i love zumbo

The first time I tasted a macaron was at the famous Laduree in Paris. I was mesmerised by the petite little morsel, and will always remember that first bite of .... perfection.

It wasn't until a few years later that Adriano Zumbo landed on my television screen and re-introduced me to the colourful french treat made of almond meal, eggwhites, sugar and sexy fillings. He made it look so easy, so I got straight to baking; excited by the fact that I would be able to make my favourite flavours and have them whenever I liked.

But macarons are not easy to make.

Obviously, a lot of other people figured this out and there was a hype, a craze and a huge demand to get inside Zumbo's tiny little patisserie in the heart of Balmain's Darling Street. Everyone wanted to get their tastebuds on a Zumbo macaron and sample the unimaginable flavours akin to what you'd find in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. There was a queue outside the shop for months and my girlfirends and I joined it one Saturday morning, drooling over pastries in the window for over an hour.

A Zumbo breakfast is always the perfect girlie date. We have re-visited his patisserie many times, each time feeling more satisfied than the last and not one bit guilty about having dessert for breakfast. A few weekends ago on a very rainy Saturday, we decided to check out Zumbo's cafe in Rozelle, hoping to find a cosy nook to curl up in and watch the rain. Of course the cafe was tiny, with only a few seats. Instead of watching the rain, we watched the pastry chefs in the kitchen (zumpa loompas?) through a huge glass window. We decided to sample some of Zumbo's savoury treats this time round and I went for a leek and goats cheese quiche. Served at room temperature on a wooden chpping board, it was the perfect meal to start my weekend and the coffee was extra strong.

One fellow Zumbo lover ordered a berry tart and then an African spiced sausage roll for dessert.

I love Zumbo. I love the macarons, the desserts, the pastries, the coffee, the colour, the flavour and the little white boxes with pink writing. I love the brand. I love that you have to wait in a line, squish into a tiny space and be forced change your mind of what you want a hundred times before finally deciding on something and never being disappointed.

 Macaron flavours this month: watermelon & orange, cola, lychee, salted butter caramel, milo, fingerbun and cherry & banana.

I chose a milo and a salted butter caramel to take home for the boy. Well, one bite each. Yum.