Un grand macaron de framboise!

A large raspberry macaron!

Macarons are a challenge to make with careful attention 

to the humidity, the age of the eggs, the balance of heat in the oven, 

the phase of the moon.

However, I cannot imagine

 how many attempts it would take 

in order to get a perfect one of this size.  

At least the failures become "family macarons" 

and no one complains!

(just kidding about the phase of the moon)

Boulangerie aux Castelblangeois

104, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine

75012, Paris

Gérard Mulot - citron, citron vert, pistache!

Gérard Mulot

 

Some of the best macarons in Paris are found here. 

 

 

Although I make some very fine macarons,

I have never been able to make a tree. 

Perhaps it is because they are all too quickly consumed!

 

 

miam-miam

 

 

Gérard Mulot76, rue de Seine
Métro Odéon, Métro Mabillon 

Jour du Macaron - 20 mars 2013

Jour du Macaron

Oh, how I wish that I was in Paris today to enjoy the celebration of macarons.  Started by Pierre Hermé several years ago, one could run to each of the stores for up to three free macarons at each.  For those who made it to every Pierre Hermé in Paris there was a beautiful box of macarons, a treasure chest.  Pierre Hermé made a charity donation in honor of the day.

The success of the day quickly put a halt to the free macaron hunt and end-of-day bonus.  Still, it would be fun to follow the map for a macaron-saturated day.

Pierre Hermé

all over Paris (and Beyond)

Macarons pistache

Macaron tower, Ladurée

Just a little pre-weekend temptation...

macarons, Ladurée, pistache?

What's your favorite?

(miam-miam!)

Ladurée

21, rue Bonaparte

75006, Paris

Métro Saint Germain des Prés



Pierre Hermé - Jour du Macaron 2012

Yes, these are macarons, but they are not from Pierre Hermé.

They were made by Holly and me in a three-day frenzy of scientific study and baking.

They were divine.

Today is Jour du Macaron, a festival of these tasty delights by Pierre Hermé.  For the seventh year now the pâtisserie holds an event which I would compare to a treasure hunt.  You are given a card with the map of PH locations.  You can go to each location and select three macarons one macaron of the 25 flavors available on this wonderful day.  You are encouraged to drop a small donation in the box which will be given to charity.  You go to each of the 8 PH boutiques, selecting a macaron from each, and get your card stamped.  If you make it to all of the PH stores by the end of the day, you are rewarded with a box of 35 macarons!  

The rules have changed this year as in prior years there were three macarons at each stop!  I guess that it got to be too popular.  I have several blogger friends who are making the rounds today and they will be reporting on their success.  I hope that a treasure of 35 macarons is still the reward.  I am missing it by less than a week this year, but assuming there is an eighth year Jour du Macaron, I plan to be there!

Pierre Hermé, Jour du Macaron 2012

All over Paris 

After a random drawing from all the comments since last Tuesday,

the winner of the book, Dog Trots Globe, is .....

The Chieftess! 

Congratulations to her and thank you for all your wonderful comments during the past week.  

Special thanks to Sherry Long, the author and Chula's mom, and to OIC, the book publisher.

Pâtisserie Hunt - blé sucré

blé sucré is relatively new on the Paris bakery scene when one considers the legends of Ladurée and Pierre Hermé.  Founded by patissier Fabrice Le Bourdat, the list of temptations is long.  The quality is high and yet the prices are not.  So, what should you choose?

pan au chocolat, madeleine, and financier

Still hungry?

chocolate éclair, croissant, chaussons aux pommes

More?

How about an assortment of macarons

Miam-miam!

blé sucré

7, rue Antoine Vollon

Métro Ledru Rollin

75012 Paris

Les Macarons

This unique design of macarons was seen in the side window of Printemps on Rue de Caumartin. The competition must be fierce in Paris for the macaron market share but these would not measure up to my quality-control standards.

What do you think, Holly?

Printemps
Rue de Caumartin

Pâtisserie Hunt - Aoki

Each trip to Paris includes at least one "pâtisserie hunt" and our destination on this snowy day was Sadaharu Aoki. We wanted a single delicacy...

the tarte au caramel beurre salé. There was success in our purchase. We took it back to our apartment to devour in private, and it was out-of-this-world, melt in your mouth d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

And because you can never leave a pâtisserie with only one item.... and who knows when you might ever get back... and we need to sample many macarons... (enough excuses?)


Two macarons, research of course... wasabi (!) and cassis
miam-miam!






Sadaharu Aoki, boutique Vaugirard
35, rue de Vaugirard

Tower of Macarons

These macarons are guaranteed to have NO calories and will not cause weight gain! Aren't they lovely... spied in the holiday windows on Boulevard Haussmann.

Macarons on Ile Saint Louis

This is a simple display of macarons with a hand-lettered sign to offer the day's flavors. Some of the larger pâtisseries produce machine-made perfectly uniform macarons, and only an expert or a researcher would know. But, when you see macarons of varying sizes, you know that they were individually made, tops and bottoms matched for size, fillings piped by hand. These look delicious and I need to remember that when I am in Paris, I should never pass up a macaron or two (or maybe three)!

You can see the reflections of the people outside with their noses on the window. Does one of them have a camera?

Check out other reflections at James' Newtown Daily Photo

Citron Vert, Citron, Pistache! -- Miam-Miam!

Citron vert, citron, pistache! Citron vert, citron, pistache! Citron vert, citron, pistache! Miam-miam! Say it three times quickly and while you do, I will eat as many of these macarons as I can. My guess is that there are more than 60 of these little beauties and that we'll still have plenty to share! Although I have only bought macarons individually or by the box, you can buy a tower. This pâtisserie sells the towers by height with an estimate of the number of macarons. Can you imagine going to a wedding party and hovering around a macaron tower while trying not to look like a pig?

This is Gérard Mulot en juin and the line extended out the door and around the corner. There are smudges on this glass as a result of my lèche-vitrines. I think that this French word originated with someone actually licking a window like this! Que pensez-vous?

Soon I will tell you a more personal story about les macarons.

Gérard Mulot
76, rue de Seine
Métro Odéon, Métro Mabillon

Paris travel tip I

This is not a very sexy post and there is probably nothing in here that a seasoned traveler does not know, but just in case...

Whether I am gone for a week or a month (I wish), I take no more than a carry-on suitcase (less than 6 pounds empty). However, I always pack two or three plastic plates, plastic forks and knives, zip-lock plastic bags, and a tire-bouchon (wine opener). None of these take up much suitcase real estate or add any weight.

As you look at the above photo you can see why. There are times when you started early, ran all day, and when the sun went down at 11pm (yes, in the summer it does!) you were simply too tired to sit in a café (make that another café). So, you grab une bouteille de vin, une bagette, des fromages and you can have a little respite in your hotel or your apartment. It is also handy when you are going to do macaron research -- more another time on that topic (miam-miam).

Regarding le tire-bouchon, I had the simple plastic "hotel-type" opener taken by security as I left Paris headed to the USA, but it had been to/from Paris 4 times, to South America twice, and many other places. So, I feel less certain about transporting than I did previously.