In a land revered for its cuisine, an ode to the much-loved macaron is long overdue in France.
These delicate morsels of sweet seduction may not have been food for the gods, but they were a favourite of at least one French queen. Marie Antoinette was reportedly captivated by the airy confection, which even today can be found in fashionable Parisian cafes or bakeries such as Laduree on the Champs Elysees.
Not to be confused with a macaroon of the chewy coconut kind, a French macaron is a light meringue-based sandwich cookie filled with buttercream, ganash, jam, etc. The biscuits and filling are often tinted to match in colours that often change with the season. The sweet is typical of French cuisine, skilled chefs take simple fresh ingredients -- in this case egg whites, ground almonds, sugar and icing sugar -- and whip them into something sumptuous to eat and pretty to look at.
At L'Atelier Cuisine de Patricia in Versaille, we learn from teacher-owner Patricia Boussaroque that the popular confection may not be entirely French. Many believe the original macarons were created by Italian chefs in the 1500s and later "refined by the French," Boussaroque says as she distributes fuchsia-coloured aprons to students at her cooking l'atelier.
"In France, we have a saying," Boussaroque says. "A good dish is when you can recognize the taste of each ingredient."
