• Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work with Me
    • Media Kit
    • Evolv Health: Valerie’s Story
    • Personal Stories
    • Press
    • Year in Review
  • Thermomix® Independent Consultant
    • Thermomix® Independent Consultant
    • Client Testimonials
    • Recipes Developed by Valerie
  • Projects
    • Cheesepalooza
      • Cheesepalooza Challenges
      • Cheesepalooza Participants
      • Preparation for Cheesepalooza!
      • Basic Ingredient and Supply List
      • Ingredient and Matierial Suppliers
    • Dueling Daughters Project 2014
    • Eat Alberta
    • Gramsy Glimpses
      • Gramsy Glimpses Vignettes
    • Project 2019: Valerie’s Personal Evolv Health Story
    • Project 2017: Cooking in the Kitchen With….
      • Completed Project 2017 Posts: Cooking in the Kitchen With….
      • Project 2017: Cooking in the Kitchen With… PARTICIPATE
      • Project 2017: Cooking in the Kitchen with….Schedule
    • Slow Food Edmonton Tastings
      • Participate!
    • The Canadian Food Experience Project
      • Participate!
      • Participants
      • Challenges and Round Ups
      • Canadian Food Heroes Series
  • Events
    • Baby Shower
    • Food Blogger Meetings
    • Promotions
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Reviews (Products, Books, and Events)
  • Philosophy
    • In a Nutshell
    • Local Produce/Producers
    • Slow Food
    • Teaching
  • Travel
    • Bosnia
    • British Columbia
    • California
    • Croatia
    • Culinary Tourism
    • Farmer’s Markets
    • France
    • Greece
    • Hawaii
    • Italy
    • Louisiana
    • Maritime Provinces
    • Massachusetts
    • Mexico
    • Montenegro
    • Nova Scotia
    • Prince Edward Island
    • Quebec
    • Serbia
    • United Kingdom
    • Utah
  • Trends
  • Store
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Policy for A Canadian Foodie
  • Valerie’s Image

A Canadian Foodie

Canadian Food Recipes; Preserving Canadian Food Practices

  • A La Carte
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Evolv Health Reboot Recipes
      • Reboot Phase 1 Mains
    • Garnishes
    • Salads
    • Sauces Dressings Rubs
    • Sides
    • Soups and Stocks
  • Breakfast & Brunch
  • Cheese
    • Blue/Stinky
    • Firm
    • Fresh
    • Hard/Pressed
    • Cheesepalooza Challenge
    • Cheesepalooza Round Up
  • Desserts
    • Cakes
    • Cookies, Bars and Squares
      • Christmas Cookies
    • Ice Cream, Sorbets and Frozen Yogurt
    • Icings/Frosting and Pastry Creams
    • Other
    • Pies and Tarts
    • Puddings
    • Sweets and Treats
  • Doughs and Crusts
    • Biscuits
    • Bread Buns and Flatbread
    • Crackers
    • Donuts, Frybreads and Such
    • Dumplings etc
    • Pasta
    • Pastry
  • Mains
    • Beef
    • Casseroles
    • Chicken/Duck/Goose/Turkey
    • Marinades and Rubs
    • Pasta Dishes
    • Pork
    • Potluck
    • Savory Pies Pastries
    • Seafood and Fish
    • Stews
    • Vegetarian
    • Veal
    • Wild Game
    • Wraps Pizzas Casual Food
  • Seasonal
    • Autumn
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Winter
    • Holiday
      • Christmas
  • Gardens
    • Foraging
    • My Garden and From My Garden
    • Preserves
    • Zone Three Harvest
  • Tastings
  • Kids
  • Canadian Food
    • Atlantic Provinces
    • Canadian Aboriginal Food
    • Canadian Berries
    • Canadian Cakes
    • Canadian Doughs
    • Canadian Drinks
    • Canadian Fish
    • Canadian Food Heroes
    • Canadian Food Main
    • Desserts
    • Grandma Maude’s Family Recipes
    • Mom Helen’s Famous Family Recipes
    • Canadian Products
    • Sunday Suppers
    • Wild Food

