| Thursday, 31 May 2012 | Marvellous Macarons |
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 The history books must be wrong; surely Marie Antoinette said ‘let them eat macarons!’ Sheer eye candy this French confectionary is made of dainty almond shells that sandwich a layer of creamy ganache, and they come in all hues; from rainbow jewel tones to pastel perfection, the colouring matches the flavour. I can picture the hedonistic queen on her chaise lounge: blonde hair piled high nibbling on an emerald macaron. The perfect example should crack, crumble and then melt-in-the-mouth. And luckily this holds true for Daniela’s Deliciously Decadent macarons, (often referred to as French macaroons, hence the confusion with the spelling) she has branches in Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria with one opening soon in Johannesburg. We’re on a quest for National Macaron Day (31 May) at her Cape Town branch. We crack pistachio domes between our fingers, linger over the rose-flavoured ones, and agree the mocha is best. While we’re here under the auspices National Macaron Day, owner Daniela Dotan has this to say about the date: “In the U.K and America, 31 May marks a day of celebration for the coconut macaroon. In France they celebrate Macaron Day on 20 March.” Daniela’s father emerges down the passageway with a tray of freshly baked coconut macarons. They look nothing like their French cousins, nor do they taste like them: instead they’re golden, slightly spongy, biscuit-y treats. There’s another version poetically called ‘night and day’ the one half dipped in chocolate. Delicious. Whatever the date, let’s celebrate today, and eat macarons! P.s. Ask Daniela about her home macaron baking kit on sale in her stores. Where to find marvellous macarons Durban Macaroon Café (031 303 6076) Johannesburg The Patisserie ((011) 268-0044) Pretoria Cape Town Biscuit Mill Neighbourgoods Market (look for Bonaparte Flannery and Martin Senekal). Malu Lambert's been a lifestyle journalist, for the last six years, with a focus on food and wine. Follow her on Twitter @MaluLambert , and view her blog and portfolio of work at: www.malulambert.com |