When you do a search for "Macaron" on the internet, it comes back asking "Did you mean Macaroni?"
No, I did not mean Macaroni. I did not mean Macaroon, either, although many people get the two words confused.
Macarons are a delicious cookie sandwich, invented in the 18th century by Laduree. They consist of 2 macarons with ganache in between. Unlike macaroons, which are dense and heavy coconut cookies, macarons are light and delicate. They come in beautiful colors, and were used in Sofia Coppola's movie "Marie Antoinette".
The best macarons I have ever had were in France. When I was in Toulouse with my mom a few years ago, we came upon this wonderful patisserie, and they had so many amazing flavors, or "parfums", of macarons. They were small and lovely and bursting with flavor. It turns out that the patissiere knew my boss Michel at the bakery in Winnetka, IL where I worked in high school. Small world! We sat outside and chatted with him while enjoying these heavenly treats.
There are a couple of places where you can buy macarons in San Francisco. The best ones to date have been from Miette, my favorite being the Grapefruit, which they have on occasion, and my friend Kristina is kind enough to buy for me on a regular basis! The tops are more textured than the ones in France, but they are delicious nonetheless.
Recently, a new macaron shop opened in Hayes Valley. It's called Paulette, and it is the second brick-and-mortar location for a bakery in Beverly Hills. They are so particular about how they make macarons, that they are shipped up from LA to SF, rather than being made here.
I recently stopped in with my friend Jude on a rainy Sunday to check it out. Oh la la, they were so exquisite! We tried 8 of the 10 flavors that they had on display that day: Pistachio, Coconut, Lemon, Chocolate, Sweet Wedding Almond, Violet Cassis, Jasmine Tea, and Coffee. The flavors were so distinct, flavorful yet delicate, and the colors of the cookies were to die for - right off of a fine arts palette.
I have been dreaming of them ever since. At $1.60 each, they are not as cheap as say, a bakery cookie - but to have a little piece of finely crafted luxury in your mouth, I think that they are well worth it. I can't wait to go back and indulge once more!
