The thing I love the most about Macaron Parlour is their distinctly American twist on the most classic of French classics, the Parisian macaron. Without sacrificing the incredibly refined and delicate texture of the macaron, Christina Ha and Simon Tung create flavors that would hopefully thrill but just might shock the bakers at Laduree, one of my favorite patisseries in Paris that has been making these light, crispy delicacies since the 1860’s.
Ha studied pastry making at the Atelier Pierre Herme de Formation a la Haute Patisserie in Paris, and Tung “always had a soft spot for sweets and loves being in the kitchen.” Together, they maintain the beautiful, soft, pastel colors of the traditional macarons, and even some of the flavors, like salt caramel and vanilla. But many of their flavors pull from the American palate, including Peanut Butter Cup, Rocky Road, and S’Mores. The Asian-American influence is really wonderful too in their Thai Chili and Matcha flavored macarons.
And then there’s the Candied Bacon with Maple Cream Cheese macaron, a perfect combination of maple sugar with a hint of savory bacon. It’s like a tiny bite of Sunday brunch.
As I wrote yesterday, Macaron Parlour was one of the delightful stops on our “Sugar Fest” this past weekend. Pick up all the flavors at the Hester Street Fair every weekend, or place your order on the Macaron Parlour’s Etsy shop.
Vive Le Macaron Franco-Americain!
These days James and I rarely have weekend days together, with me off at the markets and his working 24/7 as entrepreneur. So we decided to skip it all on Saturday to go out for lunch together…at the markets. We started at the Hester Street Fair, where we took the famous words of Jacques Torres to heart when he advises, “Eat dessert first.” You’ll hear all about our “sugar fest” this week, but it all started with cupcakes at a birthday party.
Yup – now you can have your friends come celebrate your birthday at the Hester Street Fair. (Make a note, family!) This past Saturday, Sway from MTV had a party under a tent filled with balloons and cupcakes. The cupcakes were provided by Savannah’s Cupcakes from talented baker and business owner Millie Peartree. We had a banana cupcake with a perfectly smooth and none-too-sweet cream cheese frosting. Next we had a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting, which was classic, moist and delicious. And then there was the super rich and mouthwatering Red Velvet Cupcake. There’s a soft place in my heart for anyone who can make a moist Red Velvet cake, and Millie Peartree has a seat of honor.
I’m not sure when we’ll see Millie back at the market, but you can see her full, luscious menu and place orders online. We’ll definitely be seeing more of her though – I’ll keep you posted about her promo in Rachel Ray’s Chat & Chew section in the fall!
P.S. Happy Birthday, Sway! Major thanks and kudos for promoting this wonderful business at the market!
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