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They are small, round, pastel-colored and, on top of that, super tasty. We're talking about the trendy pastries from France - famous macarons! In this post you will learn more about the origin of the pastry, where to get the best macarons in Paris, how the cult pastry became a superstar on Instagram, and last but not least, how you can make the delicacy yourself.

Photo: Unsplash

History of the macarons

Macarons are known as a trend pastry from France, but they have their origins in Italy as early as the 1930s. Because the name Macaron comes from the Italian word (am) maccare, which means to crush or crush. In the 1990s, the macaron was reinvented by the pastry chef Pierre Hermé, who was also known as the “Picasso of the pastry chefs”. He made the soil more stable and added fresh ingredients such as roses, raspberries and limes. Today, on March 20th, France even celebrates the “Jour de Macarons” thanks to Pierre Hermé.

The pastel-colored delicacies are carefully prepared.

The name is derived from the Italian word Macarone, Maccarone or Maccheron, the "meringue". The confectionery is slightly damp and easily melts in the mouth. Macarons come in a variety of flavors, from traditional raspberries, chocolate to new varieties of matcha.

Marie-Antoinette loved macarons

Rumor has it that the macarons were imported to France through the marriage of Catherine de Medici with the Duke of Orléans. In a simple, unfilled version, which was then refined and refined in France. At around the time of the French Revolution, they then appeared full for the first time. At least around this time there is a rumor that Marie-Antoinette was addicted to macarons. It took a while until they were as exquisite as they are today.

The best macarons in Paris

First-class macarons can be found especially in the metropolis of Paris. At the pâtissier Pierre Hermé or the confectionery Ladurée, you may well find yourself in a queue when shopping for the delicacies. It is particularly unusual in the Pain de Sucre bakery, which also has macarons flavored with goat cheese. Gérard Mulot is a bit more traditional. There are mainly the classic macarons like chocolate or strawberry or, depending on the season, special offers like banana or cherry. 

The pastry becomes an Instagram star

Macarons are on the one hand just totally delicious but on the other hand they are also extremely photogenic. This is probably also the reason that the small pastries became an Instagram trend. More than 1.7 million posted pictures can be found on Instagram. The pastel colors are apparently just perfect as a prop to put accessories, painted fingernails and cosmetics in the limelight. 

Which cream is used?

The nice thing about macarons is that there are many different variations that can be wonderfully combined with almost all tastes. The classic cream for macarons is a vanilla filling. But fillings with are also very popular: 

• Chocolate

• Caramel

• Gingerbread

• Pistachios 

• Lemon

• Many more.

How do macarons get so colorful?

The meringue mixture of the macarons is colored with food coloring before it is dabbed onto a baking sheet. The macaron dough is then made into small circles with a piping bag on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and the whole thing left to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. After the resting time, put the macarons in the oven for 12-14 minutes at 140 ° C.

Some recipe recommendations:

• Chocolate macarons with chocolate ganache

• Raspberry and white chocolate macarons 

• Espresso macarons

• Halloween macarons

The right almonds

Use finely ground, blanched almonds. On the other hand, don't use almond flour. These are de-oiled or partially de-oiled almonds, which are then dried and ground into a very fine flour. Even if its consistency seems ideal and particularly fine, the lack of oil makes the macaron dough just a hard lump. If you want to make sure that your almonds are fine enough, just buy ground, blanched almonds from the grocery store and puree them again with a hand blender before using. If you then pass them through a sieve, you can be absolutely sure that your macarons will be nice and fine and yet wonderfully juicy. 

The right shades 

To color macarons intensely, it is best to use color powder or a well-concentrated color paste. Make sure that it is suitable for baking, otherwise the macarons will only turn brown during baking. Natural colors made from fruit powder are therefore rather unsuitable, they discolor at high temperatures or almost completely fade.