The Concept
They’re rich, colorful and sinfully delicious! Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Anyone who calls herself French would have grown up with them. They’re available at a few select cities all over the world. And now they’re available to all Angelenos in a Beverly Hills store named Paulette. I’m talking about Parisian macarons.  

I like all things new. Anyone who dares to think different and break away from the mainstream gets my vote. And that’s why I fell in love with the concept behind Paulette – a French bakery serving ONLY macarons. A macaron is to the French what PB&J is to the Americans. Just, way more exotic. By definition, a macaron is a traditional French pastry dating back to the 18th century. It is essentially almond cookie filled with delectable ganache. But try it my friends, and you’ll agree with me that it’s a crime to call it a cookie. It is a marriage of cookie, cake, pastry and mousse.

Paulette macarons is named after its owner, Paulette. This was her favorite cookie when she was growing up. So she collaborated with award winning French pastry chef Christoph Michalak to open the first bakery in Beverly Hills offering pure, freshly made Parisian macarons. Michalak is the winner of the 2005 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, known for his passion for reinventing the classics.  He flies in every three months from France to personally supervise things.

The Bakery
The aroma of fresh baked macarons invites you into the luminous contemporary interiors of Paulette, designed by Viennese architect Andrea Lenardin Madden. Instantly your eyes are drawn to the rich colors of the macarons on display. They come in a fascinating range of colors and flavors – Chocolate Coconut, Caribbean Chocolate, Coconut, Madagascar Vanilla, Sicillian Pistachio, Columbian Coffee, Almond Wedding, Lemon, Raspberry Rose, New Orleans Praline, Violet Cassis, Liqiorice and Caramel.

My Experience
I planned to try just a couple and rush to my next appointment. So I picked a chocolate and a peach macaron. The slightly crisp outer crust gave way to the soft ganache filling inside – it was a match made in heaven! Then I found myself running back for another chocolate and a Columbian Coffee. And let’s just say I couldn’t stop. So I finally decided to pack myself a box of different flavors. I highly recommend the chocolate and the vanilla – but to each his own. Paulette has something for all tastes. There are special flavors to cater to the American tastebuds, like a Halloween special pumpkin all this month. They also have a special green tea flavor coming out soon. Each of their macarons has its own unique personality. At just $1.50 it is bliss in every bite. 

The Process
And how do these little guys get their divine taste? It’s one of the most difficult cookies to bake, says pastry chef Gerard Koumetz, who is the macaron maestro and Paulette’s official baker. It takes 24 hours and 37 steps to bake the perfect melt-in-your-mouth macaron. In his own words, “you can tell the quality of a bakery by the quality of its macarons.” They make the perfect gift for any occasion – Christmas, Valentine or just a casual dinner. I ended up tasting almost all their flavors. And all I can say is God bless Paulette and her macarons.

Mon – Sat | 10am – 6pm
9466 Charleville Boulevard at Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
http://www.paulettemacarons.com/go/welcome.htm
Photos by Roxanne Guez