From cupcakes to cake balls to cronuts, there always seems to be a pastry trend on the food scene. However, one contender seems to quietly rise above them all: the French macaron. While the hype around cupcakes and cake balls are dying down, macarons seem to never go out of style. These dainty, elegant treats are perfect for any occasion.
I first became enamored with macarons in November of 2012. I admired their colorful smooth shells and have experimented with macarons ever since. A year and 300 macarons later, I finally bought a set of macarons from a professional bakery- but not just any bakery. I went to the one and only – flown from Paris – highly recognized French patisserie: Ladurée.
I bit the bullet and splurged on these little beauties because I wanted to see how my macarons stacked up against professionally made macarons. On Christmas Eve, I trekked all the way to the Upper East Side of New York with two of my friends. There was already a line out the door when we arrived, so we waited approximately 40 minutes before it was our turn to order. We were greeted by a doorman who gave us a Holiday Collection pamphlet and was happy to answer any questions we had. This store is very small, with only space for a counter of macarons and a handful of patrons. As the line moved closer to the counter, there was a laminated menu that included both permanent and seasonal flavors. I ended up choosing 9 flavors: Raspberry, Chocolate Coconut, Ginger Chantilly, Chestnut, Pistachio, Rose, Coffee, Orange Blossom, and Caramel with Salted Butter.
Raspberry Macaron
This cookie had the most flavor out of all the macarons I bought. The jam filling was nicely absorbed into the shell.
Chocolate Coconut Macaron
The filling had a marshmallow like texture that was almost hard, and the chocolate shell was dry and barely detectable. I was really looking forward to this flavor but it did not meet my expectations.
Pistachio
This macaron had a nice cookie to filling ratio and the pistachio buttercream was smooth and creamy. However, I wish there was more pistachio flavor.
Rose
This was an interesting flavor, but I felt like I was eating a flower.
Coffee
This Coffee macaron was fragrant and the buttercream was fluffy.
Orange Blossom
This one had a curd based filling that was surprisingly good. The citrus flavor was subtlety refreshing.
Caramel with Salted Butter
The caramel filling was dense, rich, and chewy and unnoticeably salted. One of my favorites.
Ginger Chantilly (Seasonal Flavor)
This macaron had a nice zing to it from the ginger. It was the most unique flavor and the chantilly was light and fluffy.
Chestnut (Seasonal Flavor)
The chestnut had a nutty buttercream filling.
Overall, the macarons were great. They had the right cookie to filling ratio, weren’t too sweet, and the shells were smooth with nice even feet. The cookie was slightly crunchy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. I just wish the flavors were stronger.
The experience of buying little pieces of edible luxury was nice. However, it was quite pricey for a small treat. Each macaron was $2.80 and the 8 piece gift box was a little over $3. Although high quality ingredients certainly justify the cost of each macaron, the branding of the Ladurée name as a gourmet patisserie also lures customers in to pay a premium price for a premium pastry. Even so, these would make a great gift for any occasion.
bake me smile 