The Macaroon, and How It's the Best Thing to Eat

It's sort of a grey day and we're somewhat lamenting the impending end of summer, so forgive us while drift towards the lighter, fluffier end of the spectrum. We're going to take a moment to talk about macaroons (or 'macarons', if you will.)

These ones:


(Not those over-sugared stringy coconut things.)

Macaroons are the best. They're a hybrid cookie/pastry - much fancier than a biscuit, but you can still use your fingers. They have a paper-thin layer of delicate crispiness on the outside, through which you bite down into dense, moist, flavoured-almond deliciousness, until your top teeth meet the bottom ones in a thick, velvety layer of pastry cream. And they come in the most ridiculous colours. Ridiculous colour is important, if you want to create a truly fancy pastry. AND, they come in two sizes: regular, and mini. There's an inverse relationship between relative size and general amazingness. Anything done in miniature is automatically exponentially better than the regular-size version. And regular-size macarons are pretty incredible. So.

If you can't hop across the pond just to satisfy a sweet-tooth, Murchie's makes some pretty authentically Parisian ones that do very well in a pinch.

And if you're inclined to try your hand, Paris-based internationally trained pastry chef David Lebowitz, has put together some great resources.

Enjoyable Moments with Griottines from France

AVAILABLE AT CHARELLI'S

Grandes Distilleries Peureux is the world's leading producer of fruit eaux-de-vie and the world leader in the maceration of
fruit (including 3,000 tonnes of morello cherries). The company sells the equivalent of 300,000 crates of fruit eaux-de-vie per
year (or almost 4 million 70 cl bottles) with in particular, the La Cigogne brand of eaux-de-vie. It produces almost one million
jars of Griottines (wild morello cherries macerated in liqueur and Kirsch) and offers a range of traditional liqueurs. At the present time, Mister Bernard BAUD is chairman of Grandes Distilleries Peureux. Auguste Peureux founded his Distillery in 1864 in Fougerolles, at the foot of the Vosges, in a magnificent valley on Triassic terrain. The Distilleries specialised in the production of fruit eaux-de-vie, including the famous Kirsch, which rapidly gained a considerable reputation under the brand name La Cigogne®. The homeland of Kirsch and fruit eau-de-vie, the town of Fougerolles benefits from virtually pure water, free of mineral salts, exceptional for the adjustment and quality of eaux-de-vie, and demonstrates solid know-how. Its Kirsch cherry orchards (gean, obtained by grafting wild cherry trees) are renowned the world over.
Grandes Distilleries Peureux annually uses some 10.000 tonnes of carefully selected fruit. In common with the rest of the sector, it is subject to climatic fluctuations and this average figure, depending on the caprices of nature, may be either divided of Grandes Distilleries Peureux, from the outset, was intent on preserving and codifying the great Franc-Comtois traditions of eaux-de-vie preparation (Kirsch, Pear, Quetsch plum, etc.) and liqueur making (blackcurrant, cherry, etc.), perpetuating its know-how. On the other hand, the company is committed to researching and formulating new products. In 1980, Claude PEUREUX and Pierre BAUD launched wild Morello cherries macerated in a light Kirsch syrup : GRIOTTINES®, a speciality product which rapidly achieved a worldwide reputation on the tables of starred restaurants, with patissiers and confectioners and in high quality grocers. In 2003, Griottines® were launched on the national market through all distribution channels.
FRUIT QUALITY ASSURANCE IS GIVEN HIGH PRIORITY
IN THE COMPANY’S OVERALL QUALITY POLICY.
With Griottines®, the company’s commitment is at a very deep level, as it is involved in monitoring the wild Morello cherries from flowering through to the ripening of the fruits and their harvest. http://www.griottines.com/