Read This First: Demystifying the Macaron

I'm going to take another break  from writing about Paris sweets to, well, share a favorite post about a favorite Paris sweet, the macaron.

I started to notice how this delicate beauty was tres en vogue last summer, when it started showing up on most every dessert table pictured on most every party-planning or wedding blog.

So naturally I had to try making some.

I turned to the trusty interwebs to go about my research - reading post after discouraging post about how fickle macarons were, how hard it was to get everything "just right", and how one of many potential missteps would lead to disappointment. And if you know me, you know being meticulous is not really my bag.

But just as I was considering giving up, I came across this post on the BraveTart blog.

Read it before you read anything else on making macarons. 

Read it before you even read BraveTart's Ten Commandments of Macarons.

Read it before you finish reading this post, if you must.

Here goes nothing.

You don't need to take a class. And despite what you might read elsewhere, you don't need to buy a $200 scale, and you don't always need to grind your almond meal and sift your flour exactly 106 times at just the right altitude. Apparently you don't even need to use almonds, would you believe it!

I know because Stella at BraveTart took all the guesswork out of these once-mystical morsels, through a rigorous process of elimination.

From BraveTart:

I don’t know if my experiment would stand up to the rigors of the scientific method, but I did take a systematic approach. I standardized every aspect of my already stable recipe: the exact number of minutes spent mixing, weight and temperature of ingredients, oven temperature, baking time, etc.
Each day, I changed a single variable across multiple batches (generally three), and noted my results. I also tested variables by their absence. (Read more...)

I dove in head first, and look.

(Just ignore that one cracked one.)

I made these last May, having never set foot in France, and having only ever eaten a macaron maybe twice in my whole life. This lover of short-cuts and occasional experimenter achieved success on the first try. 

Except for one little experiment with caramel sauce, hee hee.

Don't use caramel topping as caramel filling. DUH.

Do use chocolate ganache...

or lemon curd, if you're into that.

Impress your friends and yourself.
Here's that link again, to BraveTart's blog post on Macaron Myths. Recipes follow.

Paris Top Ten: #5 - Kitschy Cake Shop

I almost didn’t believe my eyes when we happened upon this strange little storefront on our way to Jardin du Luxembourg.

What was the story with all these tiny toys set willy-nilly in the graffiti-stained window? 

Are those cake dummies I see?

We stepped into the dimly-lit shop to find a deli case full of plainly frosted cakes - some with random (or maybe strategic?) bursts of airbrush color, and others fully emblazoned with edible images, including some raunchy ones, not seen here.

More rows of bizarre little plastic figurines filled up the spare shelf space, presumably to be used as cake toppers.

Further inside, I wandered wide-eyed among more inventory, this time of the wedding cake variety. Disheveled cake stands with staggered tiers, cake ruffles and doily-like things, and gaudy floral toppers were strewn chaotically amid cardboard boxes and bootleg Disney characters.

Stock includes a cake topper for a Chinese Wedding

Wedding cake that looked more at home in a 1980's Disneyland wedding

After days of feasting our eyes on  museum-quality showcases featuring pristine gateaus and other such elegant edibles, I couldn’t quite figure out what to make of all this. I wanted to ask the young shopkeeper about the business and its backstory, but she didn’t look too happy about my gawking.

Despite the disrepair, I was tickled that we chanced upon this shop that seemed like an oddity, yet at the same time, was in line with what I was already feeling somewhat in Paris – like I had stepped back in time.

Le Gâteau Doré Fiesta 

27, rue du Fauborg du Temple (10e)

On the web at: http://legateaudorefiesta.com

<<<#6 Disco-dancing Crêpe Man                                                #4 Coming Soon >>>

2-minute Microwave Mug Cake

We interrupt our regularly-scheduled programming (i.e. my Paris Top Ten List) for this important message:

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY. Time to kick it up a notch.

The day started with a completely corrupted version of what's supposed to be a healthy breakfast - oatmeal topped with crème brûlée at Zazie in San Francisco.

