The macaron makes us see all the colors and that is precisely what we like. Macaroons are a true visual feast for the eyes as well as a flavor explosion that takes our senses on an unanticipated journey through tastes and scents.
Tragically, many people misspell the name as macaroons, Because they confusion between two similar words « macaron » and « macaroon »
MacarOns : They are biscuits that look like sandwiches and have crisp crusts and a soft filling in the middle (Macaron de Paris).
Macaroons : (pronounced similarly to “broom” or “room”). They are dense cookies made either with coconut or with a coarse almond glue.
What’s with the macaroons?
Macaroons are these two shells with a cream in the middle. The recipe is in two stages, first we make the shells, for this the ingredients are immutable almond powder, sugar and a few egg whites, in this base, we add the food coloring of pink, green, dark blue or even azure . It remains to mix the dough with the whipped egg whites to create this almond meringue and for that you need a good hand craft. Then we put the macaroons in the oven for 14 min at 140C°. The second step is garniture, which can be buttercream, confiture, or chocolate ganache. The important thing is that it must be explosive in the mouth and not be governed by rules or standards.
The macaroon, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, has not always had this shape or color. It is first of all a Mediterranean biscuit always made from almonds, and it is in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (it has only one shell) or even its variant in the Basque country, that it has retained its traditional appearance. The one that triumphs today is the Parisian macaroon in fifteen years it has become the number one in French pastry more than 50 million of these macaroons are sold each year in stores, they cost between 20 cents to 2 euros each.
Macaroon origin
Its appearance in Europe dates back to the Middle Ages in Italy, at that time it was called “maccheron” in France its first appearance goes back to Catherine de Medici, who would have served it at the wedding of Duke Anne de Joyeuse in 1581. Success macaroons dates back to 1862 with a bakery that bore the name of its owner and founder Louis Ernest Ladurée of the “LADUREE” brand. At the time the ladies of the Parisian bourgeoisie did not have a place to meet. So Jeanne Souchard, Ladurée’s wife, had the brilliant idea of offering these ladies a place where they could taste and discover sweet pleasures and drink a hot drink, which led to the establishment of the first tea salon. The living room is finely decorated by a famous painter Jules Chéret. At that time the macaron was just a simple dry biscuit, we had to wait for Pierre Desfontaines – grandson of Louis Ernest – who had the idea of assembling two biscuits and filling them with a ganache. Available in a few classic flavors almond, vanilla, chocolate and coffee. Today the clientele has changed, it is international and if we still crowd in front of his shop it is with a very specific idea: the macaroon is associated with old French history. Despite this, the macaron is not an extremely ancient cake, contrary to popular belief. It was David Holder who made the legend of the macaroon, an idea that came to him only 18 years ago, he bought the shop with his father, the macaroons went from 4 flavors to 50 flavors. Thanks to them, we have the macaroons that we know so well today, available in an infinite number of colors and tastes ranging from standard like vanilla and chocolate to exotic tastes like orange blossom or melon.
Macarons and fashion
The macaron is no longer just this sweetness that melts in our mouths, or just a delicious cake, the macaron is entering the world of fashion. For a specific season, we release limited-edition macarons with a specific scent. And as for a luxury product, the packaging is very studied, it even happens sometimes that the box costs more than the macaroon itself. The macaron has become a world accessory, it is found on the glossy paper of fashion magazines. As for a new collection, macaroons are shooting next to a model. We can even make tailor-made like haute couture, macaroons that bear our names with a mix of flavors that we would have chosen and all that has its price. With macaroons we move away from gastronomy, we are in a magical world, an explosion of color and flavor. The macaron is this collector’s item that we make just for you “made-to-measure ” and which will bear your name, it has become a form of wealth. But whether they come from a supermarket or a luxury store, we are all the same faced with macarons « children in a castle of smarties ».
