Although you may have gotten the impression that my brain is bursting with macaron knowledge, the information I know is just an insignificant crumb compared to the macaron database stored in Dorie Greenspan's head. Her culinary prowess encompasses seemingly all things sugary and delicious, as seen in her library of publications, which focuses on three of the most mouthwatering topics in the world: baking, chocolate, and Paris. Knowing that she had worked extensively with the macaron king Pierre Hermé and written two of his recipe books, there was no question that she was the perfect macaron specialist for me to talk to.
How did the macaron craze begin? What in God's name caused me to having a giggly conversation (the giggling was just on my end of the phone, by the way) about a sandwich cookie? According to Dorie, I could partially blame it on Hermé. She explained that when Hermé opened his shop in Paris in 2001, he was the first person to hold a show for his seasonal desserts in a somewhat unconventional style.
Pierre Hermé's hazelnut white truffle macaron.
"It was held like a fashion show. The desserts were brought out by models and the last new pastry was the new macaron, which in that year was hazelnut white truffle. I think he started the macaron flavor craze with the opening of his store and fabulous idea to show the collection the way you show fashion."
Featuring a special macaron for the season brought up new possibilities. "'OK, what else can we do with a macaron? What would Ladurée do? What would Lenôtre do?' I think that's when it got wild."
Although macarons may be gaining popularity Stateside, Dorie explained that the macaron obsession can't fully set in until you've visited its birthplace. "You'll have to have gone to Paris and fallen in love with them. It's not the same as hearing about tasting a tarte tatin or a brioche or any other French pastry that we know well. Macarons are really a little esoteric and certainly would've been before this craze."
For all the times that I've struggled trying to describe the perfect macaron, Dorie had no problem painting a picture of her ideal specimen: "The Mallomar-shaped cookie must have a 'foot,' a crackly ringlet that surrounds the flat side. The outer shell is thinner than an eggshell but has an eggshell-like quality. Poking through the shell gives way to soft, almost-meringue texture. The macaron is just a tiny little thing made of only sugar, egg white, and almonds, yet it has bunches of texture and flavor that you can play with ad infinitum."
"The macaron is remarkable for its creative possibilities," she added. "For instance, there's a candy bar in Paris called Bounty; this summer Pierre Hermé made a macaron just like that. It's such a giggle to have that fabulous play of elegance and delight."
