Heaven Is a Vanilla Macaron

Image taken from online of a vanilla macaron from Ladurée (not one of the participating bakeries for Macaron Day NYC 2012)

Not only was today the first day of spring, but it was also Macaron Day. In honor of this, Francois Payard bakery, along with a whole list of other French bakeries throughout NYC, gave away free macarons! By 8:30am, there I was at a Payard on Houston, standing on a short line. After I ordered a cup of coffee, I was asked which flavor macaron I'd like to have.

I scanned the beautiful array of sprightly and speckled colors and picked vanilla. It came in a small white paper bag the size of a dress pocket. (Note to Self: The next time I wear a dress with pockets, buy a macaron for one pocket.)

Seated at a table, I took one bite of my petit macaron and, my God, it was AMAZING!! Do not underestimate the flavor power of a quality macaron. What a special treat. It was so good, I wrote a poem about it:

Heaven is a vanilla macaron;
A treasure, if ever, was one.
It looks as precious as a little spring lamb,
And tastes like a mouthful of sun!