Marie De Fête…Day Two…French pâtisseries…

Welcome to Marie De Fête, Day Two. This post is dedicated to the famous Macaron…This traditional French pastry dates back to the 1800’s. Its origins are still debated…some say they came from the city of Nancy in France, others say that Maria De Medici introduced them from Italy…some say that two Carmelite nouns sold them during the French Revolution…to support themselves. It is also said that King Louis XIV from France served macarons at his wedding. But it wasn’t until 1862, when baker extraordinaire Louis-Ernest Laduree turned the little cake into a cookie sandwich!

Macaron description:

Macarons were traditionally made of egg whites, almond powder, icing sugar and sugar. They are sandwich-like pastries made with two meringue-like domes with a flat base. They have cream or ganache in between. In the old times they were served with the addition of jams, liqueurs, and spices. Nowadays they come in a wide variety of flavors.

Let’s get right into the amazing macarons you saw on the above photos now. Today I am introducing you to Kelly Lee from the Lemon Tree Patisserie here in Toronto. As I mentioned earlier on another post, I met this amazing patissiere at the St. Lawrence Market where she has a booth. But let’s allow Kelly introduce herself to all of you…

Kelly says:

“My attraction to beautiful desserts used to take second place to my studies in fine art and, later, a career in interior design. Finally, the allure of travel and the discovery of worlds of exquisite food demanded my full attention. Today, preparing desserts satisfies my creative ambitions and I find great contentment in designing a beautiful piece of art that tastes even better than it looks.

My first taste of a macaron was an authentic Laduree creation; a delicious Caramel a la Fleur de Sel macaron. Back then I tasted, but I was not knowledgeable in the world of macarons. Nevertheless, I savoured the deliciousness of the beautiful confection. You need not “know” macarons to indulge in their luxuriousness.

Now these traditional French pastries are the feature dessert of my bakery, Lemon Tree Patisserie. The beauty is not only in the finished product, however; it is the infinite possibilities of flavours that compel me. Macarons are limited only by the baker’s daring and creativity. A holiday or special occasion is to a baker of macarons what a blank canvas is to any artist.

With my bakery in its infant stages, I have only touched upon the numerous macaron flavours that inspire me. For Lemon Tree’s first Christmas season I’ve indulged in sentimentality and gathered together some flavours that have always cued the Christmas spirit in my family. These flavours include, but are not limited to, white chocolate and peppermint candy cane, chocolate kirsch, ginger spice, pistachio, dark chocolate peppermint, and Grand Marnier macarons.

As the cold weather in Toronto approaches and all our thoughts begin to turn to gift giving, entertaining, and cozying up to warm fires, I’m convinced there is no better way to adorn each of these occasions than with a beautiful box of macarons. So enjoy the season and all the flavours it brings”.

Kelly writes a blog where she shares the latest news about her products and events right here.

Remember to return tomorrow for another post on a new Marie inspired surprise…Marie De Fête Day Three. The Surprise Giveaway will be announced at anytime…

If you missed the prior post, it’s right here.

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