Workshop baking macarons in Paris
Jeroen and I have been to Paris several times. A visit to the Louvre, a day at Disneyland, climbing the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Sacre Coeur, and strolling along the Champs-Élysées. This time we decided to do things differently and undertake activities we had never done before. Jeroen took it one step further and proposed in Montmartre! Of course, nothing could compare to the proposal. Although the next day, we had a fun activity planned: baking macarons with a chef in Paris.
Ladurée
Macarons come in a wide variety of flavors and colors. These crispy but airy round cookies with a layer of ganache in between, seem easy to make. You only need a few ingredients: ground almonds, egg white, powdered sugar, and sugar. Throughout France, you can find the popular bakery Ladurée where they surprise you with a range of flavors. Here vanilla, chocolate, and coffee are passé and make room for cherry blossom tea, raspberry ginger, and grapefruit! Experimenting with flavors seemed a bit extreme to us. Let’s first get the hang of baking.
Airbnb
On Airbnb, in addition to booking accommodation, it is also possible to book ‘experiences’. Type in ‘Paris’, and no fewer than 360 experiences appear. From making croissants and baguettes with a chef, to a bike ride through the streets of Paris, and a photoshoot along the Seine. I see now that you can even book an Emily in Paris tour with a guide. Finally, we booked the macaron baking workshop with host Matthieu. With more than 1300 promising reviews, we wanted to experience this ourselves. The workshop costs €95 per person and includes a 2-hour baking lesson, coffee and tea, a box with your homemade macarons, and a recipe handout.
Photoshoot
This is a satisfying little job that also requires you to pay attention. If the ganache is still too soft and you use too much, it will spill out on all sides. After the macarons have cooled down, Marie prepares the recipe booklet and the box for the macarons. We do a little photo shoot with the engagement ring, and then it’s time to… taste! Quite honestly, Ladurée can’t match us 😉 The macarons stay perfect for a few days in the fridge, but you can also freeze them. So now we can still enjoy our homemade macarons once in a while. It was an experience we can recommend to anyone. You do something different than visiting the standard tourist attractions, it doesn’t take too long, and you have some goodies for home!
Too creamy
We were lucky to be the only two to join Marie at her table. We were given two aprons, chose the flavors we wanted to make (passionfruit and caramel), and could get started. Marie took us step by step through the process, which was definitely necessary, because each step you can mess up. Beating the egg whites too soft, too hard, too long. Preheating the oven too cold, too hot. Macarons who are too dry, too creamy. We could go on like this for a while. During the process, it becomes clear at a glance that you should not eat this delicious little cookie every day. It’s almost shocking to see how much sugar goes into this, not to mention the ganache.
Ganache
Jeroen and I enjoyed the baking, and couldn’t wait for the, hopefully, delicious results. Marie watched her sous-chefs like a real chef and had to intervene every now and then. One wonders how she does this when she has a group of six newcomers. There was no time to sit still for us. While the macarons did their work in the oven, we prepared the ganache. The secret: this is where the flavor of the macaron comes from! In the macaron itself, there is nothing, okay some egg white and sugar, a lot of sugar, but not the taste of passionfruit or caramel. By adding food coloring, the macaron gets its bright color and the ganache provides the flavor. Time to fill the macarons!
Workshop baking macarons in Paris
Jeroen and I have been to Paris several times. A visit to the Louvre, a day at Disneyland, climbing the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Sacre Coeur, and strolling along the Champs-Élysées. This time we decided to do things differently and undertake activities we had never done before. Jeroen took it one step further and proposed in Montmartre! Of course, nothing could compare to the proposal. Although the next day, we had a fun activity planned: baking macarons with a chef in Paris.
Ladurée
Macarons come in a wide variety of flavors and colors. These crispy but airy round cookies with a layer of ganache in between, seem easy to make. You only need a few ingredients: ground almonds, egg white, powdered sugar, and sugar. Throughout France, you can find the popular bakery Ladurée where they surprise you with a range of flavors. Here vanilla, chocolate, and coffee are passé and make room for cherry blossom tea, raspberry ginger, and grapefruit! Experimenting with flavors seemed a bit extreme to us. Let’s first get the hang of baking.
Airbnb
On Airbnb, in addition to booking accommodation, it is also possible to book ‘experiences’. Type in ‘Paris’, and no fewer than 360 experiences appear. From making croissants and baguettes with a chef, to a bike ride through the streets of Paris, and a photoshoot along the Seine. I see now that you can even book an Emily in Paris tour with a guide. Finally, we booked the macaron baking workshop with host Matthieu. With more than 1300 promising reviews, we wanted to experience this ourselves. The workshop costs €95 per person and includes a 2-hour baking lesson, coffee and tea, a box with your homemade macarons, and a recipe handout.
Too creamy
We were lucky to be the only two to join Marie at her table. We were given two aprons, chose the flavors we wanted to make (passionfruit and caramel), and could get started. Marie took us step by step through the process, which was definitely necessary, because each step you can mess up. Beating the egg whites too soft, too hard, too long. Preheating the oven too cold, too hot. Macarons who are too dry, too creamy. We could go on like this for a while. During the process, it becomes clear at a glance that you should not eat this delicious little cookie every day. It’s almost shocking to see how much sugar goes into this, not to mention the ganache.
Ganache
Jeroen and I enjoyed the baking, and couldn’t wait for the, hopefully, delicious results. Marie watched her sous-chefs like a real chef and had to intervene every now and then. One wonders how she does this when she has a group of six newcomers. There was no time to sit still for us. While the macarons did their work in the oven, we prepared the ganache. The secret: this is where the flavor of the macaron comes from! In the macaron itself, there is nothing, okay some egg white and sugar, a lot of sugar, but not the taste of passionfruit or caramel. By adding food coloring, the macaron gets its bright color and the ganache provides the flavor. Time to fill the macarons!
Photoshoot
This is a satisfying little job that also requires you to pay attention. If the ganache is still too soft and you use too much, it will spill out on all sides. After the macarons have cooled down, Marie prepares the recipe booklet and the box for the macarons. We do a little photo shoot with the engagement ring, and then it’s time to… taste! Quite honestly, Ladurée can’t match us 😉 The macarons stay perfect for a few days in the fridge, but you can also freeze them. So now we can still enjoy our homemade macarons once in a while. It was an experience we can recommend to anyone. You do something different than visiting the standard tourist attractions, it doesn’t take too long, and you have some goodies for home!
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