Macarons - Pierre Herme, Paris

Macaron in a pack of 7. Infiniment Caramel, Menthe Fraiche, Infiniment Chocolat, Rose, Mogador, Chuao, Creme Brulee, (Flavours - from top to bottom)

I have resisted eating macarons since they became a celebrity of sorts sweeping around the world. The pastel colour often turned me off. I prefer the normal limited range of light brown to chocolatey tone that I am used to. Further, I thought it was expensive. But then I would not reject an offer if it comes from Pierre Herme that is if I am not paying the Euro 2 - 3 for each 'cookie' that is just 1 1/2 inch in diameter. One can probably get half a kilo of local biscuits with that kind of money.

Beloved and often 'copied' by established baker and the person-in-the-street, it comes with a crusty exterior and soft, yielding and often chewy texture. Depending on the flavour it comes in sweet, sometime sour but mostly felt rich and milky like ganache and jam should.

My wife came back with these from Paris esp. for me. Am I singing the praises? Despite the shocking colours and its small stature, I must say that Monsieur Herme has taken the mundane chore of baking to greater heights but not great enough for me to sing. It tasted great though. It's texture is a mix of the smooth and rough, crisp, soft and elastic. The flavours within the fillings can range from the chocolate, berry, fruity to even green tea!