For the Love of Macarons & a Great Cause

Those that know Carol Au Courant, know how much I L-O-V-E those little morsels of Parisian delight.

My passion for macarons began many years ago when one of my girlfriends brought me some back from her trip to Paris. It was love at first bite.  

During my stay in Paris, I made sure to visit every patisserie I could and of course especially the monarch of macarons, Maison du Ladurée.

Since then, I have probably scavenged every patisserie/bakery in the GTA that served macarons selfishly comparing to the amazing stuff in Paris & treating myself to so many different (and also some unusual) flavour combinations.

My favourite odd combination was white chocolate truffle wasabi that I tried from a bakery in Montreal -- my tastebuds were shouting for joy!

That's the great thing about macarons. You can play around with different flavours and sure enough they will turn out tasting wonderful. There's no rules with parisian macarons. I guess the only rule is making sure they are done right. Right = Nice crunchy texture on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside and bursting with flavour.

My all-time favourite is pistachio. Then again, I love pistachio anything. A close second is salted caramel and green tea.

Today is Jour du Macaron (Macaron Day) in Toronto.

Coinciding with Macaron Day taking place in Paris, NYC and other international cities, Macaron Day in Toronto celebrates these delicate confections in support of a local charity.

To learn more about Macaron Day Toronto, visit them at: www.macarondayto.com.

Go and pick some up today while quantities last (and trust me they won't last for long!) 

Now excuse me as I indulge in some macarons!

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Free Macarons for Jour du Macaron!

If there's one special treat that I love (even more than my beloved cupcakes) it's Macarons.

Macarons, not macaroons.  

Macaroons are those coconuty treats, Macarons are parisian delicacy made of two round meringue based cookie shells, held together by a soft filling, such as buttercream or ganache. 

Very fine almond powder, egg whites and sugar are combined with mastery, to create an initial crisp and airy experience, leading into the macaron’s filling – featuring whatever humble or exotic flavour can be imagined by the inspired pastry chef.  And trust me when I tell you, you`ve got to try the many striking flavors even if they sound a bit peculiar together -- they are usually heavenly.

I was introduced to macarons years back when a friend came back from Paris and brought me back some of these ambrosial delights.  Love at first bite.

When my husband and I took off to Paris last year for a romantic rendezvous for our anniversary, I was on the hunt for he best of the best in macarons.  Of course that led me to Laduree and Pierre Hermé.

Today in Toronto is Jour Du Macaron or Macaron Day Toronto. 

Coinciding with Macaron Day taking place in Paris, NYC and other international cities, Macaron Day in Toronto celebrates these delicate confections in support of a local charity.

Today participating (and well respected) patisseries across Toronto will come together to offer complimentary macarons to customers.

To receive your macaron, visit a participating patisserie and simply mention you are celebrating Macaron Day TO. Participating locations will provide one macaron per customer at no cost, with quantities limited by location.

25 percent of all additional macaron purchased on this day will be donated to the Red Door Family Shelter. www.reddoorshelter.ca

What a fabulous cause to go with a fabulous treat!

Since I`m all the way in the the suburbs of the Greater Toronto area, I`m lucky to have my dear husband work right in the heart of Toronto`s Financial District where he is surrounded by many of these wonderful patisseries.

Of course he took advantage of Jour Du Macaron and picked up some delicious macarons to bring home to me from one of my favourite patisseries, Petite Thuet.

Feels good knowing I`m getting my macaron fix but at the same time, donating to a great cause.

If you're in the Toronto area - have you taken advantage of Jour Du Macaron today?

Head over to participating locations and get a free macaron and discount on additional macarons in support of Red Door Shelter before they're all gone! And believe me, they're going quickly!

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