The Mystical Macaron
Macarons. I don’t like them. I want to like them. I have tried to like them. I have tried to like them so much that I am blogging about them but I.. just..don’t. On occasion, when presented with the opportunity, I will take a nibble. Hoping that somehow a fledgling taste bud will have popped up somewhere in my mouth, finally gratifying my need to like this flaky, chewy treat. Call me crazy, but somehow I feel I would be a cooler person if only I liked macarons. So far, no such luck.
Yet I am forever inspired by this ….cookie. Really, a cookie? Actually, it is a wee bit of an obsession. Whenever I travel and pass a bakery, I just have to peer in the window for a quick visual fix. Perhaps it can be chalked up to my love of all things French? Really, I just adore their rich saturated colors, the neat little rows, cookies all snuggled up together. I mean, who doesn’t like looking at a box of macarons? They are always packaged so beautifully, as if they are just waiting for all the beautiful people to come buy them and whisk them away. If I were a macaron, I would be stuck up….because I could be.
So, I will wait patiently for my palette to step it up and delight in this little piece of culinary perfection. In the meantime, I will pay homage to the mighty and mystical macaron the only way I know how…. by championing its beauty, its history, and the culinary creativity inherent in its making.
Some tasty Macaron facts:
- I once heard that every 7 years, your taste buds change. If that’s the case, there is still hope for the macaron and me to rendez -vous. Is this true? Must investigate…
- The history of the macaron (originally an Italian cookie) dates back to the marriage in the 16th century of Catherine de Medicis to the Duc D’Orleans, King of France. So blah, blah, blah, macarons eventually became known as a French cookie, but as you see, they have a royal background. I told you they should be stuck up.
- Consensus is that Laduree in Paris is THE place to go for macarons. Reviews pretty much sum up that they are wonderfully delicious, the epitome of inspired culinary flavor combinations and the packaging is dreamy. Since the closest I will be to Paris anytime soon is more likely to be Paris, Texas, I did a little investigating. You can order Laduree macarons online through Goldbely, https://www.goldbely.com/laduree. Or, if you are jetting around the states and happen to be in New York, DC, LA, or Miami, you can find a Laduree bakery and get up close and personal with these famous French cookies.
- Ally and Eloise Bakery in Columbia, SC, my hometown, makes beautiful macarons and by all reports are delicious. She also offers a 25% discount on Macaron Mondays. Find her at https://www.allyandeloise.com.
- Many independent bakeries make macarons, so check with your local bakers.
Images courtesy of The Die Line – Gourmet Baking – The Proper Blog – Deer Pearl Flowers
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