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Picardy
Nothing like the Parisian shell — the macaron d'Amiens is a rustic, soft disc made with almonds, honey and apricot marmalade, whose recipe has remained unchanged since the 16th century. And since 2017, it has also been known as the President's macaron.
Pastry or bakery speciality from Picardy.
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The history of the macaron d'Amiens dates back to the 16th century: tradition attributes its introduction to France to Catherine de Médicis, who is said to have brought it from Italy. Yet its exact origins in Amiens remain uncertain — as the Archives municipales themselves acknowledge — and several competing accounts circulate: some trace it back to the 17th century with Maison Degand, whilst others credit Maison Brézin, founded in 1767. What is documented is that Amiens already counted several confectioneries renowned for their macarons — among them Viéville, Brézin, Schaetjins, Lescouëf, Koenig, Gillmann, Trogneux, Cambier and Desmarest.
Above all, the macaron d'Amiens must not be confused with the Parisian macaron — that colourful disc with a meringue shell and creamy ganache invented in the 19th century by Ladurée. The Picard macaron is a dense, soft disc, with neither shell nor filling: almond paste, honey, egg whites, apricot marmalade and a dash of bitter almond, all baked in one single piece. Its surface is slightly grainy, almost rough, and yields with a gentle crack to the bite before revealing a melt-in-the-mouth centre.
In 1872, Marc Étienne Xavier Trogneux (1852–1911), a baker and pastry chef, opened his first shop on Place Notre-Dame, in the centre of Amiens. Since then, the business has been passed down from father to son over six generations — Jean Trogneux, Jean Trogneux, Jean-Claude Trogneux, Jean-Alexandre Trogneux, and then Jean-Baptiste Trogneux, sixth generation, running the company since January 2019. Today, the house produces more than 2 million macarons a year, dispatched across France and internationally.
Maison Trogneux gained unexpected national prominence in 2017 when Brigitte Macron, née Trogneux into the founding family, became the First Lady of France by marrying Emmanuel Macron. The wordplay quickly swept the press: “We already had the macaron d'Amiens. Now we also have the Macron d'Amiens!” This sudden fame heightened the profile of the house, which today boasts several shops in Hauts-de-France beyond Amiens — Le Touquet, Lille, Arras and Saint-Quentin — turning a local treasure into a national ambassador.
In 1992, the macarons d'Amiens won the Grand Prix de France des Spécialités régionales at the Salon international de la Confiserie (Intersuc, in Paris) — national recognition for a product that had long remained in the shadow of specialities from the neighbouring Nord. Without PGI or PDO status, the macaron d'Amiens is not protected by any official geographical label; a collective mark, “Macaron d'Amiens”, registered in 1989 and defended by the Association du Macaron d'Amiens, nevertheless reserves a logo for member makers. A good dozen pastry chefs make it today in Amiens and the surrounding area, with Maison Trogneux remaining its best-known exponent.
Appearance
Small round disc, slightly domed, with a golden, grainy surface. Colour ranging from golden beige to brown depending on the baking. No shell, no visible filling — everything is in the biscuit itself.
Aroma
Sweet almond and honey to the fore, a note of apricot marmalade, and a characteristic touch of bitter almond.
Taste
Rich and soft, aromatic — almond and honey dominate, heightened by the fruity acidity of the apricot and a hint of bitterness from the bitter almond.
Texture
Slightly crisp surface that yields to the bite, a dense, soft centre, never dry or sticky.
the most widespread recipe: almonds, honey, egg whites, apricot marmalade, bitter almond.
a variation with finely chopped candied fruit added to the mixture.
substitution of the apricot marmalade with apple compote.
a variation marketed by certain artisans, including Maison Trogneux.
almonds ground to a fine powder, the basis of the entire recipe.
the dough is rolled into logs and then cut into round discs, arranged on a baking sheet.
the macarons cool before being packed into boxes.
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The macaron d'Amiens is best enjoyed at room temperature, ideally the day after baking once the flavours have melded. It pairs naturally with a full-bodied black tea (Darjeeling, English Breakfast) or a filter coffee — the tannins and bitterness balancing the sweetness of the honey and almonds. A medium-dry cidre de Picardie or a glass of Champagne brut also make excellent companions. It keeps for 5 to 7 days in an airtight tin, and travels very well — Maison Trogneux dispatches them across France in decorated tins.
The macaron d'Amiens holds neither PGI (IGP) nor PDO (AOP) status. A collective mark, “Macaron d'Amiens”, registered in 1989 and defended by the Association du Macaron d'Amiens, reserves a logo for member makers, but quality relies above all on the artisanal know-how of each house. In 1992, macarons d'Amiens won the Grand Prix de France des Spécialités régionales at the Salon international de la Confiserie.
Artisan
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