Just so my readers don’t think it’s just Australia which has mostly crap macarons… here’s a picture from a rather sad pâtisserie in Paris.
My Parisian correspondent Harry kindly snapped this bunch of macaronic mangulation just the other day. Look at ’em. Cracked, deformed, mismatched… Indeed, they’re about as ugly as the most expensive macarons I’ve found so far in Australia. In a ‘patisserie’ in Canberra.
holy. crap. whyyyy!?
No, no, no. That can’t be the display. Clearly they were abandoned in mid-consumption!
To be fair… They have feet. Ha ha ha 🙂
Oh dear. That’s just cruel.
WTF?! I mean, I can believe you found crappy ones in Canberra, but that display is just atrocious.
OMG I AM SHOCKED! how can they sell such macarons? HORRORS! its so sad! btw hav u tried the cakes at le petite gateau at RACV club, is it any good?
Felicia… read this piece from 2007.
haha, that was a good post yeah its frustrating tht they dun put the price, perhaps they are trying to say “if price is gonna be an issue for you,you shouldn’t be eating here” how snobbish… but I can’t find other places tht sell these sort of cakes in melbourne besides laurent. any recommendations? many thanks
I’m mad for your site and delighted David Lebovitz gave out your link. As one who paints (only) macarons almost everyday, I am always looking for the perfect and the imperfect.
There are some particularly unappetizing Parisien macs here. http://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.com/2007/11/dessert-alert.html
It is always a shock too.
I took a 3-hour class at Lenotre and pretty much decided to stick with my paint brushes and avoid the Kitchen Aid at all costs.
Not they let us do much of anything anyway.
Still it is great fun reading about other’s disasters.
Thanks for all the links to those willing to put their heads in the macaron guillotine.
Ah, Parisbreakfasts, welcome:) Only yesterday I emailed a link to one of your posts to a friend. Always love your paintings.
And yours pics of slipping-around PH creations are devastating but funny:)
Duncan – I couldn’t help but laugh aloud while watching an episode of Professional Masterchef (British Show) recently.
Contestants are required to make two classic dishes for Michell Roux Jnr and a second judge.
Al three professional chefs failed massively with their macrons – one even declined to bring them to be judged they were so awful. I did think of you. (Have had one at Jacques Reymond and although tiny it was pretty good texture)
Oh my god oh my god oh my god. I need to see that episode!! Damn. Thanks for mentioning it SJ (and welcome).
I’m on it, Duncan. I also want to see the episode. I’ll email you when I’ve found a way for you to see it 🙂
Look what’s on YouTube folks! Some horror… but I do think it was cruel to have given the chefs the French meringue version rather than the Italian meringue!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5baKGpzsCik&fmt=18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYE-4nm2VH4&fmt=18
Eeeeeek! Perhaps they’re sold for making triffle base? Or does Pierre Hermé pay them to do this to make his look better? Oh no, wait, did Laurent just open a branch in Paris….?
On the upside, as an after dinner treat tonight, I have now tasted the best macarons I’ve had in Australia – thanks Duncan for leading me to these 🙂
Oh my god, I am covering my eyes in horror. Not only are they deformed but the shells are so thick!
Emily, glad you liked them:)
I groaned and giggled at the same time. Perhaps there was a bungled macaron robbery and they hurriedly sampled and stole what they could?
Or maybe the competition down the street sabotaged their mac case?