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Macarons can be considered the most elegant cookies in town.  They are certainly the trendiest.
What are traditional macarons?  They are not the typical North American concept of the coconut confection.   The French macaron is a pair of smooth, round, nutty meringue disks filled with buttercream, ganache, jam or curd.   But on an emotional scale they are three or four bites of bliss.
The macarons appeal lies in its esthetics.  It is daintier and perhaps more elegant then the cookie or cupcake.  It comes in lovely, feminine pastels. It is small and light and thus almost guilt-free; that is if you can stick to consuming just one.  It comes in flavour and filling combinations that inspire cravings and admiration, from exotic lavender and chocolate to vanilla and cream.
Laduree Patisserie in Paris, is the world wide mecca of macarons.  The venerable 148-year-old patisserie sells over 15,000 macarons per day. There are a few locations throughout Paris, but the original shop, from 1862, is located at16, rue Royale. Just a 5 minute walk from the Metro stop Concorde.
The origin of the macaron can be traced back to Venice during the Renaissance.  However Laduree created the modern macaron at the beginning of the 20th century by sandwiching a ganache filling between two meringue shells.
The current craze for the macron comes from the 2006 film Marie Antoinette when during a scene in the movie Kirsten Dunst satisfies her sweet tooth with macarons supplied by Laduree.
Macarons can seem a little pricey, generally selling in the $2 range, but they are well worth it.  These seemingly simple delights are difficult to master.  A perfect macarons crust should be thin and light and the center soft with a hint of chewiness, a consistency on the whole which takes years to master.
Click here to visit and discover the macaron mecca Laduree Patisserie in Paris with a short term apartment or villa rental with European Home Rentals, specialists in renting weekly short-term vacation rentals apartments, houses, cottages and villas in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, Ireland, Scotland and Greece www.europeanhomerentals.com