A review of Macarons, by Pierre Hermé (Grub Street, 2011), would not be complete without whipping up a batch of scrumptious macarons from among the many delicious recipes presented in this fabulous collection. With dozens to choose from, I decided on coffee macarons, one of ten flavours Pierre Hermé has grouped together under the heading “classics.” (The [...]

While the popular double-sided Parisian macaron was invented back in the 1930s, Pierre Hermé is famous for taking the delicate meringue confections to a whole new level of sophistication. The celebrated Parisian pastry chef and chocolatier is known for his exotic macaron flavours, both sweet and savoury. The author of several books on French pâtisserie and [...]

The invention of pralines dates back to the 17th century and is most often attributed to Clément Jaluzot, master chef to César de Choiseul, Comte du Plessis-Praslin (1598-1675). Chef Jaluzot is said to have hit upon the idea of coating almonds with caramelised sugar, producing a sweet and crunchy treat that delighted his employer’s palate. [...]

ChocoParis missed the last two MacTweets Mac Attack Challenges, the themed monthly macaron making challenges organised by Deeba and Jamie of MacTweets. Anyone can participate, and it’s a great way to learn while having fun. The deadline for this month’s challenge is December 25th. Ironically, despite not being able to make the deadlines recently, I’ve [...]

For this month’s Mactweets Mac Attack Challenge we were asked to create a macaron inspired by a favourite childhood summer memory. Basketfuls of sweet cherries immediately came to mind: Un, deux, trois, allons dans les bois, Quatre, cinq, six, cueuillir des cerises, Sept, huit, neuf, dans mon panier neuf, Dix, onze, douze, elles seront toutes [...]

These delicate macarons with a smooth and light lemon curd are refreshing and perfect for summer.

This month’s MacTweets Mac Attack challenge was to create a French macaron inspired by a wild animal or bird of Africa. And so this post takes us on a little side trip, far away from the cafés and pastry shops of Paris. ChocoParis macarons this month are inspired by the cheetah, the fastest land animal! [...]

The MacTweets Mac Attack challenge for the month of May was to find inspiration in a favourite childhood book. It’s no easy task to choose a single book when one has been fortunate to have a childhood filled with so many tales of adventure and magic. One thing is certain: first and foremost on the list of [...]

In upscale shops such as Ladurée, Pierre Hermé or Arnaud Larher, the varieties and colours of macarons are endless, as new flavours are being created all the time. But in neighbourhood boulangeries-pâtisseries you’ll often find just two classic flavours: chocolate and  coffee. The coffee-flavoured macarons below were made by modifying the basic chocolate macaron recipe. [...]

ChocoParis decided to let a bouquet of Easter flowers (tulips) serve as inspiration for this month’s MacTweets Mac Attack Challenge. These pretty pink chocolate and raspberry macarons were made with just a few simple variations to last month’s recipe for chocolate macarons. The basic recipe for French macarons can easily be adapted according to taste and [...]

France’s 5th annual Jour du Macaron (Macaron Day) will take place on Saturday, March 20, 2010. Founded by the Pastry King himself, Pierre Hermé, this day devoted to the crispy, round feather-light treat with a soft center, will feature free tastings and other special events in Pierre Hermé’s shops in Paris and Tokyo and 100 [...]

A recipe for the classic macarons you’ll find in Parisian pâtisseries.