The macaron is a delicately refined meringue-based confection made of ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites, and filled with ganache, buttercream, caramel, or fruit jam.
A mainstay in the French patisserie canon, the ideal macaron has a smooth, almost glossy exterior, and visible filling. Macarons are all about the interplay between texture and flavor: a thin, crisp shell yields to a slightly chewy, airy interior, then a lush complementary filling.