Les Macarons

I was formally introduced to these colorful bites of perfection during my first trip to Paris. While living in Lithuania, I was literally a hop, skip and a jump away from Europe's finest cities! During Fall of 2009 one of my best gals Aleksandra was studying abroad in Paris. Perfect excuse for a weekend getaway! Due to Aleksandra's impeccable tour-guiding skills, I saw the best of Paris within 2 full days of being there. In addition to the essential landmarks, we, without a doubt, visited the quaint Laduree shop. Exquisite ceilings, beautifully ornate interior, the most delicate pastries (more like pieces of art!) on display through the sparkling glass counter. Love at first sight! I opted for the selection of macarons that came in the adorable box (which I now use to store little items on my vanity). The macarons at Laduree melt in your mouth...you can taste every flavor detail with each bite. Although small in size, macarons are not made for chomping, they're meant for delicate bites, savoring every morsel along the way.

These little treats are seemingly difficult to master, yet, I must admit, after sufficient research and determination, my first batch came out quite well :)

While living in Denmark earlier this year, I embraced the magic of macarons. I studied recipes and tips online, compared step-by-step instructions from various cookbooks and finally just did it. I converted all measurements to metric and camped out in the kitchen. These babies took a lot of patience, oven-babysitting and precision. But it was all sooooo worth it. They were AMAZING :):) 

diligent note-taking during the macaron making process :) 

First batch: vanilla bean with chocolate buttercream filling

Second batch: raspberry vanilla bean with raspeberry jam filling

... a few highlights from the trip ... 

dames at Notre Dame :) Paris 2009

Lovely Laduree 

perfection 

beauties 

almost too beautiful to even dream of eating! 

ah, yes... if you're interested in the recipe I put together, don't hesitate to ask!