Obsessions, Pt. 1: The Perfect Cookie

The Perfect Cookie, or TPC, is the obsession that inspired this whole blog thing. And now that my friends and I are all splitting up for a while (and some of us for a VERY long while, Deepa and Solaaaaara!) the theme has lent itself perfectly to a more travel/cultural thing.

For me, the perfect cookie has always been the classic chocolate chip, though I have a weakness for peanut butter and mint chip, and anything with oatmeal, too. My main goal this summer is to duplicate the Nolan's cookie, the monstrous creation of my dorm cafeteria. It is everything a chocolate chip should be: chewy, crunchy, thick, and simple. The huge chocolate chunks and doughy center are perfectly complementary, and the thick, crisp outer edge fits perfectly in my hand.

Sometimes I will have a cookie dinner. A $3.69 charge on my credit card is invariably the Nolan's Chocolate Chip Cookie and a large diet pepsi, which are more than filling and oh-so-satisfying.

The Macaron

I am going to Nice next spring for a semester abroad. Of all of the wonderful things to see there, I'm of course most excited for the food!!! (Ok, and the Cote d'Azur.) And there is one specialty that I want more than anything... les macarons!

This lovely picture is from Amuses bouche. Like their cookies, I've noticed that French blogs are very well-presented as well as being mouth-wateringly inspiring.

I am desperate to try these. I have, of course, had a macaroon before--I've even made them several times. But they are not the same cookie. It is like comparing cheesecake and flan: they have some of the same ingredients, and they are both desserts, but the comparison ends there. French macarons are an entirely different class of confection, and they seem to be a symbol among the baking community. And why not? Look how cute!!

American macaroons are sometimes difficult to get right. I won't pretend I've made them perfectly, ok, well. Ok, even successfully. Mine have always turned out too flat, or too dry, or too sandy... They are edible, of course, because how can almonds, coconut, egg white, and sugar be inedible? My brother and sister wolfed them down this summer the two times I tried. (I don't usually judge success on my family and friends' reactions, because like me, they will eat anything edible.)

But these cookies are nothing like what I've made! In typical French fashion, macarons are tent iems more beautiful than my peaked and uneven German-american macaroons. I don't think that that speaks poorly of macaroons; these treats are just different and exotic.

If you know anything about macarons, or where I can get them in the Baltimore/DC area, please tell me!