{"id":1696,"date":"2013-08-17T01:17:47","date_gmt":"2013-08-16T23:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.roadtopastry.com\/blog\/?p=1696"},"modified":"2016-04-20T23:59:33","modified_gmt":"2016-04-20T21:59:33","slug":"what-are-french-macarons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roadtopastry.com\/blog\/pastry-culture\/what-are-french-macarons","title":{"rendered":"What are French macarons?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aaaah, les macarons<\/strong>… these small French “petits fours”<\/strong> had the power to light the sparkle of pastry in me!<\/p>\n

Thanks to them I started learning how to bake and now I just can’t stop! When I first tried them, I had a real surprise, because macarons are simply unique<\/strong>, like nothing else!<\/p>\n

\"Pierre<\/a><\/p>\n

They are nowadays very popular throughout France<\/strong> and they are becoming quite common abroad too (they are usually called “French macarons”, “Parisian macarons” or “Gerbet macarons”).<\/p>\n

They have also become a synonym of high-quality pastry<\/strong>: even if made with simple ingredients, macarons require precision and a very methodical approach<\/strong> to make, but the results are definitely worth the effort!<\/p>\n

So what are these gerbet macarons?<\/h3>\n

A macaron is a sweet meringue-based confection<\/strong> with almond flour, made of two round shells and a filling<\/strong>. Oh no, don’t you dare calling them “whoopies” or “macaroons”<\/em>: they are just not the same!<\/p>\n

\"Macarons\"<\/a><\/p>\n

They can be found in a wide variety of flavours and colours<\/strong>. Actually, macarons are among the few products for which using colourants is “ethically” accepted in pastry, since it is fundamental to distinguish their flavour easily in shops.<\/p>\n

Where do French macarons come from?<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It is impossible to know<\/strong> where or how exactly macarons were born, since there are many different stories<\/strong> (and too many people credited for their invention). In my opinion, some of the most important milestones<\/strong> in the history of macarons are:<\/p>\n