Around Le Marais, Paris: Maison George Larnicol

French macarons and chocolates "go together like a horse and carriage!" That's what I have been finding out. For a sugarholic and a chocoholic, like me, that can be dangerous! But, I am delighted to share my new find with you at Maison George Larnicol.

George Larnicol is a confectioner and chocolatier from Brittany, who has set up shop in Paris. He has earned the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France award, given to artisans for their exceptional craftsmanship. While walking on the rue de Rivoli, I noticed how his store was a bit different from the other confectionery shops.

This is what got me so excited! After reading the signage on the window display, there was no stopping me. "We guarantee that all our macarons have no animal fat - 0% dairy - 0% creme - 0% butter." That means they make the healthiest macarons, right?

Furthermore, they guarantee that they only use natural, vegetable coloring agents.

Choices, choices, choices! 

I picked rose, vanille, framboise (raspberry), and caramel. I delightfully ate each piece, as soon as I paid for them, with no guilt feelings. The flavors were fresh and light, sweetly refreshing.

With Easter just around the corner, his fancy chocolate designs were all over the store:

a hatching Easter egg...

 a mother hen sitting on her Easter eggs...

shoes, Easter eggs, little animal characters, and boats - something fun and entertaining for the children.

Here's another specialty product at Maison George Larnicol:

Les kouignettes are made from a redesigned recipe of Kouig Amann  by monsieur confiseur, George Larnicol. It's a kind of butter cake, a butter roll, or however you want to call it.

With this exotic sounding name, I was wondering about the origin of this Breton pastry which dates back to 1860. To my surprise, it is derived from two words in the dialect of Brittany: "kouig" means cake and "amann" means butter. This is some kind of a cake with lots of butter in between dough layers! And let me add that it has a good amount of sugar, too. 

The above sign reads that sixteen natural flavors are used to make the caramel au beurre salé (caramel with salted butter, or something we know as toffee) as it is typically found in Brittany, a region in the northwest coast of France. And that's what makes this so amazingly good. 

They come in a variety of flavors. I took home two kouignettes: Rhum and Raisin; and Framboise. Oh, there are almost no words to describe the caramel at the bottom of these rolls. Simply divine. I was unstoppable! It's a good thing I only bought two. This brought back fond memories of my favorite pecan rolls from Cinnabon, with the caramelized sugar and butter in the sticky bottoms.

There is a wider repertoire on the shelves of caramels, chocolates, cookies and other candies, some in bins and some pre-wrapped.

At the top are the caramels - in salty, nutty or fruity flavor; and below are the mini boule bins - balls of chocolate-enrobed truffles, nuts, fruits and caramels. 

Packed in wooden containers are galets - chocolate-dipped glaced fruit and whole nut; rocher - chocolate rocks made with glaced orange peel and puffed rice; and some  mini boule - chocolate speckled eggs, all ready for Easter gift-giving and celebration. 

You can also buy them by weight.

To round up their selection, they also have chocolate chip cookies and merengue. 

Here is my candy bag!  

As an artist, George Larnicol makes fan and sculptural pieces. On display were...

this extra big ladybug...

 a fashionable lady...

and a floral arrangement, all made with organic white, milk and dark chocolate.

And if you have any special occasion to celebrate, for your centerpiece or giveaways, George would be happy to design and create them just for you. At the maison, they boast that their chocolates are 100% natural and animal fat-free. 


Here is another discovery I made - their prices are 25% to 40% cheaper than most places. For all the sampling I did, the damage was below 10 euros. On my designated decadent days, I can see myself going back there.

Maison George Larnicol

14, rue de Rivoli Paris 4e Arrt. 
Tel. +33 (0)1 42 71 20 51
Métro: Saint-Paul
Hours: Mon. to Sat. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In the Kitchen: Time to Make Some French Macarons

If I were to be the judge, I would proclaim the macaroons, macaron in French, as the national cookie of France. There is a bit of history about how these cookies were developed: "Created By Italian Monks, Refined By French Pâtissiers." http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/Main/cookies/cookies2/history-of-macaroons.asp

The macaroons come in different sizes, colors and flavors.

