Much has been written lately about the mesmerizing macaron.
This French version of a macaroon – which is not even in the same gene pool as America’s clumsy coconut stacks of the same name – has been touted as the next dessert fad after the cupcake has had its due. Judging from the macaron boutiques that have popped up, and the countless blogs devoted to the dainty darling, that time has already come.
The macaron deserves all the fawning and flattery. A well-made macaron is crispy and creamy, cute, crumbly, and as colorful as a pastel parade of bridesmaids.
Each fragile nugget consists of two cookies (made with egg whites, sugar and ground almonds) clinging tenuously to a smooth speck of ganache, cream or almond paste. Flavorings for the fillings range from chocolate, cherry and mint, to black currant, coconut and coffee. (I snapped this photo just as the manager start waving madly “no photos.”)
Last Friday, my last day in Paris, I sloshed through rain and wind to visit Ladurée, Paris’ famed café/tea salon that’s considered by many the birthplace of the macaron. (When you’re paying 2 bucks for a Lilliputian cookie to take home you want it as fresh as it can be.)
Ladurée, founded in 1862 on rue Royale, was a popular hangout of Parisian high-society in the late 19th century. Over the years, it’s worked its way from café to pastry shop to tea salon to tourist attraction rivaling the Tour d’ Eiffel and Arc de Triomphe. The original rue Royale address has been joined by the Champs-Elysées outpost that I visited, as well as other cafés in Paris, London, Monaco, Switzerland and Tokyo.
The pastel façade and graceful design of Ladurée Champs-Elysées looks like something out of a fairytale. Inside, a long glass counter holds a brilliant mosaic of pinks and greens, cassis and caramel, snowy white and shiny citron. Framed “menus” list the macarons and their fillings. While the production of the sugary baubles may be old school, the retail operation is a model of modern efficient. I got through a line of 40-plus people and back out into the rain with my elegant little shopping bag in about 15 minutes.
This was my first Ladurée macaron experience. It won’t be my last.
I loved the gentle crack through cloud-like meringue which melted immediately on my tongue, then the sensation of cool, smooth and creamy. Of orange blossom and framboise, of praliné and pistachio, of bittersweet chocolate and caramel with salted butter. I tried to make the thrill last by taking 3 or 4 bites of my first macaron. Too messy. I also tried to cut one in half to share. The fragile nature of the meringue makes cutting it in half a losing battle. Which is not necessarily a bad thing….no need to feel guilt for not sharing.
I have just two cookies left for dessert tonight…..orange blossom (left) and caramel , my favorites, and the only flavors I bought two of. Tomorrow, I’ll have to be content to simply dream about the heavenly morsels…and to drool over pictures of them on a terrific blog I discovered while researching for this post.
It’s called ParisPatisseries.com and it features mouthwatering photography, lively writing, and a total fixation on scrumptious things to eat. Check it out. I also found wonderful photos and interesting information on LaTartineGourmande and David Lebovitz sites.
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