Bonjour! It's Francophile Friday and this afternoon, I'll be eating
macarons for afternoon tea. Here in Brisbane? Mais oui, that is correct! I'm so happy, so happy, happy, happy! Yes, I'm
doing my happy dance because I discovered there's a French couple creating macarons almost on my doorstep!
Yes - the genuine ones like those of Ladurée and Pierre Hermé in Paris - a delicate, crisp shell that yields to a chewy yet tender alchemy of almond meal, egg whites and whatever else makes it so bewitching.
Thierry and Sylvie Serplet moved to Brisbane with their children 18 months ago for the lifestyle, and decided to set up a bakery. They sell directly from their
Twist'n'Roll premises in Rocklea, a tiny 20 minutes drive from my place. They also sell online, at the markets on weekends, and through several of the most chic and upmarket delis and pâtisseries around town.
{You can find out where on their website.} They bake other niceties too, but frankly, I haven't torn my eyes off the macarons long enough to look at anything else. I've only met Thierry, who is shy, kind and ever so helpful - and looked quite chuffed when I asked him to add a "framboise" {raspberry} macaron to my selection. You can tell from this
lovely bit of local press here that his wife Sylvie is a honey too.
This afternoon, I may even read a few pages from my French copy of Agatha Christie's
'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' while I munch on my violet macaron. Actually, it's
lavande - lavender - with cream filling. I'm still deciding on my favourite. I figure it will take a lot of macarons to make such a decision...
