The French translation of petits gâteaux is “little cake”. While sounding simplistic, these little cakes are anything but; petits gâteaux are rather complicatedly-built, delightful desserts. A must try.

The macaron is traditionally held to have been introduced in France by the Italian chef of queen Catherine de Medici during the Renaissance. Since the 19th century, a typical Parisian style macaron is presented with a ganache, buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two such cookies, akin to a sandwich cookie. The confection is characterized by a smooth squared top, a ruffled circumference—referred to as the “crown” or “foot” (or “pied”) and a flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth.