I love meringue. I love the way it floats, then melts in your mouth like a cloud. I’m embarrassed to admit how much of it I can eat in one sitting. Years ago, while vacationing in Paris, I surprised even myself. Poor Barnaby got a stomach bug and was hotel-bound, so I went out in search of something to soothe the belly: yogurt and medicine for him; wine, cheese, and meringue for me. I took the loot back to our shoebox-sized room and hoped that, by some miracle, he would be cured and ready to enjoy the feast. Not a chance. Along with my stinky cheese, I was banned to the tiny fire escape to snack. While Barnaby hugged the toilet, I noshed shamelessly on my cheese and wine.

Then came the meringue.

I pulled out the near-dinner-plate-sized beauty and even Barnaby in his deathly state exclaimed, “Holy crap, that thing is huge!”

Indeed. I took two hands to hold the fluffy white mound of glorious almond-studded meringue – the largest I’d ever seen. I had seen piles of them in the bakery window and am sure the baker didn’t appreciate my drooling all over the outside of his window. I refrained myself and bought only one.

Then ate the entire thing.

Last week my friend, without knowing about my meringue madness, made a stunning pavlova for dessert (she went to culinary school in Paris back in the day). I squealed when I saw it. It was a masterpiece. She formed the meringue into a bowl, into which she spread a lemon curd, anchored it with dark chocolate, then topped it with fresh blue- and blackberries.

Mon dieu!!

“Oh no, I couldn’t eat a piece that size!” I exclaimed as she placed an enormous slice on my plate.

“Oh yes she can!” Barnaby countered.

And I did.

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I stepped into Bakery Nouveau and, as I wiped the drool from my chin, my eyes fell upon them – gasp, mon dieu! – les macarons. These are not coconut macaroons, mon cher. While I adore a good coconut macaroon, Parisian macaroons are in another cookie league altogether. They are quite hard to find in U.S. bakeries, so you can imagine my excitement over them. Pink, yellow, purple, green, white. Clapping my hands and hopping up and down like I’m five, I declared, “One of each color please!” (Actually, I did restrain myself a bit, but such passion makes for better confection fiction, non?)

Bakery Nouveau

Typically, Parisian macaroons are two meringue-like cookies (crispy and wafer-thin on the outside with moist insides) sandwiched together with pastry cream or ganache. The meringue melts in your mouth followed by its creamy filling. C’est bon!

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Paris use Sally Peabody’s Your Great Days in Paris as a guide to finding macaroons and other patisseries.

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