The cupcake craze has lasted way longer than I ever thought. Like 5 years longer. Finally, though, the sugary dessert tide is shifting. Move over, sweet little cakey ones. Make way for macarons. And for specialty shops that painstakingly create and sell them, like Houston's Macaron by Patisse.
I remember seeing macarons all over Europe, even on my first trip to the UK back in (gasp) 1984. They were virtually unknown here in the States, save for a few bakeries in large cities. Macarons are mostly a French confection, but the macaron's origin remains debated. So, either they were created in 1791 in a convent near Cormery or maybe the nuns were beaten to the punch by Catherine de Medici's Italian pastry chefs in the 1500s.
Macarons are made from two lovely flavored meringue discs that sandwich buttercream, ganache or jam. I must say these little treasures were appealing to the eye and the palate. See the Baileys ones above? They were only around for a week before St. Patty's Day. One of the macarons in this tray became Capri's first ever macaron. She gave it the official 'oishii' seal of approval.We left with four macarons: blueberry vanilla, tiramisu, mint chocolate and lemon. I tried the last two, and both were perfectly textured and well-flavored. Since I'm not overly crazy about sweets, two of these little things were enough!
The decor of this little shop truly transports you right across the pond, with touches from France and Italy, and a custom-designed chandelier.
The empty plate says it all...
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