Duchess Bake Shop, Giselle and The 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 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.