Criminal.

Why even bother with the oatmeal. I barely ate any of it (or many of the bananas, for that matter) if only because I had to save room for pancakes. It wouldn't be my birthday without pancakes.

Fast forward to night-time. Post chicken parmesan dinner, made by the mister, came dessert part one: Secret Breakfast Ice Cream from Humphry Slocombe. For the uninitiated, that's bourbon ice cream with corn flakes - Humphry's most popular flavor, but nowhere near its most offbeat (from NYT: Who Wants Prosciutto Ice Cream?)

And if you think the aforementioned prosciutto ice cream is wackadoo, up there on the right is Humphry's foie gras ice cream sandwich. That's right. Ice cream made with fattened goose liver, between two ginger snap cookies (a limited time offer, considering a ban on foie gras goes into effect in SF in July.)

Quite the line-up on my special day. But how does a guy really impress a girl whose life passion is cake?

Why, you get out the flour and bake, of course.

Or in the case of my better half, you get nukin'!

My Sweet (the human, not the blog) had filed away a blurb from Lucky Peach Magazine, which laid out instructions for a chocolate cake, that you make in a mug, in two minutes, in your flippin' microwave!!! 

Mind. Blown.

You could buy this:

Spotted at Cost Plus World Market

But why would you?

Recipes abound on the World Wide Web (just Google "mug cake.") A Pinterest search yields a Nutella-flavored version (mmmm...) repinned dozens of times.

Here's the Lucky Peach version, which calls for a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (20 grams) all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons (45 grams) sugar
2 tablespoons (10 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons (30 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips 

In a medium sized microwave-safe mug, add the vegetable oil, whole milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Use a fork or small whisk to mix until combined. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Bake in the microwave on high for two minutes. Serve immediately.

"Serve immediately?" Who's making this in advance? It only takes 2 minutes. And therein lies the danger of this magical microwavable love in a mug: low commitment plus instant gratification equals sweet, sweet temptation.

Encore!

Happy birthday to me.

Paris Top Ten: #6 - Disco-Dancing Crêpe Man

Our first order of business upon landing in Paris was a stop for crêpes and galettes at the top-rated Breizh Café just steps from our Marais vacation rental apartment (though I much rather be able to call it a pied-à-terre.) We also sampled one of the hand-held versions at the creperie window of Le Comptoir du Relais Saint-Germain, oozing with crème Chantilly.

But my favorite crêpe experience was, without a doubt, the one-man stand at Marché des Enfants Rouges.

You didn't hear anyone complain as he dilly-dallied, warming up his griddle, busying himself with anything other than cooking our breakfast. The whole time he entertained himself by loudly cracking jokes, without cracking a smile.

He was impossible to understand in his broken English, but the unwavering confidence in his deadpan delivery was thoroughly amusing. And when my camera came out, he started doing this:

Stayin' alive. Stayin' alive.

Walking around this Marais marketplace is the perfect way to pass some time, get some great grub and save some Euros on a Sunday, while much of Paris takes the day off. If you’re lucky, you’ll also catch a show.

Marché des Enfants Rouges 

39 rue de Bretagn (3e)

<<< #7 Glazed Pineapple at Hediard                                         #5 Coming Soon >>>

Paris Top Ten: #7 - Glazed Pineapple at Hediard

This uber-chic spot looked more like a gallery than a grocery store – flawless specimens of produce, immaculate portions of sweets and savories, terrines and tea and truffles, just all kinds of gifts and goodies.

It was so picture-perfect, I felt uncomfortable taking pictures! The place was silent, we were the only ones in there (which was completely unlike our next stop at the competition, Fauchon) and I didn't want to be too conspicuous. But when I saw this, I couldn't resist.

There alongside the fine chocolates and  pâtes de fruits  were these beautiful candied fruits. The cherries, sliced oranges, kiwis, peaches and plums - all glazed in sugar - were just a delight to look at. And look at the whole figs and pears! But the real question is: what does one do with a whole candied pineapple, crown and all?

