Laduree

I had my first taste of heaven on a trip to Paris a couple of years back. Both Jack and I were wandering the streets of Paris; cold, hungry and with blisters the size of quarters. The metro was on strike so it was either pay an arm and a leg for a cab ride or just walk the streets of Paris. And walk we did- it was lovely. We discovered that the perfect way to see a new place is to amble and see where your travels take you. And sometimes, just sometimes you luck out and discover a gem that happens to be world renowned. My fashionable boots reached their fashionable demise at the steps of Le Eglise de la Madeleine. As we sat down we saw a charming bakery/tea salon across the street beckoning us with this display:

Lured in by the colorful macaroons and petit fours, I hobbled off the steps of La Madeleine into Laduree. Laduree is a feast for the senses. I oohh and ahhed my way around Laduree behaving like Pavlov's dog. Laduree is famous for its double-decker macaroon; a heavenly pastry comprised of two macaron shells married with a silky ganache filling. With over hundreds of flavors to choose from one can easily become overwhelmed. We bought a box full a macaroons and idly spent the remainder of the afternoon eating them on the steps of La Madeleine. These little cakes had a nice lightly crisp outer layer but chewy and moist centers. The pistachio was my favorite and they were quickly demolished. It was wonderful.

I think it would be great to use Laduree chocolate covered macarons as a wedding favor. I heard through the grapevine that Laduree will be opening up a store in NYC. If so , I'm buying a ticket at first notice. These little cakes are a delight not to be missed. Here is the box that Darcy Miller used as inspiration:

{All images via Laduree}