Little Bits of Heaven
Macaroons. I, we (everyone in my household) love these delicate morsels of deliciousness that you can find all over Paris, in many wonderful flavors, made by numerous pâtisseries. They are fluffy, airy things with a crunchy outer shell and a luscious dense, but creamy filling. They are the color of sorbets–rich but edging on translucent. I am using way too many words to describe them, but honestly, there is nothing else like them. And the flavors…..raspberry, chocolate, pistachio and my favorite, violet…..yes, violet.
Did you ever have violet flavored candies by Chowards? I ate them when I was little (I am clearly NOT as old as these candies look–they were around for a VERY long time before I discovered them!). The moment I bit into a violet macaroon I immediately was transported back to being the little girl that asked for weird flavored mints. Don’t you just love when a smell or a taste or a piece of music takes you on a journey totally outside the present moment?
……Ok, I’m back. Anyway, I was doing my homework and found a bit of history regarding these gourmet goodies and thought I would pass it along. What you see to the left are amaretti, little almond meringue cookies that are the contemporary Italian cousin to the French version. They are made with egg whites and and almond paste, leaving them crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Originally they were called “maccarone” which is an Italian word for paste or pasta. Confusing I know. But you can see where “macaroon” comes from. How they got to France was through Catherine de Medici’s pastry chefs that she brought with her when she became the wife of King Henri II. Ah, the webs we weave.
Pierre Desfontaines Ladurée, at the beginning of the 20th century, furthered the idea of the “macaron” by taking ganache–that creamy filling I was telling you about and sandwiching it between two meringues. Oh, la la! Add crazy flavors like Salted Butter Caramel, Anise, Chestnut, Basil Lime and Rose and you have a sublime treat that should be on every-one’s list of things to eat while in Paris. That’s pretty easy to do with several Les Maisons Ladurée scattered throughout the city. Stop in for lunch, dinner or just a macaron. You can buy them beautifully boxed to take back home ( seeing as they’re so delish, they may not make the trip!) and you will not want to throw the box away-they’re just too pretty. I stash earrings and other jewelry in mine. 
A visit to Ladurée is going to have to be on your list of things to do in Paris. The one on the Champs Elysée is grand and glorious and takes you back to the turn of the century in the most elegant way. This is Le Salon Castiglione, which is my favorite room to be seated in. Their signature salad, a glass of viognier and I am all set. Oh, and a violet macaron, bien sûr!
So, now, the best I can do is whisk you off to their website. There you can ooh and aah over all the beautiful things they offer. It will give you a history about their company, directions on how to get to their shops and tempt you with treats to eat and treats to pamper. Once again, the French certainly have “the art of living” all figured out!
Tags: , amaretti, b5media, Catherine de Medici, Champs Elysée, Choward's, france, King Henry II, Laduree, macaron, macaroon, paris, the paris traveler, travel, travel blog, viognier
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POSTED IN: Food & Beverage, History & Information
1 opinion for Little Bits of Heaven
Taylor
Jan 30, 2008 at 10:27 am
Ah, the magic of Ladurée… my favorite flavor is dark chocolate!
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