For those of you who are regular readers… you will know that I am a fan of baking – and have had an obsession with Laduree Macarons since I first went to Paris aged 12 and thought they were the most glamorous things I had ever seen…  The wonderful story of Ladurée began in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée opened a bakery in the very heart of Paris at 16, rue Royale… starting the trend for the Parisienne Salon du The.  Their website today is gloriously fabulous and a joy to visit.
The counters are like apothecaries and jewellers at the same time – and this school girl visit started my obsession with patisserie and I love that recently (like many old school crafts) the modern Parisienne Patisserie has a seen new breed of modern twists on old classics…
Laduree however still cannot be touched for their simple delights and the way that they over package them is not one for the eco-chic among you!  But for me – I have kept every single box and upcycled it into a new use reminding me of their perma pleasure..
For my birthday my husband bought me their new cook book – which after many years they have disclosed a number of their until now super secret recipes!  The book itself with its gold leaf pages is a delight – wrapped in glassine paper and boxed as if the most precious of jewels..
My first attempt at delicate orange flower and rose macarons however was not of the standard (see bottom pic) but they looked pretty enough and tasted divine.
I have a long way to go as a patisserie chef .. but am certainly enjoying the journey!
Laduree Sucre can be purchased here