Did you know Macarons are actually Italian?

Although a really famous French pastry, macarons actually originated in Italy during the Renaissance period. The word macaron comes from the Italian word Maccherone, which means fine dough.

The first macarons were made with almond flour, sugar and egg whites – similar to modern day Italian amaretti cookies.

So how did the French claim the macaron as their own?

In the 16th century, Catherine de’ Merdici a member of the Italian noble family, married King Henry II of France and brought her Italian chefs with her to France. These chefs introduced the macaron to the French court and the rest is history – they went down a storm with French aristocracy!

The modern-day macaron, which consists of two almond meringue cookies sandwiched together with a filling is credited to two French sisters, Catherine and Marguerite de la Croix who began selling them in their pastry shop in Paris during the 19th century.

The art of French pastries is highly respected and a culinary tradition in France. It is a combination of science, art and technique that requires years of training and practice to master.

They are known for their delicate textures, intricate designs and complex flavours. Fast forward to now and they are a staple in French patisseries and now in Stroud at our very own Choux Bun Appetit Patisserie found at Sandersons Boutique department store.

Josh is 28 and from Coaley near Stroud. Focused on flavour and using the best ingredients Josh strives to ensure everything is made as fresh as possible.

Josh started his career as a chef in a small pub doing his apprenticeship at Trouble House in Tetbury for a year before moving on to Calcot Manor for three years. Josh then moved to Lords of the Manor in Stow on the Wold where he worked up to Junior Sous Chef. Josh entered the South West Chef of the Year competition twice reaching the finals both times and winning Best Presentation and Young National Chef of the Year in 2019 cooking at the London Olympia in front of a live audience.

Josh developed a deep love for the art of French pastry making and wanted to start his own pastry business hoping to make a name for himself and have his own restaurant and Patisserie in the future.

Choux Bun Appetit was then born and foodie regulars will know Josh's face (and delightful French pastries) from his unit at the Five Valleys indoor market which opened in May last year.

In just 12 months Choux Bun Appetit has grown a loyal customer base and excellent reputation for heart flutteringly beautiful French pastries leading to Josh making a move into the centre's luxury boutique department store, Sandersons.

The layered cake 'Gateau Opera' is my favourite cake to make and to eat, named after the opera house because of all the layers. It is made of an almond 'Jaconde' sponge - soaked in a coffee syrup, buttercream and a 54% dark chocolate ganache. Designed so that you can eat each layer in every bite, there are 14 layers in total to create the perfect slice.

Next is the Eclair. The word comes from the French Žclair, meaning 'flash of lightning', so named because it is eaten quickly - in a flash. However, some believe that the name is due to the glistening of the frosting resembling lightning. They can look very simple, but made with a light choux pastry where you need to make sure every step is correct otherwise the pastry will not work at all, from making sure the liquids boil, to 'cooking out' the flour then making sure you add enough eggs, but not too much! They are filled with a 54% dark chocolate pastry cream and glazed in more chocolate!

Macarons are also a massive favourite to bake and to eat! But around 10 years ago I was helping in pastry at a hotel I used to work at and I had to make around 50 macarons that failed miserably and ended up making 100s without understanding the technique to make them. I swore I would not make them EVER again; I avoided it at all costs, then around 8 years later I found myself making them for a farmers' market and I began to get a reputation for my macarons. I found a love for making and eating them! My Favourite is vanilla we get beautiful beans from sustainable farms in Madagascar.