Steudler teaches that macaron batter only requires three ingredients -- almond flour, sugar and egg whites -- so choose them with care. Steudler recommends storing almond flour in the freezer, and drying it on a cookie sheet for 24 hours before using it. Try to find confectioner's sugar without cornstarch added, he says. Ogita suggests using organic powdered sugar, instead. Make sure the whites are at room temperature, and don't overwhip them.

And finally, before you start, check the weather forecast. Humidity is not your friend.

Macarons can be made with French or Italian meringue.

The Ritz recipes feature Italian meringue, in which a hot sugar syrup is added to egg whites that have been whipped until firm. Beginners, or those lacking a candy thermometer, might want to start with French meringue.

Then there are the little tricks: A well-made macaron features a crinkly "foot" on the bottom of each shell. Let the piped batter rest for 30 minutes, then rap the sheets on a tabletop to help them set properly. And stack your baking sheets together, so the delicate cookies are sitting atop a double- or even triple-thick baking pan.

Vanilla Macarons

Makes about 2 dozen

2/3 cup (150 mL) ground almonds

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) powdered sugar

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

5 tablespoons (75 mL) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw 1-inch (2.5-cm) circles on the paper, 1/2 inch (1 cm) apart.

2. In a food processor, grind the almonds and powdered sugar to a fine powder. Sift the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve twice. Set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on high until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar to the egg whites. Add vanilla and continue whipping until the meringue is stiff and glossy.

4. Fold in half the flour mixture, mixing until incorporated. Fold in remaining flour gently. Spread batter against the bowl's sides, then scoop the batter from the bottom and turn it upside down. Repeat this process -- called macronnage -- 15 times, until nicely firm, so it drips slowly as you scoop.

5. Using a pastry bag, pipe the batter to form circles on the baking sheet. (The batter tends to spread a little.) Rap the baking sheet firmly against the counter. Then let sit, uncovered, at room temperature, for 30 minutes. A slight crust will form on top of the macarons.

6. Preheat oven to 375 F (180 C). Bake the macarons for 15 minutes. If the insides are still soft, lower oven temperature to 300 F (150 C), cover the tray with aluminum foil, and bake for 2-3 minutes. Let cool, then fill with Salted Butter Caramel, jam, ganache or any creamy filling.

Source: Adapted from I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita.

Per cookie, with filling: 186 calories, 2.6 g saturated fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 26 mg sodium

Ottawa Citizen