Macarons from Afar

My family left last week for a trip to Paris. I resisted the urge to climb into their luggage and instead recommended they head straight to the pastry shops of Paris upon arrival. "Forget the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre - those can wait! You must have Macarons," I urged them. I've never been to Paris, but when I go, I intend to map out all of the famous pastry shops and visit each and every one of them. It appears that my family heeded my advice. I present to you authentic Pierre Hermé Macarons in all of their glory. They are almost too beautiful to eat, so I had to snap a few photos before sampling:


My family must have predicted the tremendous wave of sadness that would overcome me as I finished the last of these beauties, so they brought me another keepsake from their Parisian tour:

They visited the Galignani book store, which was founded in 1810, and is the oldest English bookstore in Europe. I unwrapped the package to find this delightful cookbook:

The photography in this book is beautiful and I can't wait to whip up some of these petite treats. This is the gift that keeps on giving - I will have to bring some of these to our next family gathering.