Les Macarons de Nancy

Macaroons were once the specialty of a convent in Nancy, capital of Lorraine. At the Revolution, the nuns were forced out into the world, and two of the sisters set up a bakery, found to this day in the rue des Soeurs Macarons. While all macaroons are based on the same three ingredients — almonds, egg whites, and sugar —they vary enormously. When made in sophisticated Parisian style with milled almond paste, the finished cakes have a fine, soft texture and crisp shell. When made at home wit