Springtime at Ladurée

If you've been following this blog or happened to read our twitter updates last week, you would know that we recently made a trip into Paris to try out some new treats at Ladurée.

The anticipation started to mount with each step as we climbed from the metro station sortie. We were on the Champs Elysées...

It's a mini-dilemma - you have the impressive Arc de Triomphe behind you, and you know that even if you've seen it dozens of times before, you really shouldn't ignore it, but on the other hand, just a few hundred metres further down is our pâtisserie rendez-vous! And running backwards down the Champs is out of the question. Tant pis, the pastries won this time!

Ladurée is following a Chateau de Versailles theme for spring/summer 2009, and springtime had well and truly arrived at 75, AVENUE DES CHAMPS ELYSEES with the May Lace presentation of their "lily-of-the-valley" macaroon. This flavour of macaroon is only available during the month of May each year.

This year's box is gorgeous - they explain it best themselves...

"The box encasing the macaroons is clad with a delicate grey Chantilly lace on which the word May is written in gold-embossed lettering and decorated with small, white bells.

This ultra-feminine case pays tribute to Parisian couture."

Lovely! Don't you just love the way that the gold lettering of the "M" actually forms the leaves of the lily-of-the-valley?

Another element of the Chateau de Versailles theme was presented in an adjacent window.


Again, we leave the description to those that know best - Ladurée!

"A romantic decoration made up of interlaced designs, medallions and flower bouquets with antiquated colours houses the new box of macaroons with various spring flavours and a definite boudoir feel."

The window display was decorated with sugared violets...


...and the motif on the box is stunning!


So with our mouths well and truly watering with anticipation, it was time to cross the threshold into pastry heaven...

...which we'll post about very soon...!