French Chocolate Macarons

Fire and Ice
by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Poetry can be so beautiful. But at times it frustrates me. Sometimes, I read over the poem once and feel a connection to it instantly. Other times, I will read it through several times and have absolutely no idea what it’s talking about. “If she’s talking about the meaning of life, why the heck is she bringing an urn into the picture?”

The thing with poems is that you can analyze them in many different ways and there is no right way. It’s not like math where the answer is either right or wrong. Every single interpretation is “interesting;” it is never incorrect. This induces overanalyzing, which I feel we do too much of in English class at school…


Nonetheless, the emotion and power that can be expressed through simply words is remarkable. Words can make you laugh, can make you blush, make you want to disappear, make you ponder the future, and words can make you fall apart and cry until you have a pond to drown yourself in. But why be so morbid? Poems can also bring the edges of your lips up, like I hope this little haiku of mine will :)

Chocolate records
Crispy, chewy, in and out
Dainty lil fellas

Ingredients

1/2 cup blanched whole almonds
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
2 tsp granulated sugar

Marshmallow Fluff

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Pulse the almonds with 3/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Add the cocoa powder and the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and pulse until well blended.
3. Beat the egg whites with the salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl just until the whites form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted.
4. Add the granulated sugar and beat just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Gently fold in the almond mixture.
5. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe out 1-inch-diameter mounds about 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the tops appear dry but the macaroons are still slightly soft to the touch.
6. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Carefully peel the paper off the macaroons and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
7. Sandwich cookies together with marshmallow Fluff or buttercream.