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Dessert First

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Seashell Macarons with Sea Salt Vanilla Buttercream

Oct 12 by Anita 3 Comments

I wanted to share a special order I did for a client a month ago: seashell macarons for a mermaid-themed birthday party. Although I’ve made Minnie macarons for my daughter’s birthday, I haven’t tried piping any more complex shapes, so this was a fun challenge. They were surprisingly easy to do and make a striking […]...

Filed Under: Cookies, Pastry, Recipes Tagged With: buttercream, macaron, seashell

{Sweet San Francisco}: Chantal Guillon SOMA

Jul 15 by Anita 3 Comments

Although there’s a lot of focus in SF on pastry with modern, funky twists, I’m also very pleased to see there’s also been a quiet resurgence in classic French pastry as well. Case in point: Chantal Guillon, my favorite maker of macarons in San Francisco, who has expanded to three shops in the Bay Area, […]...

Filed Under: Reviews, San Francisco, Sweet Spots, Sweet Spots Tagged With: chantal guillon, macaron, review, san francisco, SOMA, sweet san francisco, sweet spots

{Sweet San Francisco}: Nuubia Chocolates

Jun 29 by Anita 17 Comments

Like many a visitor to Paris, I left with an ever-burning desire to return. I’ll peruse Instagram feeds filled with images of pastries, the Eiffel Tower, and chocolate shops, just to reminisce about the time I was there.  Fortunately sometimes something comes along to remind me just how good I have it in the Bay Area. […]...

Filed Under: Chocolate, Reviews, San Francisco, Sweet Spots, Sweet Spots Tagged With: cafe, chocolate, ice cream, macaron, nuubia, san francisco, sweet san francisco, sweet spots

Pierre Hermé Macarons at SF Cooking School

Aug 13 by Anita 46 Comments

SF Cooking school macaron class It’s been a while since my pastry school days, and oftentimes I feel the itch to get back into class to keep up with the newest trends, brush up on old skills, or just to be around some nice shiny professional equipment again. After talking to chef Nicole Plue about […]...

Filed Under: Cookies, Pastry School, Recipes, San Francisco, Sweet Spots Tagged With: macaron, nicole plue, pastry class, pastry school, pierre herme, san francisco, SF Cooking School

Fluffy Marshmallow Creme Macarons for Easter

Apr 14 by Anita 6 Comments

Happy almost Easter! I’m looking forward to Isabelle’s first Easter egg hunt, since she was too little last year to go hunting for eggs. She’s still too little for Easter candy, fortunately: hopefully when she’s older and finds out I kept all the chocolate bunnies and jellybeans from her she won’t hold it against me! […]...

Filed Under: Cookies, Recipes Tagged With: easter, macaron, marshmallow creme, peeps

Pierre Hermé Hong Kong – Macaron Heaven

Jan 15 by Anita 11 Comments

One of the highlights of my visit to Hong Kong was a long-awaited reunion with one of my favorite patisseries: Pierre Hermé. While the macaron craze seems to have leveled out in the US, it’s going strong in Hong Kong. Ladureé and La Maison du Chocolat, among others, have already opened branches in Hong Kong, […]...

Filed Under: Asia, Sweet Spots, Travel Tagged With: hong kong, macaron, pierre herme

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best of dessert first


The Making of Macarons (Sucre Cuit Style)

Hong Kong Eggettes (Daan Jai)


Tis the Season (Chocolate Mint Macarons)

A Better Brioche


Consider the Humble Chocolate Chip Cookie

A Feast of Figs


Pure Dessert, Pure Inspiration (Chocolate Citrus Tart)

My Own Remembrance of Things Past: Daan Tats


The Slow Drip of Coffee on a Languorous Summer's Day

Still Life of Strawberry Tart

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about pastrygirl

Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and dog Max. More about pastrygirl

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Please e-mail anita {at} dessertfirstgirl {dot} com with all collaboration inquiries, pastry questions, or just to say hi! I look forward to hearing from you!
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