Designing macarons

Designing macarons

We love creating macaron centre pieces and what makes it so magical when working with macarons is that you can create fantastic individual designs.  When it comes to macarons it is not just the colour but also the flavour, shape and finish.  Creating unique bespoke deserts is one of our specialities and Fondant & Chocolate.

The macaron may seem like a fairly simple treat, two meringue shells filled with ganache or jam.  However the variations and possibilities are endless.

Colour

Your first taste is with our eyes and with macarons this can be bright, neutral, pastel or extravagant.  We have used bizarre colours not normally seen in foods like black, dark green or bright blue.  Alternatively you can use two colours, or one colour for the meringue shell with an alternate contrasting colour for the filling, for example orange and green.

The baking process is the same with the difference being the food colouring.  We try and use natural colours however you can’t find all varieties in nature.

Flavour

Most of the taste of the macaron comes from the filling, however we can add flavours to the meringue shells.  Our flavours can come in nut, fruit or any flavour in between.  Some of the more unusual requests we have received include Earl Grey, Rooibos, geranium or basil.

Shape

Although usually round, the shape of macarons can be changed on request.  Our favourite shape that we have produced is heart-shaped macarons which we created as a nuptial centre piece as an alternative for a local Hertfordshire wedding cake.

Size

The size depends on your style and reason for creation, from the small bit to the big mouthful.  The smallest will have a diameter of 1cm and the largest up to 6cm.

Texture

A macaron would have the same texture as any other however texture can be amended by adding popping candy.  This is a unique can of bringing your childhood memories back in an instant.  Sweet, colourful and popping in your mouth, they make the best macarons in the world.

Decoration

And finally you can decorate the top of your macaron in any way to personalise them.  Decorations can be from a brush of chocolate, sprinkle of salt or a painted design.  When you have 1,000 macarons all with the same design, the effect can be unbeatable and will wow any guest you have, like at a recent St Albans macaron party we catered for.

Further interesting macaron bites

Further interesting macaron bites

It is worth noting that a macaron is not the same as a macaroon.  Macarons are a Parisian light confectionery, usually filled with cream, jam or ganache.  They are available in a wide variety of flavours, colours and sizes.  They are meringue-based sweet, made from almond flower, egg whites and sugar.

Macaroons are simple biscuits made with large amounts of almond flour, more dense and don’t have the wide range of flavours available.

The appeal of the macaron

The appeal of the macaron is understandable to those who obsess about them as much as we do at Fondant & Chocolate.  However some people can’t understand how we can fall in love with a confectionary.

For us it was a matter of love at first sight when we first entered a Ladurée store in Paris, stoked full of macarons with a queue of people out the door (imagine, an orderly queue in Paris).  The bakery had an inviting glass display filled to the brim with colourful macarons both in pastel and bright colours.  The sight alone is enough to seduce curious foodies, but it takes a taste to convince you to join the ever growing macaron movement.

The macaron is essentially a blank canvas for chefs to explore the everlasting diversity of flavour.  No matter what your personal tastes are, there is likely to be a macaron with a flavour that you will enjoy.  From the classic fruit flavours like raspberry, strawberry, orange and lime to the nutty flavours of coconut, hazelnut, brazil nut and chocolate.  There are more adventurous flavours like earl grey, champagne, rose and jasmine.  Finally risky types like some of our clients in the Hertfordshire town of Watford macarons are enjoyed in some savoury flavours like sweet corn, garlic, pumpkin, bacon or truffle.

Macaron flavours

Macaron flavours

Macarons come in a large variety of flavours and colours.  The flavours can be sweet or savoury; however we would only recommend a sweet macaron, who would want a tuna, garlic or even onion flavour macaron?  The flavour will have an impact on how the macaron is presented and what the filling will be.

Macarons are made of meringue biscuits and fillings.  The meringue is usually coloured to match the filling but with the exception of chocolate or nut flavoured, the meringue would not be flavoured.  Since your first sense of taste is with your eyes, strongly coloured macarons make them more enjoyable.  The filling is made from either ganache, butter cream or fruit jams, with the fillings depending on the flavouring you want. 

Traditional macarons are fruit flavoured and filled with jams or preserves.  We make our macarons with the finest jam or when the fruit are in season and the orders are large enough we make a large batch of jam ourselves.  Conventional English berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants make good flavourings. 

