Cookies from Paris

A good friend flew through Paris a few days back and brought some presents.

Actually, he's a very good friend.

Because his presents came wrapped in this satin ribbon:

And that ribbon was wrapped around gorgeous boxes like this one:

Can you guess what's inside?

Cat got your tongue?

That's almost right: They're "Langue du Chat," or "Cat's Tongues," a French cookie:

Tender, thin wafers in tongue shapes, often dipped in various flavors of frosting. Yum!

This gorgeous gift inspired me to dig out my Langue du Chat pan and try to rock a few Cat's Tongues of my own. Yeah, I've got a Langue du Chat pan. And I've used it exactly....once. And I've owned it for, oh, 20 years?

What was I thinking? What was I waiting for?

They are a simple cookie, as this recipe from my ancient copy of "Joy of Cooking" shows:

Reeeeeally ancient:

So ancient, the last pages and back cover have completely fallen off and another chunk is threatening to follow, like an iceberg that's calving:

BUT back to the gifts from Paris. We're not finished yet!

Next up, this gorgeous gal:

I don't know who she is or what she represents, but she's probably a very satisfied lady.

Because inside her...

Is this: Eighteen of the most gorgeous, most flamboyantly colored macarons I've ever seen:

I've never seen a macaron as black as this before. It's like a piece of coal:

The pale filling inside contrasts with the inky-black cookie. We divvied it up and decided it was licorice. But it had a hint of tobacco, too.

Could that be because it's from France, where people smoke like crazy? Don't know.

In the meantime, we are left contemplating what all the other flavors might be. Is the purple one boysenberry or blueberry? The green one could be lime or pistachio. And that pink one--strawberry, raspberry, or even rose?

I cannot WAIT until teatime this afternoon, when a feast will accompany the Earl Grey!

Even if I never get around to baking Langue du Chat.