Macarons @ Tisserie

Here is a close up picture of the macarons at Tisserie. The pastries and cakes on the lower shelf are (from left) chocolate cup cakes with caramel icing, almond croissants, chocolate croissant (drizzled with chocolate sauce), caramel eclairs and chocolate eclairs.

I love almond croissants or croissants aux amandes. According to Clotilde Desoulier of Chocolate & Zuchini and cookbook author, almond croissants are usually made with day-old croissants that was filled with almond paste (marzipan), then slathered with egg wash, sprinkled with sliced almonds and baked in the oven until the almonds are slightly toasted. After that, they are sprinkled with a dusting of powdered sugar and they are ready to be served.

Tissirie

Tisserie is a beautiful patisserie or pastry shop that recently opened on Broadway and 16th Street at the northwest corner of Union Square. The store specializes in classic French cakes and pastries but it also offers artisanal bread and sandwiches on the lunch menu. The owners, brothers Morris and Ronald Harrar decided to open Tisserie in New York City following the success of their first patisserie, St. Honore in their hometown of Caracas, Venezuela.

Tisserie is one of the few places in New York City that makes and sells its own french macarons, which should not to be confused with the American coconut macaroons. Macarons date back to the 18th century and are made with flavored cream fillings sandwiched between two disk-shaped meringue cakes. The meringue cakes are light and delicate, with thin crisp shells and soft cushiony centers; and the fillings are sweet or tart depending on the flavors. The best macarons in the world are reportedly from the reknown patisserie, Laduree in Paris. In Switzerland, macarons are called, luxemburgerli and they are sold by Sprungli.

Do you have a favorite pastry?