Hediard 

31, avenue George V (8e) (the one we visited, which was empty)

21, place de la Madeleine (8e) (across the place from Fauchon)

On the Web at: http://www.hediard.com/

And also in Singapore!

<<< #8 McMacarons!                                           #6 Disco-dancing Crepe Man >>>

 

 

Paris Top Ten: #8 - McMacarons!

If you needed further proof of the ubiquitousness of this Paris staple, here it is:

 

<<< #9 Macaron "Taste Testing"                             #7 Glazed Pineapple at Hediard >>>

Paris Top Ten: #9 - Macaron "Taste Testing"

Where can you find the best macarons in Paris? Don't ask me. But I do know that no visit to Paris is complete, for even the casual confectionery enthusiast, without stops at Ladurée and Pierre Hermé. Naturally we had to conduct a highly-scientific (not) experiment to determine which of the two served up the better sandwich cookie. 

Ladurée

The Ladurée tea salon along the Champs-Elysées was closed for construction, but its retail store across the way offered plenty of "kawai" for the giggling Japanese 20-somethings who mobbed the place, right down to the cheery box of Hello Kitty macarons.

 

 

My husband and I selected a salted caramel and chocolate macaron respectively (no surprise there.)

Flawless "feet."

Nary a blemish in sight.

Well-rested, not too much "chew."

Delectable.

Ladurée 

75 Champs-Elysées

On the Web at: http://www.laduree.fr/ 

(also in New York at 864 Madison Avenue)

 

Pierre Hermé

The Pierre Hermé space was starkly different from Ladurée - less saccharine sweetness, more modern luxury, and a menu of less-traditional flavors. The macarons were also aesthetically edigier than their Ladurée counterparts, their shiny shells mottled with cocoa powder and gold leaf, or pearlized with luster dust.

We went for the salted caramel again (to add a measure of control to our precision-based research, of course) which hurt my teeth. It may have been a too-sticky-for-my-taste filling, or maybe it needed another night in the chiller. I'm can’t be sure, I ate it too fast.

For our second choice, we stepped outside our caramel comfort zone and picked something from the Jardin Enchanté collection - a half rose, half jasmine concoction, which I thought might have been one too many flowers. 

Despite this, I’d say the results of this fun little face-off were inconclusive. Maybe there were some flaws in the methodology (ya think?) The sample size was definitely too small. Alas, further research is needed.

Pierre Hermé

72 rue Bonaparte (and 6 other locations in Paris)

On the web at: http://www.pierreherme.com/

Side note: I made macarons and so can you. Read this post.

<<< #10 Personalized Pastries                                               #8 McMacarons >>>

Paris Top Ten: #10 - Personalized Pastries

My husband and I just got back from my first trip to Paris. This painting that hangs in the Musee D'Orsay pretty much sums up how I felt by the last day.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "Les baigneuses" - 1918

Like Renoir's bathing beauties, my existing muffin top now had its own set of muffin tops. And like these ladies, I was resplendent in my newly-acquired corpulence. I had happily worked very hard on it for 6 days.

Between the croissants every morning (okay, pain au chocolate, who are we trying to fool here) rows and rows (and rows!) of opulent pastries, meringues and multi-colored macarons, foie gras at every turn, and an unexpected abundance of rice pudding (we had it three times) it was no wonder I left the city of lights significantly pudgier than when I arrived. 

I plan to upload a batch of photos on another page, but for now I've compiled my 10 favorite, particularly memorable, unusual, even some downright curious confectionery-related moments from our trip. Here's number 10.

 

Personalized Pastries at Gérard Mulot

Okay, they weren't really personalized, but it just happens that this purveyor of sugary specialties shares my initials, so I was extra enthused about the array of "GM" monogrammed entremets.

Gérard Mulot

76, rue de Seine (Saint Germain)

2, rue Lobineau (Saint Germain)

6, rue du Pas de la Mule (Marais)

on the Web at: http://www.gerard-mulot.com/

                       #9 Macaron "Taste Testing" >>>