Fluentfriends Newsletter June 2013::The Insider
The French Macaroon
The Great French Bake-off
My love affair began on a girly weekend in Paris when, on a cold November’s day, after visiting several museums, we were led to the renowned Parisian bakery Ladurée. Here an endless array of ganache, buttercream and jam filled macaroons awaited us. From classics such as Vanilla, Rose and Chocolate, to heavenly Salted Butter Caramel....
....Orange blossom and seasonal favourites Strawberry Mint, Basil Lime and Yuzu-Gimgebre, all were presented beautifully and available for purchase alone or in box selections, to be devoured there and then or shared at a later date.
For those who have never experienced the French macaroon*, it is a spectacularly coloured, light and sophisticated almond based meringue ‘sandwich’ that oozes deliciousness at every bite.
Nine months later a dear friend from our Paris trip walked down the aisle and I was asked to recreate the perfect French raspberry and pistachio macaroon as a wedding favour for 120 guests. So, my journey of discovery into the macaroon, its history, intricacies and obscure origins began….
It is all said to have started in Italy, when the first macaroons were considered to be almond meringue biscuits similar to today’s Amaretti. Originating from the Neapolitan dialectal word for paste ‘macarrone’ (also used for pasta), some culinary experts argue that the macaroon can be traced to an Italian monastery where they were allegedly modelled on monks’ belly buttons.
In 1533 the pastry chefs of Catherine de Medici, the wife of King Henri II, took these almond macaroons to France. Here, two Benedictine nuns, Sister Marguerite and Sister Marie-Elisabeth (later known as the ‘Macaroon Sisters’ ), seeking asylum in the town of Nancy during the French Revolution (1789-1799), were said to have paid for their housing by baking and selling macaroons. However, it wasn’t until the beginning of the twentieth century when Pierre Desfontaines Ladurée had the idea of joining two meringues and filling them with ganache that the concept of the French macaroon as we know it in this day and age, was born.
Today, the French macaroon enjoys popularity all over the world with dedicated shops as far and wide apart as Singapore, London, Scandinavia and America. France even has a museum dedicated to this delicious sweet treat. So, if you happen to be passing Montmotillon or are residing near to Poitiers or Limonges this summer, the Musée de l'Amande et du Macaron is well worth a visit (www.museedumacaron.com). Of course, any trip to Paris would also not be complete without a visit to Ladurée bakery.
For those unable to pop to France this summer, I have provided a recipe that we would love you to use to recreate your very own macaroons at home. Whilst I am unable to provide reassurance that they will turn out perfectly (these seemingly simple treats can be quite tricky to get just right – smooth, glossy and crisp crust, soft interior that doesn’t melt, with feet formed and a delicious filling), I have added a few personal tips that the books don’t share with you, to help you along the way.
What’s more, for those who fancy sampling some homemade French style macaroons, you can pick up a complimentary bag of macaroons on your next visit to fluentintuition. Just let us know if you’d like some by dropping us a line at Corinne.m@fluentintuition.co.uk and we’ll be happy to get some ready for you.
Fluentintuition’s special homemade macaroons recipe >
*In addition to the French macaroon, there is said to be an Italian and American version also. The main difference is that the American is a macaron and not a macaroon, and is made with coconut and sweet condensed milk as opposed to simply ground almonds, sugar and egg whites.