M is for Macaron
If you love sweets and are traveling to Paris, look for the round, two-layered, pastel-colored pastries slightly reminiscent of miniature hamburger buns in pastry shops on your next trip. They appear almost artificial displayed next to the luscious fruit tarts and multi-layered cream and chocolate confections in the shop windows. The uninitiated might even think that they were created specifically for children, so fanciful are their pink, green and yellow hues. These pastries are called macarons, and despite their appearance, they are heavenly in both flavor and texture.I used to avoid macarons, precisely because their colors made them look phony to me. But one day, I took the plunge and tasted one, and was immediately converted. I was so enamored that I did some research on the subject, which I share below.
France is indebted to Italy for its introduction to this delicate pastry. It is widely believed that the Venetians discovered the macaron during their seafaring voyages of the Renaissance era, and that the chefs of Catherine de Medici brought the recipe to France at the time of Catherine’s marriage to Henri II. The term “macaron” has the same origin as that of the word “macaroni” – both mean “fine dough”.
The first macarons were simple cookies, made from almond powder, sugar and egg whites. Many towns throughout France have their own prized tale surrounding this dessert. In Nancy, the granddaughter of Catherine de Medici was supposedly saved from starvation by eating them. In Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the macarons of chef Adam regaled Louis XIV and Marie-Therèse at their wedding celebration in 1660.
It was only at the beginning of the 20th century when the macaron became a “double-decker” affair. Pierre Desfontaines, owner of the famous Ladurée pâtisserie in Paris, got the idea of placing a layer of cream between two single macarons while on a trip to Switzerland. Today, macarons in the form of a cream-filled cookie are commonly found in pâtisseries throughout Paris, and most offer them in flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, raspberry and coffee.
But these little pastries also come in astonishing flavors! Designer pâtissier Hermé proposes only a few standards (chocolate, coffee and pistachio) in his shop on the rue Bonaparte in the 6th arrondissement. However, his “Signature” collection consists of flavors as extraordinary as olive oil and vanilla, rose, caramel à la fleur de sel (the caramel cream is made with semi-sweet butter) and passion fruit with milk chocolate. His hazelnut with white truffle macaron is listed as part of “The Collections” for Fall/Winter 2002.
Several blocks away, Gérard Mulot tempts you with macarons perfumed with coconut, orange/cinnamon, lemon, cassis/cherry, and nougat. And the quintessential Ladurée tickles your taste buds with flavors such as chestnut, cherry/amaretto, lemon, and almond. It also has a distinctive macaron called Muscovado, which is made from a non-refined sugar from the Ile Maurice and a hint of licorice flavoring.
Part of what makes some of these macarons unusual is the combination of flavors used to produce them. Their creators have also experimented with textures – instead of having a creamy consistency, some of the fillings resembled custard, such as the one in Gérard Mulot’s lemon macaron, or candy, such as the one in Ladurée’s caramel pastry. The cookie that Ladurée uses for its almond macaron is reminiscent of shortbread; nothing like the thin, light-crusted airy cookie that is typical for these gourmandises.
If you’re looking for a good excuse to have a sugar high, visit these boutiques and buy a sample of each shop’s marvelous pastries. Then take them home, retire to the kitchen table and taste them. I did – and it was worth the effort! And for the record, my favorite was the passion fruit and milk chocolate macaron by Pierre Hermé.
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Monique Y. Wells is the author of Food for the Soul – A Texas Expatriate Nurtures her Culinary Roots in Paris, as well as co-owner of Discover Paris! – Personalized Itineraries for Independent Travelers.
© Monique Y. Wells
