July 25 is Culinarian’s Day, an unofficial holiday that honors all cooks and chefs who bring good taste and great food into people’s lives.

Culinarians are experts (and non-experts) in the art and science of cooking and serving food. They can be chefs, cooks, home cooks, bakers, and anyone else who is involved in the process of preparing and serving meals.

While the origins of Culinarian’s Day are unknown, I think we can all safely assume that the holiday was invented as a way to thank all the culinarians who make our experience of eating out fun and special.

How to Celebrate?

If you personally know a chef or a cook, send them a thank you note and a thoughtful gift. Or you can make a special dinner for the person who cooks for you every day. Or maybe, go out to eat and thank the chef and the cooks for laying out a good meal for you.

If you are a Culinarian yourself, today seems like the ideal day to take on a new recipe. Maybe something you have always wanted to try and haven’t had the time or gumption to take on. Or perhaps today is the day to revisit an old recipe that didn’t turn out as well, or how you thought it would (I’m looking at you macarons).

If you are looking for inspiration, look no further than the recipe I have for you. This is a recipe for French macarons. Now, if you haven’t attempted to make these, you should know, they are not easy. So much can go wrong so easily, and it can sometimes be hard to pinpoint what exactly didn’t go to plan. I usually bat around .500 when I attempt to make them. But after trying a few different recipes, this is the one that I found easiest to follow. Pro tip: WEIGH, don’t measure. Trust me; it makes a huge difference. If you want to get more tips or see how these are made before you start, I recommend checking out Indulge With Mimi on YouTube.Serving size: Makes 12 macarons (Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled)

Ingredients:
– 65 grams – almond flour
– 65 grams – powdered sugar
– 45 grams – castor sugar (or a.k.a “berry” sugar or extra fine granulated sugar)
– 50 grams – AGED egg whites (app. 2 medium egg whites)
– 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
– GEL Colour of your choice (DO NOT use liquid color)

What you will need:
– electronic scale
– 2 very clean and dry mixing bowls absolutely free of oil or water – preferably NOT plastic. I usually wipe my bowls down with a little white vinegar to make sure the are clean.
– a hand or stand mixer
– a sifter
– a flexible spatula
– a piping bag
– a round piping tip
– a good quality baking pan
– template with macaron outline
– oven thermometer
– parchment paper or Silpat mat – DO NOT use wax paper
– dehumidifier or make in a dry environment with low humidity

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Keep beating and slowly add the sugar until stiff peaks form. Add the gel color just before you get to stiff peaks.
Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour over the egg whites. Fold the dry mixture into the egg whites, giving the bowl a quarter turn every third fold. Mix until the batter reaches a lava-like consistency. Do not over mix!

Working quickly, put the batter into a piping bag.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Tip: use a little batter to “glue” down the edges of the parchment paper so it stays put). In a circular motion, pipe 1½-inch dollops onto the baking sheet. Lift the baking sheet and gently tap on the counter to settle the batter. Let the cookies rest for 1 hour, until they are no longer wet to the touch and a skin forms on top.

Preheat the oven to 285ºF.

When the cookies are dry to the touch, bake for 13-15 minutes, until they have risen. Let them cool for 10 minutes. To fill, pipe a circle of whatever filling you would like in the middle. Sandwich with another cookie. Macarons are best kept refrigerated until serving.

Again, I’m not going to lie; this isn’t an easy recipe, but totally worth the results. I’m not a huge dessert fan, but macarons are one of my favorites. After you give this a shot, you’ll realize why these tasty little cookies tend to be on the more expensive end!