Macarons

With shops in Tokyo, Paris and London, Pierre Herme has taken the world by storm and has even been described as a couturier of pastry. This is a man at the top of his art and there is no question his macarons are in a league of their own.

Macarons are the aristocrats of pastry; these brightly colored, mini meringues, daintily sandwiched together with gooey fillings have become a holy grail for cookery fanatics and there are even food blogs dedicated to them.

Like Pierre Herme’s famous macarons, it would be difficult for any macaron book to surpass this universal bestseller. There are 208 pages of recipes and beautiful food photography, and because making macarons is mostly about technique, rather than just a standard recipe, readers will appreciate the 32 step-by-step photo-illustrated instructions for making shells and fillings.

All the classics are here like dark chocolate, praline, coffee, and pistachio, but others feature the more unusual macarons that Herme is justly famous for: Isfahan is one, with lychee, rose and raspberry, Arabesque with apricot and pistachio, Satine with passion fruit, orange and cream cheese, Mandarin and pink pepper, black truffles, balsamic vinegar as well as a bright-green macaron filled with fresh mint.