For the first time in 8 months my husband and I went out to see a movie. The theater in Krabi, Thailand, although a really nice and modern complex, doesn’t play movies with English audio.
Now that we are in Penang, Malaysia things are a lot different. Penang is a melting pot of people of Malay, Chinese and Indian descent. And their common language is English.
From what I have gathered, movies are played in their original audio: American movies in English, Chinese movies in Cantonese and Indian movies in Tamil. I am sure there are even more languages they play, but these were the 3 options on the night we went.
We watched The Dark Knight Rises in English. However, throughout the entire movie there were also 2 rows of subtitles, Malay and Chinese (I assume Cantonese as it is most common among Chinese Malaysians here).
In the beginning, I thought I’d be bothered by it. But, after a few minutes, I was totally used to it and it was actually interesting to see what certain words are in Malay (they use the same alphabet, so I was able to read it).
That being said, it wasn’t just the language difference that I noticed from American/Canadian movie theaters. It was also the vast variety of options for food and beverages. Of course, there was the usual popcorn, soda and nachos (although most of the popcorn was caramelized like I know and love it from Germany, yum!).
Next to that, one could also get frozen yogurt, bubble tea, different kinds of shakes, fried fish, squid fast food, hot dogs, and chocolate covered everything (from bananas and other fruits to cookies etc...)
Among all these I suddenly caught a glimpse of a hidden gem: Les Macarons de Valérie!
I almost walked by without noticing, but then the realization hit me: an entire stall selling nothing but heavenly, mouth-watering macarons. It is such a cute little place and beautifully designed. I felt like I just walked into a Parisian Cafe (although I have never been to Paris).
We just had an awesome meal of Indian Butterchicken and had just bought some salty caramel popcorn, but I could not say no to what was meant to be.
I haven’t mastered macaron making myself yet. Which was all the more reason to indulge in one of these goody goodnesses. It is a tough decision with all the awesome flavors like lemon meringue tart, creme de menthe, Japanese matcha, butter caramel & sea salt, chrysanthemum & white chocolate and lots more to choose from.
One of their special July flavors is “Snickers’ Bar,” so I decided to have one of those. The filling was a luscious thick layer of what tasted like salted dulce de leche with a chocolate center in between two crunchy, sweet shells. I think one was a chocolate shell while the other was peanut flavored.
It was so good and gone in just a few bites, so I couldn’t fully dissect the different components. But, if you would like to make a snickers macaron at home, why not try Helene’s recipe from Tartlette?
For her chocolate and peanut macaron shells you will need:
3 aged egg whites
50 gr. granulated sugar
200 gr. powdered sugar (minus 2 Tb)
55 gr. ground almonds
55 gr. ground peanuts
2 Tb cocoa powder
For directions please refer back to her page, as she really is the expert. You can also follow her recipe for the filling, but I think a simple dulce de leche filling with a peanut or chocolate chip in the center would be really nice, too.
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Common Questions
Macarons typically refer to a type of small, sweet confection made with ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites, while French macarons specifically refer to the delicate and colorful meringue-based sandwich cookies that are filled with ganache, buttercream, or jam.
A macaron is a French confection made with almond flour, egg whites, and sugar, typically featuring a smooth, crisp shell and a soft, moist interior. On the other hand, a chocolate macaroon, often referred to as a coconut macaroon, is a small, sweet cookie made primarily with shredded coconut, egg whites, and sugar, often with the addition of chocolate.
The distinction between macarons and French macarons arises from the different variations and adaptations of the original macaron recipe. While macarons have a broader definition, French macarons specifically refer to the delicate and colorful sandwich cookies that have gained popularity in French patisseries.
Carla @ Carla's Confections
Sounds like you are doing an awesome job at embracing the culture! Sounds like a great place to be and I'm glad you're doing well there 🙂 that macaron looks amazing! Thank you for linking to Heidi's post!!! You're the best! 🙂
Regina
We really enjoy Penang, Carla. It is exciting to explore everything it has to offer, especially food-wise! Thanks so much for visiting my blog 🙂
Jacquee
Oops! *seem*
Jacquee
Thanks for taking us along on your travels and sharing the amazing fare you and your hubby seems to be enjoying there! I think I'll have to approach Cineplex about adding a Macaron stand to the theatres :).
Regina
Thank you so much, Jacquee, for following our adventures. You definitely should ask them. I thought it was awesome!