Macarons are one of those quintessential desserts I associate with French patisserie display cases, where the various pastel colored cookies are lined up in perfect rows and exude happiness through the store windows since they’re colorful, perfectly bite sized, and create a window display which has the aesthetic of a Wes Anderson film (or at least that’s what I think of). I never had macarons until I went to Paris, when my friends and I ate our way through the city by hopping from bakery to bakery and trying warm pain au chocolate, baguettes, tarts, and of course, macarons.

It was love at first bite in the city of love. The cookie somehow managed to be crunchy, pillowy soft, and chewy all at the same time, which paired beautifully with the variety of fillings we chose. Since Easter is tomorrow and I’ve been in a baking mood lately, I thought I’d try making macarons for the first time.

The cookies came out perfectly delicate, but still had a crunchy exterior. Because it’s now spring, I thought I’d do a rosewater buttercream filling since florals are some of my favorite flavors once the months start getting warmer. To add an extra touch, I drizzled the tops with melted white chocolate, let it cool, and then painted the details with gold pearl dust. Of course, this extra step is completely optional.

Don’t let the finicky nature of the recipe scare you away; the macarons are extremely easy to put together as long as you 1) Don’t overmix the batter, 2) Rap the cookie sheets on a flat surface to get rid of any air bubbles, and 3) Let the macarons rest after piping them so the tops can properly harden. Enjoy with some cafe-au-lait and you might as well be in a Paris patisserie. Enjoy and Happy Easter!

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Rosewater Macarons

For the cookies:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour

2 egg whites

3 drops red food coloring

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon rosewater

For the cookies:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine the 1 cup powdered sugar and the almond flour in a food processor. Pulse into a fine powder. Sift the mixture into a separate bowl, discarding large pieces.

Beat the egg whites in a stand mixer with a whip attachment until foamy. Add the food coloring and mix until combined. Gradually add the granulated sugar, beating at high speed until the mixture forms stiff, shiny peaks.

Add half of the flour mixture to the egg whites, stir with a spatula until combined. Add in the other half of the flour mixture and stir just until combined and the batter is smooth and shiny. Do not overmix.

Attach a 1/2-inch plain tip to a piping bag. Scoop the batter into bag. Pipe 1-inch circles about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Rap the cookie sheet on a flat surface to remove any air bubbles and set aside. Let the macarons rest, uncovered, until tops harden slightly, about 15 minutes. When the batter does not stick when you gently touch the top of each one, the macarons are ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place rack in center of oven. Bake 10-15 minutes. Cool completely on the cookie sheets.

For the filling:

Beat the powdered sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until combined. Add in the rosewater and beat until smooth.

Match same size cookies; pipe or spread the filling on the flat side of one cookie and top with another.

Makes: about 12 macarons