Butter cream fillings are our favoured choice and can be used for all types of macaron.  Fruit flavoured macarons go well with butter cream and ensures the final result is not too sweet as can be the case with jam fillings.  Butter cream also makes a larger variety available an flavours can be mixed: champagne & strawberry, coconut & lime.

Finally, ganache, is chocolate truffle like the centre of a Swiss chocolate or Ferrero Rocher.  Made with chocolate and cream, the result is a thick a decadent treat.  Any chocolate lover would enjoy a chocolate macaron and never want a milk tray again.  At a recent sale in St Albans, macarons with chocolate filings were the best sellers by far.

Finally, nut macarons are one of our specialities.  Coconut, hazelnut or pistachio make macarons and they are required to be added to the meringue biscuit as well as the filling.  This makes a flavour explosion that carries through the entire macaron.

Please see our website at Fondant & Chocolate for a full range of flavours and contact us for any requests, most sweet desires can be catered for.

Mini cakes

Mini cakes

To finish our photo blog on cupcakes we have two photos of mini cakes.  These are a great alternative to the traditional cupcakes and look wonderful when displayed in a large number.  Weddings orders can be between one or two hundred and look fabulous when displayed on a table.

This first photo is of mini cakes Hertfordshire and the second is of mini cakes Buckinghamshire.

More cupcakes

More cupcakes

It has been a few days since our last blog entry.  We have had a few issues with accessing the site and therefore have not been able to post as many photos on this week as we would have liked.  We have been showing pictures of our cupcakes this week and now to finish off we will post the remaining five.

This first picture was for a wedding order we fulfilled and contained over 150 cakes.  The photo is of cupcakes Chesham and the nuptials were a great event.

The second photo is of cupcakes Hemel Hempstead and was a chocolate cake for a teenage birthday party.

The third picture is of cupcakes Kings Langley and is a vanilla cake with a Christmas theme.

The fourth photo is from the same Christmas event and the picture is called cupcakes Bushey.

Finally the last photo of today is of cupcakes Aylesbury and the order was of champagne flavoured cakes for a large summer birthday.

Tomorrow we will display two mini-cake options.  Please see out website at Fondant & Chocolate for further details of these and other cupcakes on offer.

Cupcakes Hertfordshire

Cupcakes Hertfordshire

Today we are showing three cupcake photos that are on our Fondant & Chocolate website.  These cupcakes are available for all occasions from birthdays, weddings, baby showers or bridal showers.

The first photo is of cupcakes Tring and is a lime and coconut flavour with buttercream topping.

The second is of cupcakes Amersham and is a vanilla cupcake with a sugared rose topping, this looks very effective when ordering a large number for a wedding.

This third photo today is of cupcakes St Albans and is a lemon cupcake with buttercream topping.

Please see out website at Fondant & Chocolate for further details of these and other cupcakes on offer.

Cupcakes Harpenden

The second cupcake picture in our series is of Cupcakes Harpenden; please see our website at Fondant & Chocolate for more wedding cupcake ideas.

Hertfordshire wedding cakes

Our company was created by Nanine Pollatos when we first established the bakery we specialised in Hertfordshire wedding cakes.  Since setting up we have expanded into wedding favours, cupcakes, macarons and favours.

Here is a photo of Hertfordshire wedding cakes.

Macarons Hertfordshire

We have one more macaron picture currently on our website that we did not upload to our blog earlier, this one is of macarons Hertfordshire - please see our website at Fondant & Chocolate for more ideas.

Wedding cupcakes

Over the past few weeks we have been displaying our various macaron photos that are on our website.  This week we will be concentrating on cupcakes and the assortment of wedding cupcake options that are available.  Cupcakes are a great wedding option for couples who want an alternative to a traditional wedding cake.  Wedding cupcakes offer the opportunity for each guest to have an individual cake which can either be eaten at the event or taken home as a favour.  The other advantage of cupcakes is that each can be individually decorated and flavoured to please everyone.

The first picture we have is of Watford Wedding Cupcakes and can also be described as Watford cupcakes.  Please follow the links to view the pictures.

The second picture is also of Cupcakes Watford and can be viewed here.

For further details of our wedding cupcake options please view our website at Fondant & Chocolate.

Macaron wedding favours

Like every bride, who wouldn't want their wedding day to be the most memorable and wonderful day of their life.  For that added sparkle, make it unique with a wedding dessert made of macarons.

