In a Frenchy mood

I've been in a bit of a Francophile mood lately, probably due to the resumption of French lessons (via audio on my half an hour daily commute to work, which is working brilliantly). So this weekend I thought I'd give Macaron's a go. I've been meaning to try them for a while, but like many others have been scared off by their delicacy and complexity - they're regularly used as a final challenge in cooking reality TV Shows. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. . .so. . .

They have a lemon zest flavoured shell with a lemon curd filling. This is what they ideally look like:

Overall I was pretty pleased with my first go, especially as every recipe I've seen has emphasised that it's very unlikely you'll get them perfect first time! Mine were a little undercooked and the shell's definitely show my lack of piping skills. But they taste like they supposed too and I learnt lots, so I'm looking forward to next time!

If anyone else wants to give it a go I used PastryPal's excellent downloadable e-book (free) and Alison Thompson's book 'Macaron'

That's all for now,

Sarah