Love it or hate it? Comment this post here.Louis-Ernest Ladurée opened his first bakery on the Rue Royale, Paris in 1862, but it was not until 1930 that success came to the door of this french patisserie by the hands of Pierre Desfontaines, the grandson of its founder. Pierre took one of the most common, sweet indulgences at that time and reshaped it into a groundbreaking dessert that became a symbol of french culture and lifestyle: the macaroon.
Thanks to the pastry chefs of Queen Catherine de' Medici, the macaroon was a very common sweet in France since the 16th century, when the italian noblewoman married Henry II of France and became queen. The macaroon was basically a cookie made of ground almonds, egg white and sugar and people would usually add jams, liqueurs, and spices to complement this simple sweet. Pierre decided to take on this trend and created the french macaron as we know it today: two almond meringue shells filled with a layer of buttercream, jam, or creamy ganache filling. He began serving the "Gerbet" or the "Paris macaron" as a product at his grandfather's pâtisserie and tearoom, were women could freely socialize, as cafes were sealed to the female gender.
Today, Ladurée is unequivocally the synonym for macaroons and represents the ultimate french delight. As a symbol of luxury, the brand created all the luscious pastries for the Sofia Coppola film, Marie Antoinette, and made some appearances on Gossip Girl as Blair Waldorf's favorite sweet. The perfect packaging designs capture a vintage feel that takes you back to the bohemian spirit of old Paris and elevates this sweet dessert to the ultimate object of desire. Let us rejoice.