In planning the big special wedding one of the hardest items to choose is the perfect wedding cake.  It has to be stunning, elegant, unique and remarkable not to mention delicious, light and scrumptious.  While the bride and her dress is the showpiece of the ceremony, the centrepiece of the reception is the wedding cake.  However, if you want something to complement the cake then we would recommend macaron wedding favours.  Favours are great because they can be personal gifts to all your guests.  Furthermore why would you choose a non-edible favour which most guests will either leave in the reception or their hotel room?  A macaron wedding favour is tasty, can match your wedding theme and colour scheme and be personalised with ribbons, boxes or names on each macaron.

And if you’re worried that macarons will upstage your wedding cake?  This is not a bad thing as they will be an exceptional addition that would not feature in most weddings.  At Fondant & Chocolate we create bespoke wedding cakes but macarons are becoming more popular accompaniments to weddings and we envisage they will only grow to become more popular as the years go by.

Macaron Wedding Favours

Macaron Wedding Favours

Macarons make elegant and graceful wedding favours and are becoming more popular with our customers and corporate clients.  At Fondant & Chocolate we cater for large and small weddings creating bespoke macaron wedding favours to add a touch of style to weddings.  Please visit our website for further information.

Everyone knows that wedding favours are the small gifts given by the bride and groom as a gesture of thanks to their guests at a wedding reception.  Not everyone knows the origins of this tradition and the growing trend for macaron wedding favours.  We will explore this development in this blog article. 

The tradition of distributing wedding favours dates back a long time and is believed they evolved from the bomboniere given in the late medieval Rome (Byzantine) empire to celebrate weddings, baptisms and other religious gatherings.  This custom spread to Italy then throughout Europe and as the tradition spread so did the contents of the bomboniere.  The bomboniere were originally small porcelain boxes containing sugar, sweets or other confections.  This developed into almonds imported from Jordan and into the sugared almonds still customarily used as wedding favours to this day.  The symbolism of the sugared almond was that the bitterness of the almond and the sweetness of the sugared shell are a metaphor for the bitterness and sweetness of a marriage.  Traditionally five almonds were presented to represent fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness.

In modern times wedding favours are diverse and usually balance the theme or season of the wedding.  Classic favours can range from the sugared almonds or individual chocolates to non-edible gifts such as scented candles or soaps.

Macarons are a perfect alternative to use as a wedding favour and there is a growing trend to incorporate them into the theme of the event.  The best thing about using a macaron is that they will be eaten and enjoyed by all guests; therefore they will not be thrown away or go to waste like what happens to the majority of wedding favours.  Secondly macarons are versatile and come in a range of colours thereby matching the theme of the event.  The box that holds the favour in can also be matched to the big day.

At Fondant & Chocolate we would be delighted to assist in creating a bespoke macaron wedding favour which tastes fantastic and matches the theme of your wedding.  Please contact us for further inspiration or assistance.

Buying macarons

Buying macarons

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Berkhamsted, the answer is here at Fondant & Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Hertfordshire, the answer is here at Fondant & Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Buckinghamshire, the answer is here at Fondant & Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Tring, the answer is here at Fondant& Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Hemel Hempstead, the answer is here at Fondant & Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Watford, the answer is here at Fondant& Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Aylesbury, the answer is here at Fondant& Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Amersham, the answer is here at Fondant& Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Chesham, the answer is here at Fondant& Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in St Albans, the answer is here at Fondant& Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in Harpenden, the answer is here at Fondant& Chocolate.

Have you ever asked where can I buy macarons in High Wycombe, the answer is here at Fondant & Chocolate.

Wedding Macaron Tower

 Here is our picture of a wedding macaron tower which is the most popular product we currently sell, please see our website at Fondant & Chocolate for further details.

Macaron pictures

We are a creator of macarons, creating stunning macaron towers, centrepieces and macaron wedding favours.  The best place for gaining inspiration is to walk the streets of Paris, however as we cannot do this every week the next best place is to search the wonderful pages of Pinterest.  Here are some superb photos, all from Pinterest.

Macarons Aylesbury

This is our final picture in this series and is of macarons Aylesbury.  This is a photo of some macaron wedding favours that we created for a wonderful event.  Macarons are becoming a popular option of wedding favours or petit fours.  We will continue our blog soon with an article on macaron wedding favours.  For more details please see our website at Fondant & Chocolate.

