These Little Magical Treats Are My Favorites Things!!
LADUREE!!!
Laduree is my favorite and is the most famous macaroon maker in Europe with stores in Paris, Tokyo, Nagoya, Dublin, Zürich, Lausanne, Geneva, Monaco and London, and now NEW YORK! Need I say more?? :) Laduree is THE place to go for the macaroon.Ernest Louis Laduree opened his first bakery in 1862 located at 16 rue Royale in Paris, France. The shop became one of the most elegant businesses and places to be seen in the area. Ernest married a very smart woman by the name of Jeanne Souchard who felt that women needed a place to have tea and socialize. Ernest took his wife’s advice and Laduree became the first tea salon of Paris. Laduree was where all of the affluent women went to see and be seen. The tea room enlarged in 1930 and has been growing ever since.
The flavors include Chocolate – Bitter Chocolate – Vanilla – Coffee – Rose – Pistachio – Raspberry – Black Currant Violet – Caramel with Salted Butter – Red Fruits – Orange Blossom – Liquorice – Lemon. Seasonal flavors are Coconut – Mint – Almond – Spice and Soft Fruits – Chestnuts – Praline – Lemon - Fig - Date-Cherry and Apple.
I grew up with this delicious treat, along with other delicious cookies....well, for those that know my mom know that she is a magical fairy with an oven! Breads, cakes, cookies, and sugary sweets!
Feeling a little homesick for my moms delicious little treats, I went out in search for the next best thing! I went on a quest to find the best macaroon in Los Angeles....
Visiting a handful of Boulangeries....
Winner: LA PROVANCE CAFE
Beverly Hills CA
www.laprovencecafe.com/
Authentically French! Small cute cafe, with lots of small French town personality...All I needed was a Moleskin, and a bit of rain!
Best Flavors: Apricot- Rose and Raspberry :)
Second Place: LETTE
Beverly Hills CA
Flavor: Almond and Rose
Love this place, great flavors...but its a bit cold, and not really set up to sit and enjoy with friends :-/
Third Place:Paris Cafe
Westwood Ca
Flavor- Lemon
Cute, quick...when you need to feed a MACAROON FIX! :)
1. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
2. If using whole almonds, pulse in a food processor until very finely ground, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the confectioner’s sugar and process to a fine powder. Sift to remove any lumps.
4. Beat the egg whites in bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, adding the food coloring as you go until you reach the desired shade. Then increase speed to high and continue to beat until the whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks.
5. Quickly and carefully add the almond-sugar powder. (Meringue will deflate.)
6. With a wooden spoon, mix from the center of the bowl outwards, turning the bowl as you go. You want to achieve a smooth, lightly colored mixture.
7. Spoon batter into a piping bag with a 1/4-inch round tip. If you don’t have a piping bag, use a plastic freezer bag, pressing out excess air. Snip off one corner to create a 1/4-inch opening. Pipe inch-wide macaroons onto the baking trays, about 1-1/2 inches apart. You should have peaked mounds of batter, about the size of a chocolate kiss.
8. Cook for eight to nine minutes, leaving the door of the oven slightly ajar.
9. Remove the macaroons from the oven. Pour a little water between the baking tray and the parchment paper; this makes the macaroons easier to lift off when they have cooled. Cool completely on racks, about 30 minutes.
10. Cassis MacaroonsCarefully peel macaroons from parchment; they are fragile. Sandwich a thin layer of fillings between two macaroons—ganache, marmalade, jam or whipped cream. The two bottoms face the filling.
11. If you can, leave the finished macaroons in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This allows the flavors and texture to develop and intensify.
12. Whipped cream macaroons must be stored in the refrigerator; others can be kept in airtight tins at room temperature for up to three days after production.
2. If using whole almonds, pulse in a food processor until very finely ground, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the confectioner’s sugar and process to a fine powder. Sift to remove any lumps.
4. Beat the egg whites in bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, adding the food coloring as you go until you reach the desired shade. Then increase speed to high and continue to beat until the whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks.
5. Quickly and carefully add the almond-sugar powder. (Meringue will deflate.)
6. With a wooden spoon, mix from the center of the bowl outwards, turning the bowl as you go. You want to achieve a smooth, lightly colored mixture.
7. Spoon batter into a piping bag with a 1/4-inch round tip. If you don’t have a piping bag, use a plastic freezer bag, pressing out excess air. Snip off one corner to create a 1/4-inch opening. Pipe inch-wide macaroons onto the baking trays, about 1-1/2 inches apart. You should have peaked mounds of batter, about the size of a chocolate kiss.
8. Cook for eight to nine minutes, leaving the door of the oven slightly ajar.
9. Remove the macaroons from the oven. Pour a little water between the baking tray and the parchment paper; this makes the macaroons easier to lift off when they have cooled. Cool completely on racks, about 30 minutes.
10. Cassis MacaroonsCarefully peel macaroons from parchment; they are fragile. Sandwich a thin layer of fillings between two macaroons—ganache, marmalade, jam or whipped cream. The two bottoms face the filling.
11. If you can, leave the finished macaroons in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This allows the flavors and texture to develop and intensify.
12. Whipped cream macaroons must be stored in the refrigerator; others can be kept in airtight tins at room temperature for up to three days after production.
:)
