Even though the French take credit for the macaron, Catherine de’ Medici likely brought the delicious filth to France in the 16th century from Italy. Back then, they were rather humbly called ‘priest’s bellybuttons,’ due to the pastry’s shape. I know this because in the extensive papers of my family archives I found the following text…

Giuseppe D'Tayloro, a priest, was stripped bare and flogged after being found in the intimate company of several nuns. He had used his position along with uncommon good looks and remarkable panache to gain access to the convent and then stripped several sisters of their chastity. The nuns appeared to have fallen so markedly under his spell that they had begun to worship him, rather than the holy father. He was quoted as saying the following in his defence, 'Ok, it was a bit greasy but fuck off chaps, they were hot for me! What's a guy to do?'. The sisters had even created a new pastry with which to repay his affection, these delicate almond treats were formed using his unusual gaping bellybutton as a mould - a practise he only allowed during rigorous and often depraved acts of coitus. One of the disgraced sisters found sanctuary in the service of the de' Medici family, eventually relocating to France following the marriage of Catherine to King Henry II. It appears the king's bellybutton must've been similarly capacious as the macaron soon became ubiquitous throughout France.

As I work through the delicate volumes of my family history I am often astonished at the historical importance of my ancestry. Did I mention my Great Uncle Derek pioneered the cable tie? He used dried hedgehog penises to tidily stow his collection of dried hedgehog penises… But, I'm rambling so here's the recipe notes 😂

Coconut infused macaron pastries are recreated with WF fantastic almond cookie, FA meringue and JF coconut which is dried up a little further with VTA dessicated coconut. These sandwich a delicate lime flavoured cream a'la WF cream filling which adds just the right mouthfeel and FA key lime which is fresh and delicious and seems to survive a steep. A touch of FLV sugar orchid just adds a sweet 'snap' and could possibly be subbed with FA oba oba at 2% or dropped completely but I haven't tested those theories. This needs just a few days to get acquainted with itself and it's fucking lovely stuff.