Duchess Bake Shop, Giselle and The French Macaron

October 25, 2009 by Valerie Lugonja 7 Comments

My Quest for the Elusive French Macaron

For the same reason as so many of us are enraptured by the French Macaron, I, too, am under its spell. There is something magical about the symmetry and juxtaposition coupled with the whimsical formality of this pâtisserie petit gâteau that enchants me. Treking down a narrow, history rich street in Paris in the early spring of 1995 a pâtisserie window was laden with offerings for the upcoming Easter holiday. What are those? Why are they so outrageously expensive (at twelve pieces for twenty four Euros)? At that time, the French  Macarons were all pastel coloured, clearly precious and foreign to me. I had no frame of reference for anything remotely similar. I was doing some major lèche les vitrines (“window licking”, literal translation for window shopping) during that trip. The next year, I was smarter, and bought some. My life changed at that moment as I was immediately driven to acquire the art and skill necessary to master this pièce de résistance.
This quest led me to Giselle Beggs. I met with her at Duchess Bake Shop Tuesday evening. The last time I was so motivated, my life changed, considerably. I have the feeling that the impetus resulting from my time with her will also be life altering. But, first, the macaron.
The light, crisp, delicate shell reveals a chewy wisp of heaven with one bite, and it is gone. The lingering je ne sais quoi is compelling. Another bite, and another, and another, and another, and another…..trying to capture that ephemeral allure. Yet, somehow, I never get enough. The fleeting bliss is part of my compulsion. Honest to God, these petit gâteau of effervescent chewy perfection have been a passion of mine since that first bite in Paris so long ago. I yearned to learn how to make these! Fervently.
My recent conversation with Giselle where I listened to her remarkable story of perseverence inspired me. I have discovered a renewed and enthusiastic capacity within myself to re-embark on my journey to mastery of the elusive French Macaron. In Giselle, I have found a mentor, and definitely a very special bake shop to run to whenever I need a boost of inspiration. Thank you, Giselle Beggs!
I never imagined that Edmonton would house a French pâtisserie of the quality and charm that I discovered at Duchess Bake Shop. Few cities have a French pâtisserie of any credibility that did not originate in France. Duchess Bake Shop originated in the mind and heart of Giselle and Garner Beggs when they were living in Tokyo frequenting such flagship stores as Pierre Herme and Ladurée.
The story of the macaron generally accepted by all is that it was created at the beginning of the 20th century by Ladurée. They attest to adding one final ingredient, a pinch of unique “know-how”, essential to the making of such a delicacy. This is the “unique pinch” that Giselle offers each of us through her gift of the macaron. It is this “know-how” that I am passionate for.
The story of Duchess Bake Shop starts with Giselle Beggs. She was born and bilingually educated in Edmonton. She met her husband, Garner, at the University of Victoria where she first studied Art History, and then went into Library Science. Each completely different than the other, yet complimentary. But, enough. She quit. But, she is not a drop out. Neither option was feeding her spirit, so she started to work in a Vancouver Bakery as she had always had an interest in baking and was seeking her niche. And, she excelled. She was soon working 18 hours a day. The work was grueling and not very satisfying. Enough. She and Garner packed their bags and moved to Japan to teach English. He, too, is an adventurer. Again, a completely different path. Giselle is fearless. It is important to her to love what she does and have a raison d’être that bestows her with a joy and purpose, motivating her daily. That was clearly apparent as I listened to her story beaming up at me from under her flour dusted cap, eyes sparkling, though she hasn’t had a decent sleep in days. The intense demands upon her time in her new over-the-top successful pâtisserie have surpassed even her expectations. Her catalyst? The macaron.
(They have kept me awake at night, too!) As we sat down together in their store, she lay a tattered, yellow booklet down upon the table and opened it. This chronicled her personal macaron making journey. She had notes from her escapades to Pierre Herme, Ladree and other Tokyo shops. She and Garner would eye the macaron, crunch on more than a few, taste, write notes, taste another, more notes. Giselle took a macaron making course in Tokyo from a baker there. She had little folding diagrams on the margin of one page of her journal. She is not afraid of hard work. She said it took her at least 50 times attempting to make the macaron until she was satisfied with her result. She said it was another 100 times until she developed her now “top secret” recipe for their bake shop. That is passion. That is perseverence. That is the mark of excellence, and that is the modus operandi of this couple.
She and Garner worked in Tokyo for four years to save money to enable this dream, they worked non-stop at developing their plan, and she continued to develop her recipes. They returned to Edmonton in May of 2009, had the keys for the shop July 15th and were open to the public the second of October. That is lightening speed.

And, they did everything themselves. That is, with their family and friends. The rococo interior, the cabinets, the ceiling, the logo, and whatever else needed to be done was done by this tenacious couple. Garner built the beautifully curved pastry counter. “Has he had experience building before?” The answer? “None, whatsoever.” The counter is masterful. This is a couple that has both feet firmly planted on the ground and believes everything is possible. They believe in their personal abilities to do whatever it takes, and they do not stop until they succeed. And their foundation of family and committed circle of friends holds them to this standard with their love and personal sweat.

