"Macarons" ~ NOT !!!!!

I just have to share this cooking disaster with you all! After our wonderful trip it is always hard to settle back into work/routines etc. and I thought yesterday I would attempt to make macarons. What an absolute disaster.... I nearly didn't post this but I thought no if they had have worked out I would have posted them proudly. However, the grim reality is they looked terrible and they tasted terrible. I was going to place them on my new "Crown" plate from Shabby Chic which I got back to Australia intact without a crack! (Very proud of that!) If anyone went anywhere near my overhead locker with the precious cargo I jumped to attention like a sentinel... that was if I wasn't looking after Georgiana who suffers terribly from air/motion sickness. So much so that on our way over to LA she started being sick 3 hours out and was still sick getting on the plane to San Francisco. Anyway, I digress........ the macarons..... I now know I will leave it to the French and all of you who are cleverer than I. The eggwhites whipped beautifully with soft peaks forming, the rose colouring took to perfection ..... but something went terribly wrong... the piping bag blew apart and I don't think I had the oven hot enough and perhaps I should have beat the almond in instead of folding it.... never mind I will stick to cupcakes. The top picture is obviously mine and the second picture is what they are supposed to look like! I know that the gorgeous "Paris Pastry" would do a brilliant job of the macarons and I so admire her and anyone else who can master these delectable, divine and delicious morsels! Bon Nuit!