Laduree Macarons

You always hear people going to or are from Paris gush about Laduree macarons. They say it's one of the best in the world hand in hand with Pierre Herme.  Here is a bloggers comparison on the 2 macaron brands. Allow me to share my and Person A's experience with our box of Laduree Macarons. He had a colleague bought it for him in Paris. 

Thanks Cling!

French macarons are meringue-based confectionery made with egg whites and sugar filled with ganache. It is of Italian origin and derived from the word maccarone. I love it as a dessert because it has delicate and distinct taste, great to end a very flavorful meal. Also, like most desserts, it pairs well with tea. 

On to Laduree Macarons, The story of the Laduree macaron starts with Pierre Desfontaines, second cousin of Louis Ernest Laduree, who at the beginning of the 20th century first thought of taking two macaron shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling. These small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, are made every morning in Laduree's "laboratories". The pastry chefs measure out very precisely the required amounts of almonds, eggs and sugar, before adding one final ingredient, a pinch of unique "know-how", essential to the making of such a delicacy. 

Why should you try this pastry from Laduree (which converts to ~ PhP 90 a pop!) rather than getting from the local dessert shops in Manila?

1. The flavor is its strongest suit. You know that the chef did not scrimp on the flavor at all. Personal favorites are pure origin Chocolate from Santo Domingo, 

coffee, caramel and Incroyable Hazelnut. 

2. While we're on the flavor, allow me to share that the rose and aromatic flavors are well... very aromatic... mahalimuyak! It's interesting.

2. It's soft, fluffy and moist even if it looks crumbly. 

Why it's not worth it

1. As mentioned above, it's very expensive! I personally find it very expensive to have everyday.

2. It's crumbly. To be fair, this box flew thousands of miles from Paris, handed over in Amsterdam before it found its home in my little refrigerator.

3. Oh, don't store the dessert for too long a time. This box lasted for 3 weeks because I went home to the province and the ones left lost all the moisture. But it's still good. According to the packet, Laduree macarons must be consumed within 3 days and must be storedin the lower part of your refrigerator. Remove from fridge 15 or 29 minutes before serving. 

All in all, I love my dessert and this is the best macarons I have yet tasted so I accept Laduree gifts, request someone to please buy it for me in Paris, and enjoy macarons...  most likely not every day. Once in a while should be okay.

For the list of shops in Manila where you can get macarons, Spot.ph has the top 10. Among those I've tried in Manila, I love Chez Karine best.

P.S. According to Person A, Laduree macarons is available in Singapore and some cities outside of Paris. So if you know where it is, please share it with me.