the next wonderful thing in your life

So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible. -- The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster

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Quirky confession: I am most at home baking things that are a little tricky. Pies, for instance. Let me make an intricate cherry lattice pie, and I'm quite happy. Or that honey caramel peach pie? Fabulous. No sweat.

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And yet, I find myself in a panic over a chocolate chip recipe. (You think I'm joking? Ask my little sister, who witnessed my absolute spazzing out over a simple muffin recipe. Yes really.)

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I can't explain this. It doesn't make any sense. But it just might explain why I fell so hard for this stunning Espresso Blackberry Macaron recipe.

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You really need to witness the smell of espresso powder + vanilla extract... rather gorgeous over the whipped egg whites...

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It is, admittedly, intricate. There might be a bazillion steps, but I found it fairly manageable altogether. And the results?

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Well worth the effort.

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Ahh. There it is, my friends. Blackberry jam (we loved Hero's blackberry preserves for this) sandwiched between light, sweet espresso meringues. Stunning.

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There are four other variations, should you be interested in, say, the coconut-passion fruit macarons.

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(Seriously, now: did your brain explode just the littlest bit when you read that? Mine did.)

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Anyway, with our usual restraint, my sisters and I are planning a time when we can make all five in one day...

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Because we do things like that.

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Meanwhile, maybe they can teach me how to make muffins without a panic attack.