Laduree- the one stop destination for the best macaroons in Paris

Show me one person who doesn't adore a macaroon and I will show you Peter Pan! There is just something about a macaron with its crispy outer crust and its deliciously moist filling that the mere thought of it is enough for a person's mouth to start watering. It is mildly moist and when you bite into it, it simply melts in the mouth.All macarons are fabulous but there is something even more special about French macarons and that is what I will try and briefly touch upon here. According to the Wikipedia, a ‘macaroon’ is a sweet meringue based confection made with eggs, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder, orground almond and food colouring. It is also called Luxemburgerli. The macaron is commonly filled with ganache, buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two bicuits. The name is derived from the Italianword macarone, maccarone or maccherone, the Italian meringue. The confection is characterised by smooth, squared top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the "foot" or "pied"), and flat base. Macarons can be found in a wide variety of flavors that range from the traditional raspberry, chocolate to the new. (foie gras, matcha) And if we are talking about French macarons, no post can be complete without mentioning Laduree, the ultimate destination for a 'foodie's Paris visit. The true story of the Laduree macaron starts with Pierre Sesfontaines, second cousin of Louis Ernest Laduree, who at the beginning of the 20th century, first thought of taking two macaron shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling.

To read more details, you will need to visit this site and I can assure you that you will love what you read! http://www.laduree.fr/en/histoire/macaron

On the three occasions I visited this Laduree, I literally found myself spoilt for choice- did I want the macarons or did I want one or all of these decadent goodies? Believe me when I tell you that for that moment in time, all that one can think, feel and of course see, is this mouthwatering spread, that just cries out to be eaten. One box of macarons just isn't enough, and that's also when you think of friends and family who might be looking forward to goodies from Laduree and you ask the sales girl for a second and then quite possibly a third....and a fourth box as well Looking at these pieces and thinking they look better than jewels Entering Laduree in the Carousel, next to the Louvre Just before I sign off for today, I must give you the best tip that I can think of. The tradition of Laduree is one that will go on and on and one of the most important things is that of sitting down together to enjoy a delicious cake. And that's exactly why Laduree is inviting all cake lovers to join the Laduree Club.

Here's where you can sign up for the newsletter which apart from giving you all news updates about Laduree, will offer you exclusive recipes, tips and tricks from the world renowned chefs. http://www.laduree.fr/en/club/newsletter Why wait...?

Gougeres, irresistible little cheese puffs in 20 minutes

Gougeres, the French version of the most irresistible little cheese puffs!

Then there are the days when you want some bite sized savoury delights to accompany a drink. Of course, you can run to the nearest store and pick up a pack of ready made ones. Or you can try out something new and interesting. Which is just what I did.

Gougeres are the French version of little cheese puffs, usually served as an appetizer with wine or cocktails. They are really easy as well as quick to make. I tried them out last evening and was quite pleased with the way they turned out, fist time around.

 Method-All you need to do is to whip up an egg and cheese batter, pipe it onto a baking sheet, and bake the gougeres until they are puffed and golden. 

I timed it for 20 minutes and my oven was pre heated to 120 degrees C.Sure enough, 20 mins later, they were done.

These  little pastries fill the kitchen with a fantastic aroma and are best eaten straight out of the oven. Try keeping them any longer and even the strongest resolve will break down- sooner rather than later!