For the Love of…

...Macarons

I’m not one of those Expat’ that stock up on food from back "home".  Sure like anybody I will buy that pot of Nutella if I find it at the local supermarket (I might not even look at the price) but would I haul back a suitcase full at the end of the summer trip; no. The only exception to this rule applied to some of Jeremy and Chloe’s treats, but never a year supply only a few packages here and there as… well, treat. Ok so why am I talking about this when the title of the post is Macarons. Well the other exception is that Jeffrey has to bring me back from his trips to Paris some Macarons Ladurée; no exception. Not only because I adore them but also to ease the fact that I am not going myself to those trips to Paris.

All this talk about Macarons because tonight was my Cooking Class with the French Group and the topic was Macarons. Francois’ (our French Patisserie Chef) macarons are good but oh Ladurée...

Making macarons requires a great deal of discipline and is a process that is highly dependent on exactitude, technique, and proper equipment. For this reason it is a notoriously difficult recipe to master and a frustrating endeavor for the amateur baker

Although predominately a French confection, there has been much debate about its origins. Larousse Gastronomique cites the macaron as being created in 791 in a convent near Cormery. Some have traced its French debut back to the arrival of Catherine de' Medici’s Italian pastry chefs whom she brought with her in 1533 upon marrying Henry II.

The macaron as it is known today was called the "Gerbet" or the "Paris macaron" and is the creation of Pierre Desfontaines of the French pâtisserie Ladurée, composed of two almond meringue disks filled with a layer of buttercream, jam, or ganache filling.

Ladurée claims to sell 12,000 of them daily.

It all starts when your get your hands on the lime green bag:

First you get a feast for the eyes with the assortment of colors and you get to open the round box:

Then you have to choose which one you'll start with, decision decision again for which second one will have the honor of your palate. You would try a third one but you have to restraint yourself... at least for a couple of hours:

Unfortunately it has to end... Until next time:

Maybe on his next trip I’ll ask Jeff to bring me back some from the competition: Pierre Hermé’s Macarons