I may be a decent cook, but I know when I’m outclassed by a great baker. When I saw Facebook photos of my friend Maggie’s baking projects – collected in an album titled “Food Porn” – I jokingly suggested that she ship some goodies my way.
She had been baking macarons, and was concerned that they would arrive as a big pile of crumbs. Apparently my idea of shipping them in an egg carton with extra external padding got her thinking. (My other suggestion, individual bubble-wrap envelopes, was impractical and expensive.) She sent me the photo at the top of this post, inspired by the colors usually found in a Mardi Gras king cake, and told me a box was on its way to Chez Belm.
They arrived this afternoon, nearly intact:
I waited until She Who Must Be Obeyed returned home from work before tasting them (I know what can happen if I don’t share). We tried one of each. The purple was lavender and white chocolate, a bit sweet, but you could taste the lavender. The green was matcha (green tea powder) and pistachio, with the pistachio a bit muted. The yellow – and the clear winner – was saffron and vanilla cream. They all tasted wonderful, but the subtlety of the saffron perfectly balanced the sweetness of the macaron.
I have no idea how I’m going to return the favor, but I know what we’re having with tea tonight:
Thanks, Maggie!
Gorgeous. Wow.
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed them.