Some 8,000 colorfully sweet French macarons, each of them carefully hand-crafted over the past several weeks, have been used to assemble a new life-size Macaron Holiday Tree just unveiled at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte.
The whimsical eight-foot tree was completed following an intense 58-hour assembly marathon conducted by the hotel’s pastry team, which is also in charge of creating hundreds of special holiday sweets for the hotel’s bustling Bar Cocoa dessert boutique.
The first ever of its size and type, the bright red and green Macaron Holiday Tree at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte will be on display in the hotel lobby through December 29 and will be complemented by the display of an all-sugar, candy cane-red showpiece sleigh, pulled by a team of all-chocolate reindeer.
A six-month planning process was needed to determine quantities and ingredients for The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte Macaron Holiday Tree, with Executive Assistant Manager of Food and Beverage and Culinary, Jon Farace, leading the charge to bring the edible design’s culinary artistry to life. Accentuating the creative challenge, added sweet mini-bites had to be nestled into the center of each specialty macaron which forms a decorative garland encircling the life-size tree.
Different from American macaroon cookies, French macarons are meringue-based and feature a slightly crunchy, vibrantly-hued smooth, round exterior. Macarons are made with almond flour, egg whites and sugar and are often filled with a surprisingly flavorful, sweet center.
The macaron holiday tree at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte was created with:
- 10,008 egg whites
- 57 cups of powdered sugar
- 57 cups of sugar
- 57 cups of almond flour = 13, 500
- 15 cups of water = 3,600
The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte’s holiday decor complements a colorful showcase of seasonal confections, sweets and pastries offered at Bar Cocoa dessert boutique, as well as an upcoming series of Holiday Afternoon Teas, offered by the hotel on November 30 and December 1, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 21 and 22, 2013. Adding to the festivities, Bar Cocoa’s Cocoa Lab kitchen also hosts holiday cookie-making classes on multiple dates in December. Holiday events are available to the public as well as hotel guests. For reservations and information, contact The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte at (704) 547-2244, or visit http://www.ritzcarlton.com/charlotte.
About The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, Md., currently operates 84 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. More than 30 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe. The Ritz-Carlton is the only service company to have twice earned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, an award that originated in 1987. Its purpose is to promote the awareness of quality excellence, recognize quality achievements of companies and publicize successful quality strategies. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company won the award in 1992 and 1999. For more information, or reservations, contact a travel professional, call toll free in the U.S. 1-800-241-3333, or visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR).
