I have been in a bit of a bad mood all day, not least of which because my new brogues were rubbing however I knew what would cheer me up - it was time to finally tackle the Pierre Herme counter at Selfridges which I had both fantasised and eulogised about.
The counter itself is in the food hall, tucked around the corner from the steps up into the area in the newish dedicated cake area and is a joy to behold. Brightly coloured presentation boxes jostle for space with the macarons themselves - laid out by flavour.
I decided to buy a box of 12 priced at a rather fearsome £35 but packaged in a rather lovely red presentation box and selected one of each of the key flavours except the manifique. A strawberry and wasabi flavoured concoction that was surely devised for the brand's assorted Tokyo retail outlets. I hate Wasabi - Yuk.
This was all packaged up in a great little Pierre Herme carrier which I proudly toted all the way back to the underground. I was happy as larry until I got to Bethnal Green and began the walk home and the heavens opened. Fortunately the macarons were safe.
Once home I got myself comfy, took some photos and got stuck in. I can safely say that they really are all I was hoping for - I'd heard that these were macarons that were more about the ganache than the biscuit, with a expertly blended balance of flavours. Each one was soft with an extremely light shell and soft, almost runny filling carrying most of the flavour. However as each of those I tried were so different it feels unfair to generalise and not provide more detailed tasting notes...
Arabesque
Described as apricot and pistachio, this has a delicious fruity multi layered ganache with a strong apricot flavour.
Huile D'Olive & Vanille
olive oil base and vanilla filling - this is plain and almost savoury tasting but nonetheless delicious. The texture of this is crunchier than the other macarons. The 'neutral' flavour allows you to taste the subleties in the texture.
Rose
One of those that I was most excited to try - it is pink afterall. It was floral but still fruity and not heavily perfumed. This also has a slightly chewier texture, it's beautifully feminine - a real sweet treat.
Mogador
Milk chocolate ganache and passion fruit biscuit, this was one of my favourites and I had heard a lot about it from other bloggers. It smells a little odd but constitutes a real taste sensation for fans of passion fruit and other tropical loveliness. The chocolate is a perfect match for the passion fruit and doesn't seem at odds at all, however unlike some of the other flavours there would be a limited to how many of this rich treat you could eat.
Eden
peach, apricot and saffron, the saffron taste in this is barely there and the main flavour is of apricots again. It's fruity, fresh, toothsome.
Chocolat
Simple this - rich and tasty with an almost liquer-like intensity. I love chocolate and expected this to be my favourite but the other flavours are so good it didn't seem to compete.
Citron
Lemony and fresh with a tart lemon ganache. It's sweet, refreshing and very moist.
Jasmin
My second favourite - this had a wonderful iridescent sparkling shell in gorgeous pale colour. The flavour was a revelation - delicate, floral but not heavily perfumed. This was light, like high tea in heaven.
Infiniment Caramel
Salted caramel - fantastique.
Mosaic
A strange one, this has some kind of glace fruit in the centre (pictured above) which ruined the general goo-ey loveliness for me. Minus this the taste reminds me of the jasmin - it's unusual, light and complex.
I was told that they would keep for 4 days in the fridge, however they're all gone already. Oopsy, but now I'm in a much better mood.
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