Do you lust for LADUREE' Macarons?

Posted in 2007 : I so adore Laduree I have been on a mad search for a macaron recipe like those this beautiful french patisserie chain creates in their Parisian Shoppes. We have tried to have them shipped to us but its just not happening at this time. So................resourceful as I am I have found a recipe !! I am soooooo.......excited !

Each region you visit has its own cookie. Paris is known for these delicious almond filled macarons in great pastel colors. Here is a stateside rendition~

Paris Macarons

225 grams icing sugar
125 grams ground almonds
110 grams egg whites (about 4), aged overnight at room temperature
30 grams granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

******Do not attempt these on a damp or humid day, they will not come out properly.

Mix the sugar and ground almonds. Beat the egg whites until stiff and frothy. Very Gently incorporate the egg whites to the preparation, then add the flavor extract.

On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, lightly buttered, pipe the paste about the size of a small walnut through a pastry bag so you don't handle the batter too much.

Bake in preheated oven at 325°F for 15 minutes . Take the tray out and let cool down completely

******I would definitely suggest letting these lay out for at least a day to "dry" as I get the best Macarons this way. You may lightly lay a piece of waxed paper or parchment over them if you feel like you can't just leave them out, but do not cover tightly.

Fillings

( Do not fill right away, let the "shells" dry and cool overnight! )

For chocolate, make a simple ganache with melted chocolate in a bit of heavy cream.

For fruit, fillings use a quality raspberry or strawberry jam. For fillings with nut flavors, make a butter cream filling, and flavor it with an extract and finely chopped nuts. For something more sophisticated flavor with pistachio, lavender, or coffee and sprinkle on a grated espresso bean. BE daring, be imaginative, after all they call the kitchen at LaDuree a "Chemist Lab" !

Fill cookies and serve. Store loosely in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Link to the French LADUREE

Follow this link to read about Laduree's History of the Macaron and get some great hints on how to flavor your homemade treats here in the US and to achieve the best texture and flavor for this recipe !

I am not a baker, I am a designer and printer and this recipe is here because it was successful for me. There are many variations.

If you are not a baker try buying them at Mark It With A G, their American version is truly perfect. ( I took the photos that you see here when the box arrived with my own trusty camera!)

Here is a video from Paulette's in Beverly Hills, CA not me but same name:) She is lovely and her Macarons are to die for. Its fun to see how they make them and there are many videos on U-Tube but this was the best !

Update: la pink paperie: Do you lust for LADUREE' Macarons?

Sophies Fashions in Stockholm has put this recipe on her blog in her language. It is the best recipe! But watch the weather and don't attempt if its rainy or too humid.

Pink Paris's New Obsession

I have a new love in my life and am dreaming about running away to a deserted island with "it" in tow !!

Many hours have been spent researching the most beautiful of paper printing techniques and a way to produce this most admired printing method.

Im speaking about Letterpress. I so envy all the graphic designers who have mastered this ancient way of printing their creations.

Well...I dont have a letterpress, but I do have a vast capacity for creating new ways of doing things.......... especially using any program available to me on my handy dandy HP and with
my "boyfriend", Mr. Photoshop !!

The card creation pictured above is my first attempt at creating this digital letterpress "look".

I have always printed my designs with a LaserJet, using imported textured papers. So the outcome of my created technique, as well as these beautiful "soft" papers, yields a true and lovely cousin to Letterpress.

I am ga ga over this notecard as well as the lovely flueron design at the right !!

Now dont misunderstand my intention with this statement . My designs are like children, and like my poor son, go through my rigorus "Jewish Mother" routine before anyone ever sees them. When they live up to my picky standards they can come out and be social. All kidding aside, ( and my son is a grown man, by the way ), I am very proud of this creation and the printed outcome.

In the near future I would love to purchase a Letterpress, but for now I am further developing my new "Digital Letterpress" stationery designs for Pink Paris Paperie.

Little Angel Puppies and The Creative Muse

I have been working diligently to fill some previous orders that just seemed to get pushed further and further back because of the death of my dog, "Muffin Man", who I had had for 17 years. A week after his death my little red chihuahua, Miss Frannie, became ill with congestive heart failure and had to be cared for like an elderly parent. She was only 9 years old and had the sweetest smile for you everytime she caught your glance. She passed away in her sleep another week later.

Needless to say, the muse left me, and even though I continued to try to work, the world was a hazy fog to me. I am the type that if I am speaking to you I will push my emotions aside and try to be involved in whatever you would like to talk about in the moment. I was once described as a person who , if put on a stage and humiliated, I would never show it, but cry my eyes out when I was finally alone. How did that person know me so well ?

So now you know me for the dog lover that I am ! I stand accused and am guilty. I love those little dear faces and will miss them the rest of my life.

So this has been a better week and I have been designing, editing, and printing like crazy to catch up. My stationery designs are very labor intensive and take extra time and organization to produce a product that I feel worthy of sending to a buyer who may be very discriminating. I am not a mass producer and all cards are conceived in my little mind and go through alot of hits and misses before I finally show them for sale on the web site.

I love paper and have purchased from high end retailers my whole life. I dreamed of creating a line of stationery and notecards that you just wouldn't see any place else ! With the beautiful imported paper I have found and the right equipment handed down to me by my very talented mentor I can produce a product I can be proud of .

This is the latest design that I am introducing this week. The Pink Fedora, is created from my new love of the 1920's and the gentle sweet look that the little faces seem to convey. I wanted simple sweet designs, not too altered from the original (acquired from a vintage French Magazine), then just a punch of color and elements that keep it interesting. These are so pretty, like little french watercolors. Let me know what you think! Red Rose Soiree coming soon!

oh la la

New Website Design !

I am so excited to be changing the look and overall feel of my web site. It seemed it needed to reflect my own personal design and show off my stationery art in a better format. It should soon be up and running this week if we can work out all the CSS kinks ! Stay tuned for new and fabulous designs for customization.

Do you like retro? Vintage? A different era? I do and have been aquiring old French Magazines and advertising clips from the 1920's. Fashion was so hip and alive then, plus the faces on the models are drawn so chic and sweet. I am designing a beautiful line of cards using my new aquisitions. The designing and editing of these little vignettes is no easy task, but I'm up for alittle challenge and riding in on the excitement of my new web site.