Technic is key in making this cookie. For this, my friends and I decided to take a "Macaroon" class at the Henckels Store, 12 Boulevard Madeleine
75009, Paris, in their demonstration kitchen.

Preparations to be made beforehand:
1. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Heat water for the bain marie (double boiler)

A. Chocolate Macaroon Cookie
INGRDIENTS:
1. COLD, 3-day old of 250 gms. egg whites ( one egg = 30 gms. yolk and 30 gms. egg white)
2. 500 gms. glace sucre (very fine sugar) to be added to the egg white
3. 500 gms. almond flour
4. 500 gms. glace sucre (very fine sugar) to be added to the almond flour
5. 20 gms. of cocoa powder (Van Houten bitter chocolate)
6. pinch of salt
* Need a piping/frosting plastic bag readied on the side

PROCEDURE TO MAKE THE COOKIES:

Beat cold, 3-day old egg whites slowly

When the egg whites get to a moussy consistency, add half of the sugar (250 gms.) until it dissolves. Increase speed a little bit when the whites get shiny and add the rest of the sugar (250 gms) at high speed, until it gets stiff. Set aside.


On a separate bowl place the almond flour, remove the lumps. Then, add to the other 500 gms. of sugar glace with a spoon...


add a pinch of fine salt, plus the cocoa powder.


Blend in the almond powder/sugar/chocolate mixture into the beaten, stiff egg whites by hand, using a spatula, until you get...


something like this.


Push the cookie mixture into a piping/frosting plastic bag.
TIP: Place tip side of the bag into a glass as you fill the plastic bag.


Cut the pointed tip to make a 1 cm. opening.


5. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, press the bag to make the mixture come out, in a spiral direction, making 1 inch (app. 2.5 cms.) circles, and lay them out on the cookie sheet...


in this arrangement. Rest for 30 minutes to dry out the sugar. Tap cookie sheets to get air out.


Bake at 200°C (app. 390°F) for 5 minutes, then bring down to 165°C (app. 320°F), for a total cooking time of 12 minutes, or 20 minutes for a larger oven. Set a timer, more or less for the approximate time. Also, your nose is a good indicator of telling when the cookies are about to be cooked. When done, take out the cookie sheets and allow to cool.

B. Cookie filling - chocolate ganasche
INGREDIENTS:
1. 300 gms. chocolate 70%, sugar free, cubed
2. Whole cream 15 cl.
3. Add 1 Tbsp. of cold butter, cut up
4. orange zest + a drop of rose arome
* Need a piping/frosting plastic bag readied on the side

PROCEDURE to make the filling:

In a double boiler set up, using a stainless-steel bowl for the top,...


throw in the chocolate chunks and stir until softened.


Remove top pan from the double boiler and set it down on the counter.
Blend in 1/2 of the whole cream (150 gm) by hand, with a spatula.
Add 1 Tbsp. of cut-up cold butter and blend in.
Then, add the rest of the cream.


When the chocolate mixture starts to separate from the side of the bowl, add some orange zest and rose flavor, and blend further.


Place the chocolate ganasche into a pastry bag and refrigerate to cool down.

ASSEMBLING THE MACARON:

Squeeze the bag to test the flow of the filling.


Pick up a cookie half and press out a big dot of the filling on the cookie's center.


Get another cookie half, and press it, then, turn the two sides in opposite directions until the filling thins out to the circumference of the cookies.


Voila! The macaroons are ready to be enjoyed.

From the ingredients, you can see that this is a more high-protein cookie compared to most because of the use of almond flour, which needs to be at least 80% of the flour ingredient, and the rest is 20% wheat flour. Luckily, there are a good number of macaron fabricants who use 100% almond flour, and this works well for my daughter who suffers from the celiac disease.


Let's venture and check out other recipes in the internet or make our own variations. My favorite flavors are fleur de orange (orange blossoms), dulce de leche (caramel), rose, pistache, framboise (raspberry), pasion fruit/chocolat, and so many other flavors to still try or concoct! I'm thinking of making a more diabetic friendly recipe.

I'll be in the kitchen, experimenting!