Mad About Macarons, Easy French Recipes & Teatime in Paris

Jill Colonna

French Apple Nougat Tart

7 Comments

December 9, 2019

Sweet almond pastry with chunks of apples tossed in vanilla and topped with crunchy almonds - it's a Christmas nutcracker of a dessert!

Jill Colonna

Quick French Apple Tart with Calvados Cream

11 Comments

November 14, 2019

This dessert is almost cheating! Made in 20 minutes using 2 Granny Smiths, ready-made butter puff pastry, honey, almonds, butter and Calvados. A veritable French fall recipe...

Jill Colonna

French Apple Crumble Cake

14 Comments

October 29, 2019

A genius, easy gingerbread apple & oat crumble 'gateau' from French film director & screenwriter, Danièle Thompson. Enjoy chilled for dessert, teatime, or give a French touch to Thanksgiving.

Jill Colonna

Montmartre Chocolate Pastry Walk

14 Comments

October 19, 2019

Join me for a delicious Autumnal stroll in Montmartre's more hidden side. Taste the artistic ambience, macarons, madeleines - and perhaps leave 'Absinthe'-minded!

Jill Colonna

Healthy Banana Oat Muffins (no added sugar)

12 Comments

September 30, 2019

A naturally sweet breakfast boost using dried fruits, brazil nuts for Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month.

Jill Colonna

Crispy Sesame Tuiles

8 Comments

August 12, 2019

The easiest, quickest French-style biscuits made with sesame seeds - perfect for teatime or served with black sesame ice cream for dessert

Jill Colonna

Roasted Tomato Mozzarella Bites

14 Comments

July 26, 2019

Just a few minutes of roasting tomatoes concentrates the best tomato flavour to make these simple, delicious summer nibbles.

Jill Colonna

Cracked Macaron Black Forest Creams

14 Comments

July 14, 2019

Cracked macarons? Make these chocolate cherry boozy gluten free desserts. They're so good, you'll want to make them with perfect macaron shells too!

Jill Colonna

Air-Conditioned Paris Tea Salons

10 Comments

June 27, 2019

Find a listing of the coolest Parisian tearooms during the summer heatwave.

My BEST OF PARIS Tea Salons (cosy to chic by arrondissement)

December Specials on Le Blog

Jill Colonna

Béarnaise Sauce - Recipe & Origins

16 Comments

June 3, 2019

Ooh the simple Béarn-ecessities of life! This sublime French sauce is so easy to whisk up - did you know it was invented where Louis XIV was born near Paris?

Jill Colonna

Smoked Tea Beurre Blanc Salmon

6 Comments

January 12, 2019

A French-Scottish alliance for St Andrew's or Burn's Night - with my smoked twist to the classic beurre blanc sauce using a simple Lapsang Souchong teabag. It's so easy, don't tell anybody...

Jill Colonna @Mad About Macarons

Melting Meringue Snowballs

12 Comments

December 16, 2018

French meringues generously filled with hazelnut praline, lemon jelly, vanilla cream and candied chestnut for a light, festive dessert that's just waiting for you to 'throw' a party!

Jill Colonna

Bourdaloue Pear Tart - a Parisian Classic

10 Comments

December 8, 2018

Found in many patisseries at this time of year, this tart has been glazing around Paris since the 1900s when it was invented in Rue Bourdaloue.

Macaron Berry Sherry Trifle

8 Comments

May 17, 2018

A strictly adult, berry boozy Royal celebration dessert. A trifle British but uses Parisian macarons, making it gluten free.

Snowballs - No Bake, Coconut, Raisin & Chocolate Bites

15 Comments

December 18, 2017

Granny's special winter treats: gluten free, vegan and perfect for festive parties or teatime.

Mulled Wine Prunes

8 Comments

December 16, 2017

A festive version of the French classic dessert, Pruneaux au Vin, with orange and added spices - and perfect with macarons!

Christmas Oat Granola - A Healthy Festive Breakfast

6 Comments

December 9, 2017

Go nuts! Make your mornings 'oat-ra' special with festive warming spices, orange & maple - and no added sugar!

Relais Desserts Yule Log Presentation, Paris 2017

18 Comments

October 13, 2017

20 top pastry chefs from this elite group show us their French Christmas cake creations (Bûches de Noël).

Salted Toffee Cherry Tomatoes

12 Comments

September 10, 2017

Start your festive parties with this salty & sweet apéritif - great centre-piece too!

Digital kitchen scales for making macarons

Macaron Digital Kitchen Scales - Weight vs Volume

42 Comments

March 3, 2017

Why it's essential to use digital kitchen scales for consistently successful baking results plus my macaron scale review by Terraillon measuring experts

Mincemeat Pinwheels

2 Comments

December 14, 2016

A quick and handy vegetarian recipe that's perfect to make in advance for your festive end-of-year parties

Quick No-Suet Mincemeat - A Perfect Macaron Filling

5 Comments

December 1, 2016

A quick and deliciously easy mincemeat recipe, ideal for Vegetarians since it's without suet - and great for filling macarons!

Palets Bretons - buttery biscuits from Brittany

Palets Bretons Recipe - French Butter Biscuits or Cookies

15 Comments

April 10, 2016

Put just a few good quality basic ingredients together – salted butter, sugar, egg yolks, flour and baking powder – and what do you get? Irresistible French butter biscuits...

How to Make a Giant Paris-Brest Pastry Ring for Christmas

10 Comments

December 17, 2015

Adapting one of the recipes in Teatime in Paris for a Christmas make-over

Stuffed Cabbage (Chou Farci): A Cheat's French Classic Winter Recipe

10 Comments

December 13, 2015

A French Classic recipe of stuffed savoy cabbage made easy by using turkey stuffing leftovers.

Honey Lemon Sablé Biscuits

20 Comments

February 9, 2015

A quick and easy cookie recipe that's perfect with a cup of tea for a soothing winter teatime.

Scottish Macaroon Bar Snowballs

25 Comments

December 2, 2014

We can't reduce the sugar in these traditional Scottish treats but we can reduce their size into snowballs!

Savoury Macarons: Festive Starter Ideas

13 Comments

December 20, 2013

You heard it right: savoury macarons for that special occasion menu to delight your guests and create a real talking point! Smiles and thumbs up guaranteed.