Macarons Tring

This is the second last picture in this series and is of macarons Tring.  As usual, please see our website for other macarons pictures and ideas for parties and weddings.

Macarons High Wycombe

It’s Wedding Hour tonight on twitter, come and join us for some wedding gossip where we will be discussing macaron wedding favours and other ideas for your big day.  Our picture for today is macarons High Wycombe; please see our website for further information about macarons.

Macarons St Albans

Next in our picture series is this one of macarons St Albans.  Our macarons appear to be gaining popularity in St Albans and more designs and ideas can be found on our website Fondant& Chocolate.

Macarons Hemel Hempstead

Here is our website photo for macarons Hemel Hempstead, these went down a treat for a birthday party.  Please view our website at Fondant & Chocolate for more ideas.

Macarons Harpenden

Here is the next photo in our series; this one is of macarons Harpenden, more details on our website Fondant & Chocolate

Macarons Amersham

Please follow this link to our photo of macarons Amersham – find more details on our website at Fondant & Chocolate

Macarons Chesham

Here is a link to our photo of macarons Chesham – find more details on a website, Fondant & Chocolate

The Duffin

There has been a lot of press coverage recently of the Duffin, in this blog article we are exploring the Duffin and the trademark battle which may commence between Starbucks and Bea’s of Bloomsbury.

Read our latest blog article here for more details of the Hertfordshire Duffin.

Macarons Watford

Here is a link to our photo of macarons Watford – find more details on a website, Fondant & Chocolate

Macaron colours - pastel or bright?

Macaron colours, what is your favourite, pastel colours or bright colours?  At Fondant &Chocolate we create displays in both.  Have a look at our latest Tumblr macaron blog article to hear both sides of the argument and come pictures of some StAlbans macarons.

Macaron wedding cake

Follow this link to our tumblr article on macaron wedding cakes, they are a great alternative to simple traditional cakes and are popular in St Albans macarons.

Designing macarons

We love creating macaron centre pieces and what makes it so magical when working with macarons is that you can create fantastic individual designs.  When it comes to macarons it is not just the colour but also the flavour, shape and finish.  Creating unique bespoke deserts is one of our specialities and Fondant& Chocolate.

The macaron may seem like a fairly simple treat, two meringue shells filled with ganache or jam.  However the variations and possibilities are endless.

Colour

Your first taste is with our eyes and with macarons this can be bright, neutral, pastel or extravagant.  We have used bizarre colours not normally seen in foods like black, dark green or bright blue.  Alternatively you can use two colours, or one colour for the meringue shell with an alternate contrasting colour for the filling, for example orange and green.

The baking process is the same with the difference being the food colouring.  We try and use natural colours however you can’t find all varieties in nature.

Flavour

Most of the taste of the macaron comes from the filling, however we can add flavours to the meringue shells.  Our flavours can come in nut, fruit or any flavour in between.  Some of the more unusual requests we have received include Earl Grey, Rooibos, geranium or basil.

Shape

Although usually round, the shape of macarons can be changed on request.  Our favourite shape that we have produced is heart-shaped macarons which we created as a nuptial centre piece as an alternative for a local Hertfordshire wedding cake.

Size

The size depends on your style and reason for creation, from the small bit to the big mouthful.  The smallest will have a diameter of 1cm and the largest up to 6cm.

Texture

A macaron would have the same texture as any other however texture can be amended by adding popping candy.  This is a unique can of bringing your childhood memories back in an instant.  Sweet, colourful and popping in your mouth, they make the best macarons in the world.

Decoration

And finally you can decorate the top of your macaron in any way to personalise them.  Decorations can be from a brush of chocolate, sprinkle of salt or a painted design.  When you have 1,000 macarons all with the same design, the effect can be unbeatable and will wow any guest you have, like at a recent St Albans macaron party we catered for.

Further interesting macaron bites

It is worth noting that a macaron is not the same as a macaroon.  Macarons are a Parisian light confectionery, usually filled with cream, jam or ganache.  They are available in a wide variety of flavours, colours and sizes.  They are meringue-based sweet, made from almond flower, egg whites and sugar.

Macaroons are simple biscuits made with large amounts of almond flour, more dense and don’t have the wide range of flavours available.

