A few months ago I concluded the “No Macaron Left Behind” mission — not by choice but because my Work & Holiday Visa was days away from expiring. Sadly “macaron consumption” is not on Australia’s skill shortage list, and there is no sub-class of visa for those on wicked cool food missions. Australia’s a welcoming place but not THAT welcoming.
But how can you really conclude a mission that’s called NO macaron left behind?! While it was originally intended for sampling as many flavors of Adriano Zumbo macarons as possible, I have decided to continue the mission wherever and whenever macarons are to be found. I have missed the 2-3 bite sized treats and I’m not the only one. Several friends and readers asked for MORE macaron love, and I’m here to deliver, m’dears!
I just returned from a 10-day trip to London, and before I’d even crossed the pond, two friends sent me articles and suggestions on patisseries to visit. Bless your hearts!
Ladurée
71-72 Burlington Arcade
London W1J 0QX
On a beautiful, sunny day (I left London with a TAN!), I met up with six of my Londoners and my pal Anna from Sydney to try the macarons at Ladurée.
Aussie-at-heart and Aussie
No photos were allowed inside, so we had to take photos outdoors through the glass
I had no idea how these macarons would compare to Zumbo’s, but I was excited to introduce some of my friends to their first ever macaron. One suggested I will one day be named the “giver of macarons to the world” — if only!
Orange blossom, lemon & thyme, and blackcurrant & violet
The Ladurée macarons were quite different to the ones I’ve become familiar with at Zumbo’s. The shells were very thin (though you can’t tell from the photo) with no ultra-thin outer crispy layer. The filling was thick and two of the four flavors I tasted had a filling that was similar to the consistency of a jelly bean. While the shells and filling didn’t match my expectations, the flavors were beautiful in their subtleties or punch.
Salted caramel:
A friend offered me a bite of her salted caramel macaron, and it was a hit. Not as good as Zumbo’s foodgasmic version, but a good alternative!
Orange blossom:
Begins with a light orange taste and finishes on a more floral note
Lemon and thyme:
Thyme is recognizable straight away and is present in just the right amount. Nice lemon finish. My favorite of the four.
Blackcurrant and violet:
My friends and I didn’t notice any violet, but the blackcurrant was very tasty — like we’d stuck a spoon in a jar of homemade jam.
Macaron
22 The Pavement
Clapham, SW4 0HY
Shel and I ventured to Clapham to try a few macarons at the appropriately named patisserie, Macaron. She chose raspberry, I chose blueberry, and we decided to add in a salted caramel.
Before we took our first bite, we both observed that the three macarons couldn’t be more different. They were like papa, mama, and baby bear — the salted caramel was bite-size while the blueberry would need 3-4 bites. The raspberry seemed to have a fair amount of filling, while the other two had very thick shells and a very thin layer of filling in the middle.
The colors were beautiful, but the tall shells, lack of filling, and varying sizes left me wanting. At only 1 quid a morsel, however, I didn’t feel too cheated.
My time in London may be over, but I still have more food adventures from the city to share, and of course future macaron outings to orchestrate. Out of curiosity I looked at flights to take me to Sydney for Macaron Day in early November. The price was very reasonable, and I was tempted to book the flight, but I didn’t create a “tight pants, no money” blog tag for nothing. This girl’s gotta work for a few months to get back on track. But Zumbo, Qantas, VAustralia, SMH, SBS…I’d still take you up on a sponsored trip in a heart beat O:-)
Featured image via creative commons
Twitter Updates
Yum! I’ve actually never tried macarons. What? I know! Crazy.
Forgivable — I only had my first one a year ago! There have to be plenty of places in Melbs that have them though they won’t be Zumbo’s O:-)
Yum!
I’m so glad you re-opened this series, even if it is from London. These look so tasty!
Wherever there are macarons to be had, I will be eating.
Oh man, I think you should totally go to Sydney for Macaron Day. It’s like YOUR day.
I know right?! It may be Zumbo’s birthday, but I’m the macaron lady.
I love that you describe… the flavor of all the macarons. Im so busy and maybe drubk I have no clue what they taste like…. Okay I am drunk and want more beer. Dont be angry~
Don’t be angry? Aww. *hug* When we meet one day we’ll feast on macarons.
I liked the ones we tried in London, but I get the feeling I’m going to have to try Zumbo at some point!
Yes you will, Gav. Get that passport ready.
These are totally mouthwatering!
Wait til you see the cupcakes I tried!
I want to eat your photos – is that ok?! =D
Absolutely! Licking the screen may help too.
Awesome work to keep the mission alive. I love to hear how other macarons stack up to the ones I’ve already tasted. We need some US comparisons!
I must check out the place here in town that supposedly has macarons. Nicole learned of a place in Buffalo and I hope to visit her shortly after she returns stateside. THE MISSION IS ALIVE!
You were in London (my fav) and eating macarons?! Jealousy can’t be hidden!!
It is quite the winning combo 🙂 Add my friends and more delicious food and you have the perfect week.
Drooling! Not only do those look delicious, but the flavors sound exquisite!
I tried to pick flavors I have never had and with all the creativity of pastry chefs, it’s not hard to always find new flavors!
Heather, don’t tease me with the possibility that you might actually return to Sydney for Macaron Day! You know I would be so happy if you could! 🙂 Hmmm . . . maybe Zumbo will see your posts & decide to sponsor the trip – we can dream, right?! 😉
I looked a few weeks ago and the price was reasonable for a RT! However, I can’t afford it right now and will be working quite hard this fall with 3-4 gigs just trying to make up dipping into savings for PH, not contributing to my already super, mega small retirement fund in ages….but if someone wants to sponsor me, I’m there O:-)
You know you should be picking up royalties for all your macaron work 🙂
Wouldn’t that be nice?! Who do I have to speak with to get that rolling…
As someone who loves baking (and eating!) cakes and desserts, I’m ashamed to say I’ve never tried a macaron 🙁 I definitely need to remedy this.
When you do, I’ll want to hear all about it!
Holy crap, those look good! I was obsessed with macarons a few months ago because I was on a mission to find them and I couldn’t (I live in Cincy, not exactly a food mecca…) I finally ordered them from Etsy and they were delicious. My fave was the salted caramel!
You can order them on Etsy?! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised 🙂 Thanks for checking out my site!
I really wanted to go to Lauduree in Paris back in January but stupid me walked right past it. D’oh!
There will be more opportunities — I think you should try a Zumbo one when you get back home as your first one anyway!
I *still* haven’t tried a Macaron. I think I’m broken… >_>
But can you settle an argument for me? Is there a difference between a macaron and a macaroon?
Oh yes, yes there is. I was going to write about that in a post a month or two from now, but I think it might be my next post. Just you wait.
I just had to share my recent awakening to the world of ‘the Macaron.’ I had sampled many poorly crafted macarons in Melbourne that looked beautiful but tasted nothing like a good macaron should. in fact some may would deter you from ever trying another macaron again. But alas, I have since discovered (after a lot of research) La Belle Miette in Hardware Lane in Melbourne and I am now in macaron heaven. Thankfully, I do not live that close to the city or my waistline would seriously suffer as would my bank balance.
It’s a good thing we don’t have them where I live in the US — or I’d be in trouble (again) 🙂 Glad you learned about macarons too though…so good when done right!