Has anyone made macarons before?

[cefmac]

I've been keen to try to make macarons for a while now - I love how light and fluffy they taste, and how pretty they are. From what I gather, they're quite complicated. I've read plenty of guides online on how to troubleshoot common macaron problems, but I still haven't plucked up the courage to attempt them. One guide I read said that you need to use an aluminium bowl to stop any extra grease getting in, but I don't own one of those. Is that the end of the world? Can I make them with a plastic bowl anyway?

Let's share macaron stories!