[Insert profound quote about failure here]

I've read more tutorials on how to make macarons than any other confectionary. Everyone has something different to say. Age you eggs whites for two days... don't age them at all but microwave them for twenty seconds. Dry your almond meal out for a week. Let the macarons form a shell before baking. On, and on, and on...

Then you get in to all the technicalities of what makes a "good" macaron. Jeesh. 

I'll admit I was a little intimidated when I decided to take on this finicky treat, but it's hard to resist the challenge. The fact that macarons are naturally gluten-free is an added bonus! 

I had kind of prepared myself for failure with this first batch. Not only because it was my first try, but also because I made a few missteps in the process; I only aged my egg whites for about twelve hours, my sifter kept getting clogged with almond meal, and I'm not experienced in making meringue. 

Didn't leave enough space between the shells when I piped the first batch and the surfaces cracked and fell as soon as I took them out of the oven.

Sigh.

Second batch wasn't as tragic, but the shells fell and crackled in the oven and the feet spread out too far. 

I'm all about learning from my mistakes, but I just realized that 

I wasted half of a fresh vanilla bean. Bummer.

I don't feel too defeated, I assumed that my first run wouldn't be a success. Even though I feel as if I've read every macaron blogpost out there, if anyone has one they swear by I would be more than appreciative if you pass it on!