Delicious Delectables: What's More Delicious than a French Macaron?

Finished products!

Nothing! Well, that's a pretty big statement, but after tasting those sweet, pillowy confections, you'll wonder how you've lived all these years without them. My love affair with these little gems started on our honeymoon in Switzerland (Zurich to be exact). Let me take you on a little journey to pastry paradise.

Obviously, Switzerland is known for it's chocolate. Some of the best chololate in the world is produced by the Swiss, and every street corner has a tantilizing chocolate shop with the most delectable sweets you have ever smelled and tasted. Adam and I ate truffle after truffle to find the perfect chocolate in Switzerland and the contest ended in a draw. They were all the most delicious truffles we'd ever eaten.

On our last day, while walking around Zurich, we stumbled upon this store called Ladurée and walked in and were immeditately greeted by the most amazing sight and the sweetest smell. Hundreds of little round pillow confections lined the glass counter of this pastel painted patisserie. Pink, yellow, mint green, light brown, black, white, you name it, every color in the book all in little rows like perfectly trained sugar soldiers.

We opted for the assortment box of 8. Four a piece seemed ample, but upon the first bite, we knew we had to have more. I remember the taste the chocolate, the vanilla, the pistacio, the rose, the caramel with salted butter...it was as if I was in confection heaven.

After we'd been home a few months, I was in desperate need of a macaron fix. Much to my disapointment and surprise, macaron's are difficult to find in the states, especially in Augusta. Most people think of the American macaroon when I mention these objects of my affection. The macaroon is the coconut drop with the cookie/cake-like texture. A macaron is a little round "sandwich" with a delicate, crisp outside and smooth, soft middle. Some local bakeries make macarons, but since Augusta is Augusta, there were none to be found. I figured if I can't find them here, I was going to make them myself.

I scoured the internet looking for recipes, but each recipe was different from the next. Apparently, you are learning a technique, and you must tailor it to suit your climate, oven temperature, quality of ingredients, and many other factors. You can't have a macaron with a cracked top, it must have "feet" around its base, it can't be too big or too small, the filling can't over power the cookie, the list is endless! This is a trial and error process and there was a lot of trial, a few errors and a good amount of success. Next time I attempt these little creations, I'll tweek some things here and there to get it just right. I am determined and until we get back to Paris or Zurich, these will just have to do.

There is not a recipe at the end because I'm still working on it and testing it. I do have pictures, though, so you can see the final products. They look pretty good and tasted pretty delicious too. I'll report back when they remind me a little piece of Paris or Zurich.