I had this strange dream recently; I was in the prettiest little shop with colourful macarons.
I get as many as I can carry only to get home and have them turn into mush.
I think it’s the universe’s way of telling me that I need to learn how to make my own macarons.
See, if I made my own macarons, I could have spontaneous macaron parties like this all the time…

Looking through my photos, I noticed that I hadn’t shared these sweet treats yet.
We got this delectable cake for my sister’s birthday last month from La Boulangerie, a wee little café run by the Sutton Place Hotel.
That’s where I get all my celebration cakes, their desserts are consistently good and the prices are reasonable.
Their green tea white chocolate cake is amazing! Perfect for any special occasion.

This orange cake was light and fluffy, with layers of cream cheese and orange filling with real slices of orange, topped with white chocolate ribbons.

And here are the macarons… if you’ve been reading this blog for a while you probably already know that I love macarons!
Sadly, I’ve had more bad macarons than good, I’m afraid my search for the perfect macarons has led me to some not so great paths.
But I haven’t given up – because when it’s good, it’s been very good…

I wrote this on a bus taking me across the border to the airport in Seattle, where I took a plane to New York, and guess what?
I’m researching the best macaron shops in NYC, because that’s the kind of macaron lover I am.
I’m convinced there are good macarons outside of France, I just need to find them.

Unfortunately, these little beauties weren’t that good…

My internet friend EM told me recently that she’s found the secret to happiness

Happiness she says lies inside these cute little Ladurée boxes; happiness is  a macaron.
I don’t disagree with her entirely; macarons are a delectable joy-inducing treat.
These are heavenly; I bet they serve macarons in heaven

And Ladurée macarons are considered the best, I really can’t argue with that since I lack macaron-judging sensibilities.

I’ve tried other macarons that (I think) are equally as good, but there’s just something exceptional about these little gems from Ladurée.
Maybe it’s their history of having invented these colourful cheery looking macarons.
Once, at la Grande Epicerie, I got the chance to sample the original macaron – the kind Catherine de’ Medici brought to France when she married Henry II.
They were like crisp almond cookies; and looked plain and ordinary compared to the Paris macarons.

Maybe it’s the elegantly adorned Ladurée shops, the beautiful showcase of artful and carefully arranged pastries, colourful pastels, so pretty and so romantic.

Maybe it’s their fancy elegant boxes, that I want to keep them forever!
I saved a couple from my trip and now, I’m using them as part of my Christmas decorations; a tradition is born.

Whatever the reason, these macarons are just blissful – I could eat them forever.
I gained five pounds when I got back from vacation and I suspected these delicious cakes were the culprit.
I wasn’t too worried, these were pounds of happiness…

There is some happiness here, however short lived.
There’s sweetness here, sweetness stays for a while.

I can’t believe it’s been over two months since my birthday.
You know what that means? Soon it’ll be Christmas!
My birthday is exactly halfway to the holidays and somehow I think that makes it even more special.
So two months later, I’m here to tell, and show you in pictures, how I celebrated my birthday with cake and macarons… (Marie Antoinette would be so proud!)
Also I wore a sweatshirt to work…. because it was my birthday and I could, plus it’s a nice sweatshirt.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know that I’m slightly obsessed with Parisian macarons.
Seriously, my life changed after I tasted Pierre Hermé’s magnificent macarons last September.
I’ve had plenty a macarons since then looking to capture that glorious taste, and so far, non have come close.
I spent a small fortune at the tea shop, their macarons are shipped straight from Paris but they obviously aren’t shipping from Pierre Hermé or Ladurée

A wise man once told me in frustration that if you wanted good fufu, you went to a good chop-bar in Kumasi.
After various failed attempts to find that perfect macaron here in my fair city, I said; touché.

Looks like I’m going to have to go back to Paris!

Yet, when I saw these macarons at Trader Joe’s for $4.99 a dozen, I just couldn’t pass up on them.
Of course I wasn’t expecting mind blowing macarons, I don’t even know what ‘mind blowing macarons’ are anymore.

The Trader Joe’s macarons come frozen in a box, there are two flavours, vanilla and chocolate – six of each.
For store-bought frozen macarons, they are ok.
The vanilla ones are lighter and crumbly, maybe crispy; the filling is soft and very sweet.
The chocolate is a firmer with a ganache filling which gives it a fuller flavour.

You obviously can’t compare them to the real deal, but they’ll do in a pinch.