Macaron Day

Macaron Day

Macaron Day is celebrated on 20 March every year and what a delicious celebration it is! These delectable little sweets are instantly synonymous with France and are now enjoyed throughout the world.

With a gentle crusty outside shell and soft ganache inside, they are just waiting to be bitten into. Sold by the millions each year, the macaron is worthy of its day of celebration.

The Tradition Of Macaron Day

The tradition of Macaron Day was established in 2005 in Paris as a partnership among local macaron patisseries to celebrate the French macaron and to support local charities. Spearheaded by the famed pastry chef, Pierre Hermé, he has this to say about the delectable little dessert “The macarons, though only a few grams, agitate our senses. The eyes have already devoured them. Fingers skim their surface, the flavours are gently smelled. When their fine crunchy shell is crushed, the ears are excited by the sound. Then the mouth experiences a delicate grace.” – Pierre Hermé

Five years later, in 2010, French macaron shops in NYC also began organising an annual Macaron Day charity event.   There were over 15 participating pastry shops on this first year of participation.

Macaron Day Is Now Celebrated Around The World

There are now annual Macaron Day events in Budapest, Toronto, Portland and other cities around the world even including Perth on the western coast of Australia.  

Many shops hand out one free macaron per person and usually allocate a percentage of their sales taken over a number of days, towards a local charity.

Ladurée for Macarons

The French patisserie and tea salon Ladurée, is famous for its macarons. It’s been an institution amongst the grandes dames in Paris since 1862, and with salons worldwide and take-home options it their desserts are now enjoyed by many.

A search around the Paris Ladurée website will give you the interesting and detailed history of this iconic French patisserie store and its designer.  Lots of photos of decadent cakes will make you want to visit one of their stores to experience the world of Ladurée for yourself.

Passionfruit Macaron Recipe

Have you tried cooking macarons?  We have a delicious Passionfruit Macaron recipe that you could try for yourself at home. It makes 25 macarons and the recipe has easy to follow instructions from our guest writer and Le Cordon Bleu Pastry Chef, Janet Newton. It’s an original and tasty recipe created just for A French Collection readers.

If you are looking for the ultimate recipe book on macarons, then Ladurée’s cookbook, ‘Macaron, The Recipe’ will be perfect for you. See our special book review of ‘Macaron, The Recipe’.

Great Macaron Recipe Books Available Online