The story of Ladurée started in 1862 when Louis Ernest Ladurée opened a bakery in the heart of Paris at 16 rue Royale. In 1872, following a fire, the little bakery became a pastry shop and the decoration was then done by Jules Chéret, a famous painter and poster-designer of the time. Jeanne Souchard, Ernest Ladurée's wife, then had the idea of combining the Parisian café with a pastry-shop, thereby creating one of Paris's first tearooms. In 1993 Ladurée was bought by Francis and David Holder and becomes one of the best-known gourmet addresses in Paris, a veritable institution with its famous "macaron" as its emblem.

In 1997 Ladurée opened a tearoom/restaurant on the prestigious Champs-Elysées, followed by another in the Printemps department store and on the Left Bank as well as the beginning of their international adventure with branches in London, Geneva, Monaco and Tokyo. In this book Philippe Andrieu, the Pastry Chef at Ladurée, reveals 100 of the most famous Ladurée recipes, adapted for the general public. From the Strawberry Cake with Rose Choux Pastry to Pistachio Financiers and the world-famous macarons in all their variety, this icon of French "art de vivre" is brought to life in a palette of pastries the colour of powder pink, light green, bright purple, and lemon yellow.