Who moved my macaron?

In a country that is obsessed with macarons, I am still amazed to see how Parisiens and tourists alike are queuing up in front of Laduree and Pierre Herme for their share of those precious, jewel-like almond meringues.

Pierre Herme store on rue Bonaparte on a rainy evening

No doubt they are very appealing visually, but some people think they are too sweet, me included.  I have tried making them myself by using less sugar but tweaking the proportion of sugar content in this recipe can be tricky.

The Paris macaron, as we know it today, is the creation of Laduree. Filled with a layer of ganache, buttercream, or jam and sandwiched between two almond meringue cookies, macarons have travelled far and wide in their popularity.  In Paris, perhaps the only serious competition for Laduree is Pierre Herme, whose outlets can be found in all the posh department stores. Trained at Lenotre and worked in Fauchon before he started out on his own, his constant innovations in blending new flavours and colours to stunning effects are absolute crowd pleasers!

So which one is better, Laduree or Pierre Herme? There is no question that both macarons are exceptionally airy, moist and melt instantly in your mouth. It really comes down to a matter of flavour.  For purists, probably Laduree will be your choice.  For the more adventurous, Pierre Herme's range is more exotic and varied! Try both and decide for yourself which one you prefer. My verdict is still undecided at this point...