MakeCaron

Macaron madness has been sweeping America for some time now. Frankly, it’s been going on for so long now that I’ve sort of forgotten where is began. But, despite the nearly constant presence of macaron recipes on food sites across the web, I have not yet tried to make them myself . . . until now. Well, the truth is, I sort of made macarons. I cheated, just a bit, by using this macaron kit from pastry chef Francois Payard. Usually, when baking, I annoyingly insist on making everything from scratch, but this kit may have actually converted me to the semi-homemade method! The cookies were that good! Slightly chewy, moist, and not too sweet, just as a macaron should be! And they are so quick and easy to make because each MakeCaron kit provides you with the base cookies. All you need to do it make the filling, which takes five minutes, at the most! Sample ganache recipes come with the kit, but the idea is to experiment with your own fillings in order to make your own personal macaron flavors. I had a lot of fun making these and everyone loved them! Several people called them “addictive” and they were!

The MakeCaron kit comes in three flavors, chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla. They are being sold on Francois Payard’s site, right here ($22 each). ~Erin

Macaron vs. Cupcake

The print pictured above is by graphic designer Vahram Muratyan who recently produced a series of adorable images that asks the question, Which is better, Paris or New York? By comparing two similar images, one stereotypically Parisian, the other classic New York, the viewer is asked to take sides. Now, before I give you my opinion on the age old macaron versus cupcake battle, I should probably first make a SHOCKING confession. You may want to sit down for this. Oh, wait, you probably are sitting down. Okay, here it goes… I’ve never actually eaten a macaron! I know! It’s pretty pathetic. Food sites have been filled with these babies for the last few years, but I have yet to sample one. So, as much as I like voting, I think I’ll have to abstain this time. It wouldn’t be right to cast my ballot when I don’t have all the information, but I'd love the hear your opinion!

If you want to check out Vahram's Paris vs. New York blog, click here. If you're interested in picking up a Macaron/Cupcake print for your home, click here to check out Vahram’s Paris vs. New York prints ($24 each).

The Mixing Bowl: Chocolate Macarons by Marina Ekroos

I was first introduced to the photographer Marina Ekroos while researching info on the Ikea cookbook, Homemade is the Best. I came across a comment by someone, saying that the photographs in that book reminded him/her of the work of Marina Ekroos. Who is this Marina Ekroos? I wondered. I quickly googled her name, found her Web site, and instantly feel in love with her work. Apparently, other people have, too, as there have been a slew of articles written about Marina in the past few months. Most of them mention the similarity between her photos and the Ikea images, and, more importantly, the fact that Marina was creating minimalist aerial food photos long before the Ikea cookbook was ever released. In addition, Marina’s amazing photographs do not only capture the ingredients used in a dish, like the Ikea photos, but also the process, and the finished product. A complete recipe all in one photo! So beautiful and clever! That said, I was, of course, so happy when she agreed to shoot a recipe for us! Those chocolate macarons look delicious and I adore the little guide underneath! Thanks, Marina! To check out more of Marina’s wonderful work online, click here.

[If you need help converting the measurements, click here for a nifty conversion calculator. Recipe adapted from Nohanna.]