The name of the French president Emmanuel Macron for some it may also refer to the delicious sweet macarons. These are the small, colorful, crunchy sandwiches with creamy almond meringue. However, they have no relation. The so-called boomers, i.e. those over 60 today, often when they think of dessert, their mind goes to something simple, such as compote, rice pudding, fruit jelly or chocolate cream.

Of course, times have passed and the choices are huge. Anyone can choose between cakes, creams, crepes, ice cream, milkshakes, waffles. In the old days in Germany, for dessert they ate whatever was left over, and especially anything related to bread. But even in Greece, the older people may remember the bread with sugar. A poor, but satisfying dessert.

In recent years, the dessert has become more and more popular in Germany, and especially that of luxury patisseries. Some are really small works of art. As professor of gastronomy (sophisticated gastronomy as a social phenomenon) and writer from Munich Peter Peter says: “Dessert has become more elegant, more Mediterranean.” Panna cotta, tiramisu, crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, eclairs and even macarons” have gained a stable position.

And old fashioned things have their place…

More old-fashioned sweets are also popular in German-speaking countries. Like, for example, the well-known apfel-strudel with ice cream and warm blueberry sauce. The creations of dessert experts have changed and play with texture, like cold, hot, hard, soft. “Expensive desserts consist of fruit, usually soft fruit, some pastry, cream and often served with ice cream.”

Small coin-sized macarons have a special place. Macarons represent Parisian elegance. They became famous 20 years ago, when the American director Sofia Coppola presented Marie Antoinette tasting the round specialty in bright colors. But it is said that Catherine de Medici was the queen who brought meringue sweets made from almond flour from Italy to France, as early as the 16th century.

In their current form, which look a bit like double-decker burgers, they were invented in 1930 by Pierre Desfontaines, a cousin of the Ladurée family. The Ladurée brand is still famous today. The confectioner Pierre Hermé is considered to be the innovator of macarons, who from the end of the 90s brought new recipes and flavors to the Paris market. Colorful and aromatic flavors. In Switzerland they are also called macarons and you can find them at the famous Sprüngli patisserie in Zurich.

For the sake of a dancer

Finally, pavlova, a paste made of meringue and fruit, has a special place in European desserts. It is considered a feather dessert. It was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (1881-1931). He toured in the 1920s during the Christmas season in hot summer Australia and New Zealand. A chef created the white dessert in her honor. The cream is said to have reminded Pavlova of the snow in her homeland. Whether the whipped cream puff first appeared in Australia or New Zealand is unclear. In recent years pavlova has become more famous in Europe. A specialty chain from Estonia opened a pavlova cafe on the famous Kurfürstendamm boulevard in Berlin this summer.

Edited by: Maria Rigoutsou