Chef Francois Payard Unveils Macaron Donut Ahead of Macaron Day
Francois Payard created the special treat for Macaron Day on March 20.
— -- First there was the cronut and now there's the macaron donut.
The "macaronut" is famed pastry chef Francois Payard's latest creation in honor of Macaron Day on March 20.
A rep for the chef told ABC News via email that his latest tasty treat came to be because Payard has "been very inspired by all of the 'hybrid' pastries in America. He wanted to figure out a way to experiment with this concept while still staying true to his French roots."
And the result looks delicious!
The macaron donut is made with typical macaron ingredients, though the texture of the filling is closer to that of a donut. "The filling is made of white chocolate with strawberry puree and heavy cream," the rep said. "This is different from a regular macaron filling as it is a bit fluffier and richer, mimicking the filling of a donut."
![](https://s.abcnews.com/images/Lifestyle/HT_macaron_donut_01_jef_160314.jpg)
The macaron donuts are created with care -- in fact, they require an entire day to make.
"The macaron shells take around 13 minutes to bake in the oven, but after baking they need to sit for at least 20 minutes to 'dry,'" the rep explained.
"Then the ganache [or whipped filling] can be piped onto them to assemble. Once assembled the macarons must sit in the fridge for 24 hours so the moisture of the ganache sinks into the shell."
Macaronuts will be available at Payard's New York locations starting Sunday.