The appeal of the macaron

The appeal of the macaron is understandable to those who obsess about them as much as we do at Fondant & Chocolate.  However some people can’t understand how we can fall in love with a confectionary.

For us it was a matter of love at first sight when we first entered a Ladurée store in Paris, stoked full of macarons with a queue of people out the door (imagine, an orderly queue in Paris).  The bakery had an inviting glass display filled to the brim with colourful macarons both in pastel and bright colours.  The sight alone is enough to seduce curious foodies, but it takes a taste to convince you to join the ever growing macaron movement.

The macaron is essentially a blank canvas for chefs to explore the everlasting diversity of flavour.  No matter what your personal tastes are, there is likely to be a macaron with a flavour that you will enjoy.  From the classic fruit flavours like raspberry, strawberry, orange and lime to the nutty flavours of coconut, hazelnut, brazil nut and chocolate.  There are more adventurous flavours like earl grey, champagne, rose and jasmine.  Finally risky types like some of our clients in the Hertfordshire town of Watford macarons are enjoyed in some savoury flavours like sweet corn, garlic, pumpkin, bacon or truffle.

Macaron Flavours

Macaron flavours

Macarons come in a large variety of flavours and colours.  The flavours can be sweet or savoury; however we would only recommend a sweet macaron, who would want a tuna, garlic or even onion flavour macaron?  The flavour will have an impact on how the macaron is presented and what the filling will be.

Macarons are made of meringue biscuits and fillings.  The meringue is usually coloured to match the filling but with the exception of chocolate or nut flavoured, the meringue would not be flavoured.  Since your first sense of taste is with your eyes, strongly coloured macarons make them more enjoyable.  The filling is made from either ganache, butter cream or fruit jams, with the fillings depending on the flavouring you want. 

Traditional macarons are fruit flavoured and filled with jams or preserves.  We make our macarons with the finest jam or when the fruit are in season and the orders are large enough we make a large batch of jam ourselves.  Conventional English berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants make good flavourings. 

Butter cream fillings are our favoured choice and can be used for all types of macaron.  Fruit flavoured macarons go well with butter cream and ensures the final result is not too sweet as can be the case with jam fillings.  Butter cream also makes a larger variety available an flavours can be mixed: champagne & strawberry, coconut & lime.

Finally, ganache, is chocolate truffle like the centre of a Swiss chocolate or Ferrero Rocher.  Made with chocolate and cream, the result is a thick a decadent treat.  Any chocolate lover would enjoy a chocolate macaron and never want a milk tray again.  At a recent sale in St Albans macarons with chocolate filings were the best sellers by far.

Finally, nut macarons are one of our specialities.  Coconut, hazelnut or pistachio make macarons and they are required to be added to the meringue biscuit as well as the filling.  This makes a flavour explosion that carries through the entire macaron.

Please see our website at Fondant & Chocolate for a full range of flavours and contact us for any requests, most sweet desires can be catered for.

Introduction to our blog

Welcome to our Macaron blog.  On this site we will be discussing everything to do with macarons, who we like them, why we think they are the best sweet a patisserie can produce how you can make the most from them. 

As an introduction to us, we are an independent bakery currently working from a kitchen without a shop front.  We are a new business looking to take our brand to Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, London and beyond.  We sell through our website Fondant & Chocolate and from our contacts.  Many people have met us through wedding shows and from seeing our products through past orders.

We will start this blog with an introduction to macaroons.

Macarons (sometimes mistakenly spelt macaroons) are a sweet meringue based biscuits made with eggs, icing sugar and almond powder.  They are willed with ganache, butter cream or fruit preserve, depending on the flavour choice. 

Although they are of French origin, the name is Italian from the meringue biscuits they are made from.  The exact origin is unknown and steeped in confectionary legend.  Historians have traced their provenance to the time of Henry II of France.  Henry married into the influential Italian Medici family with his union of Catherine de' Medici's.  It is though Catherine de' Medici's brought Italian pastry chefs with her in 1533 and through this Franco-Italian gastronomy the macaron was born.

The company which more than anyone else has brought the macaron into the 21st century is the Parisian luxury bakery and sweets maker house Ladurée.  In 2005 Ladurée opened its first international brand in London and the high art of macaron making and eating finally came to the UK.  At Fondant & Chocolate we are continuing the traditions handed down from the first macaron makers by creating these wonderful treats for all to enjoy.