Step by step

Beat the egg whites with the caster or icing sugar until they are firm

Tips
The macarons can be kept in a tin box or in glass container for up to 2-3 days. If you don’t have any ground almonds to hand you can use normal almonds and grind them in a food processor. Also, you shouldn’t use eggs that have been left in the fridge for a long time.
Trivia
The term ‘Macarons’ (not to be confused with Macaroons) are derived from the Italian dialect word ‘maccarone’. They were considered a confection of the elite, consumed in the most fashionable and exclusive Parisian salons. The story goes that this biscuit is of Italian origin and was imported to France by Catherine de Medici.