Bourbon Pecan Macarons

These macarons were made purely on a whim but somehow turned into a very popular flavor that I featured in my first week at the Tower Grove Farmers Market. 
I was making my millionth batch of macarons when I wondered what would happen if I used brown sugar instead of white sugar to whip with the egg whites...

Ispahan Pudding Cake

I posted this a while back in the Sauce Magazine blog but wanted to share it here with those of you not in St Louis! Enjoy :)

One of my favorite pastry chefs is Pierre Hermé, the Frenchman who lifted the macaron to new heights with unique and inspired flavor combinations. Hailed as the Picasso of pâtissiers, Hermé created the Ispahan – a delicate combination of rose, raspberries and lychees – and put it in macaron form for Ladurée (the oldest macaron bakery in Paris). Hermé continues to experiment with these flavors in ice creams and other pastries.

Strawberries Romanoff

I'm not sure if there's a La Madeleine in St Louis, but in Atlanta, there are quite a few. There was one near my mother's office and so she'd often go for brunch or lunch with coworkers. The few times I went with her, I wasn't that impressed with any of their dishes. I was still fairly young (a tween/teen) and wasn't in the easygoing "try-anything-once" mode that I'm set to now. I didn't recognize most of the dishes or ingredients and didn't want to expand my horizons (if only I could smack my younger self, for several reasons).

Honey Cinnamon Breton Biscuits

I'm about to start this Saturday at the Tower Grove Farmer's Market and it's nerve-racking... I have most of my things ready, but terrified I'm going to forget something. It's the first time all my macarons will be on display and available for purchase. It's different taking orders from home, where you can bake in your own time and put together the box, handing over the final product to the customer. In this case, I'll be reaching into a box of my macarons in 90+ degree heat and putting it together for them.
I also have to set up my tent and table display each week which are rather heavy and unwieldy... But isn't that what boyfriends are for?