The ambrosial flavour of pink grapefruit is the theme of Ladurée‘s Valentine’s Day treats this year — dainty macarons and a luscious chocolate-covered heart-shaped tart. And what a wonderfully romantic flavour it is: tangy grapefruit paired with vanilla makes for a sweet and sensuous tastebud experience. Ladurée, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2012, is [...]

French macarons are notoriously finicky little pastries. Proper method and technique is critical if your macarons are to succeed! Below are a few tips to ensure that your macarons turn out well. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get it right the first time, or even the second time. With macarons, it’s definitely a matter [...]

So you’ve followed the recipe, but your macarons look nothing like what you expected. They’re cracked, pointed, splotchy or look like fried eggs. What can you do? Here are some tips to help figure out what went wrong. If the macaron shells are cracked and have no feet it means the batter was overmixed. The [...]

Macaron lovers in New York will be happy to know that legendary Parisian pastry shop Ladurée has announced plans to open a store in that city as early as this summer, according to press reports. Founded in Paris in 1862 by Louis-Ernest Ladurée, the company is notably famous for inventing the double-sided macaron that has [...]

Pâtissier and chocolatier Gregory Renard’s small artisanal chocolate shop is a favourite among Parisian chocolate lovers. He makes a wide assortment of ganaches, pralines, caramels, fruit jellies and marzipan confections. The macarons here come in a rainbow of colours and flavours, including classics such as chocolate and sea salt, pistachio, raspberry and coffee. Grégory Renard [...]

Macaron lovers in Paris and elsewhere will want to mark their calendars: Sunday, March 20 is “Jour du Macaron” (Macaron Day) in France – an annual celebration of the delicate meringue-based confections that come in a rainbow of colours and fillings. Pierre Hermé, who launched this event in 2005, will be offering free macarons in [...]

Geveva-based chocolatier Philippe Pascoët, who is actually French and originally from Brittany, opened his chocolate shop in Paris in 2006. Tucked away on the quiet rue Saint-Placide (6th arr.), the tiny store is brimming with delicately flavoured ganaches made with subtle infusions of saffron, coriander, orange-ginger, bergamot, lavender, or even absinthe, to name just a [...]

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.