Here they are, my first attempt at the fancy French macarons. They look pretty rustic with their cracked surfaces. I didn't have time to leave them for 20 mins before baking, hence the crackling, but you know what - I like this look. And it didn't affect the taste, it was still an intense sugary buttery mouthful. I followed the same recipe as Ginny used except I used lemon instead of lime and only put basil in the filling. Not as tangy but I still have plenty of ground almonds so will be making some more varieties.
If you want to see how the pros do it, have a look at Alessandra's present from baker/blogger Bron Marshall - it will make you drool. Bron's website also worth checking out.
Do you like the Xmas lily in the shot? I grew it from bulb - my first one!

110 grams powdered sugar
60 grams ground almonds
2 egg whites ( 60 grams)
40 grams sugar
zest from 1 lemon

Basil Lemon Filling
100 grams butter at room temperature
45 grams powdered sugar
juice and zest from 1 lemon
5 basil leaves, finely chopped

Make the filling:
Cream the butter and powdered sugar together (I did it with a rubber spatula) until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the  juice, zest and basil and mix together until all are well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a cool place but not the refrigerator.
As Ginny said you can make less of this and still have some left over.


Make the macarons:
Heat oven to 170C. Sift powdered sugar and ground almonds.
Place egg whites and sugar in mixing bowl and whip by hand or mixer until the whites become thick and full of air - stable but not dry.
Fold a third of the meringue mix into the sifted almonds and sugar until fully incorporated.
Add the rest of the meringue mix and fold until the mix is smooth and shiny.
Fill a disposable piping bag with the meringue mix and pipe small, equal-sized circles onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Ginny drew circles in advance and then turned the parchment paper over).
Let them sit  in the open air for anywhere from 15 -30 minutes. If you want the crackly look, put in oven straight away!
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven for 12 minutes- depending on your even, you may need more or less time. The macarons are finished when they separate easily from the parchment paper without sticking. Be careful not to overbake them.
Fill a disposable piping bag with the filling and squeeze a small amount on one cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Leave at room temperature to set for about 2 hours. They can also be refrigerated for a shorter amount of time, but they should be removed in ample amount of time to serve them at room temperature.