Saturday, June 23, 2012

Wedding Day Macarons



Macarons, the classic meringue-based Parisian sandwich cookies, are as popular as ever today, with pastry chefs coming up with innovative flavors and ways of showcasing them on their menus. Pastry Chef Francois Payard of FPB (Francois Payard Bakery) in Soho, for example, is making fabulous ice cream sandwiches for the summer. The combination of crispy meringue shells and rich, creamy ice cream is irresistible, and they are a hot seller at the bakery. They’re available in flavors such as pistachio, raspberry, strawberry cheesecake and mango. But it’s another creative use of macarons at Payard that really got my attention: an over-the-top, colorful wedding cake made from multi-hued macarons. The cake was designed by Garry Larduinat, a wonderfully talented pastry chef at Payard, who combined a white cake with rows of artfully arranged macarons. Pastillage ribbons, lillies and gumpaste roses accent the cake and I can’t imagine a more awe-inspiring and beautiful wedding cake for the modern bride. www.fpbnyc.com