I had asked Giselle if she was interested in teaching people (like me) who needed to be taught a thing or two. I, too, usually accomplish my goals, but the macaron has eluded me. She gave me some great tips when we moved into her gorgeous, immaculate, and spacious kitchen. I found that very generous of her, yet learned it is so a part of who she is.
She had the batter ready. Look at the consistency.
And then, how she held the bag was so important. She explained to me what she was doing as she did it, and why. This was the first time I had even seen naked macarons that I knew were going to be baked masterpieces, not baked pools of batter. I was captivated. Then, she held the pan up, and hit the bottom of it forcefully, several times, to get out any bubbles and to knock down any peaks. I noticed that each peak deflated as she continued to pipe the tray, anyway. That must be one trait of perfect batter. She thought I had probably been over beating mine. I thought I had been underbeating them, so this was a revelation.
She has the most beautiful commercial oven I have ever seen. She said she worked with it when she took her classes at NAIT, and found it the best available. The trays rotate constantly while the oven cooks. I stood and watched the macarons cook for a few minutes. “Was it easy for you to adapt your recipe and process to this oven?” I asked. “Right where you are standing I cried big crocodile tears.” she grinned, and I was taken by surprise. I became connected with that space I was standing in. Very connected.
And Giselle had, by that time, developed considerable confidence in her abilities, and knew that with adjustment in temperature and ingredients, she would succeed as she now has. Look at those little feet! This was my first “macaron-in -the-oven-growing-feet” experience. Whee!
And the next batch was lavender. Tres francais, n’est-ce pas? I left Giselle with my arms laden with boxes of treats, my head filled with knowledge, and my heart with intense inspiration. I drove immediately to Notables and purchased a beautiful journal to record phase two of my quest for the elusive French Macaron. I was driving with one hand, tracing the embossed design on the cover of my new journal with my other hand, delighting in a rose scented macaron with my third hand, and grinning way past each ear all-the-way-home!

And life offers more than one serendipitous moment to each of us now and then. Another came just days after this when a fellow food blogger, Bénédicte Garnier, accepted my plea to teach me how to make the French macaron. I had seen from the photos in June at the last Edmonton Food Blogger Meet-Up that she made beautiful ones. We had planned then to get together in the fall, but in September, she just wasn’t available. Now she is, so keep tuned my adventures with Béné, next!
Read Nikki’s review, and Twyla’s review of Duchess.
Tweet
Pin5
Share
5 Shares

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Bakeries, Edmonton, Giselle Beggs, Giselle Courteau, Macarons

About Valerie Lugonja

Like what you see? SUBSCRIBE TO A CANADIAN FOODIE
Educator, Writer, Gardener and Traveler who believes in buying and eating locally, and most importantly cooking at home! As a brand new Gramsy, so be prepared to hear a lot about this new role in her life!
Please connect with Valerie to buy a Thermomix Machine!

« An Ode to Sundog Organic Farm’s Garlic
Making Yogurt, Yogurt Cheese, and Yogurt Cheese Balls »

You might also enjoy...

Free Edmonton Thermomix Cooking Workshop: Featuring the TM6!
Jagare Ridge Clubhouse
Jagare Ridge Clubhouse: A Delicious Summer Patio Restaurant Option
Canadian Irish Stew
Canadian Irish Stew: Cooking in the Kitchen with Laureen King
What is Taproot Edmonton: Let’s Grow our own Edmonton Stories!
Red Iguana Restaurant: Mole Tasting

Comments

  1. Julie Van Rosendaal says

    October 29, 2009 at 6:09 pm

    WOW! Now that is an in-depth post about macarons!! Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Alisa says

    November 1, 2009 at 6:09 pm

    Valerie, I love your site! I came across your blog from the foodieblogroll and I couldnt stop reading your posts. I sent an email to you, but it bounced back. I’d really love to guide our readers to your site if you won’t mind.Just add your choice of foodista widget to this post and it’s all set, here is the link: http://www.foodista.com/food/7D5FWPXC/macaron/widgets Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Amy says

    January 29, 2010 at 11:04 am

    I’ve heard a lot about this new jewel in Edmonton…I’ll have to check it out! MMMMMM-macarons!!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search

Thermomix® Independent Consultant; Executive Team Lead Alberta

Weekly Newsletter

Saturday Morning News

More Thermomix Recipes etc »

The Best Ever Homemade Tomato Sauce: Healthy and Tasty

More ACF Famous Recipes or Specialties»

best ever homemade mashed potatoes

Marie’s Best Ever Homemade Mashed Potatoes with Step by Step Images

More Winter Recipes »

Mom’s Canadian Traditional Shortbread Cookie Recipe 2016

More Recipes from my mom Helen »

Connect With Me!

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
projects

My Post Archives

Come On In And Kiss the Cook

Educator, Writer, Gardener and Traveler who believes in buying and eating locally, and most importantly cooking at home! [Read More …]

Connect With Me

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Traditional Canadian Christmas Cookies

More Canadian Recipes »

Lifetime Achievement Award

Canadian Web Blog Award 2013 www.acanadianfoodie.com FIRST

Vote-for-me
Best in Food NEW
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.

Copyright © 2025 · Website by PoundPig