World's Largest Macaron Christmas Tree

What's more typically Parisian than a petite, light, macaron? The colorful little sweets might have become a global trend, but in Paris — at the now world-renowned luxury bakery Ladurée — is where it all began. It should therefore not come as a big surprise that when hotel InterContinental – Le Grand decided to do something special for the holidays, they teamed with Ladurée to set up a giant Christmas tree — made of macarons. 

The brightly colored tree consists of 8,000 macarons, piled nearly 14 feet high. The tree was inspired by the Paris Carnival, which can be seen in the tree's bold Harlequin's colors of green, yellow, black, blue, and red with a touch of silver, along with a pompous Elizabethan ruffle collar. Within the InterContinental — Le Grand, 27 smaller macaron trees will be spread out throughout the hallways, and are built with macarons in tones of rose, lavender, orange, and melon. Ladurée's team of 50 spent two weeks creating the macarons used, plus one night of setting it all up at the hotel. The partnership between the hotel and bakery has a deeper meaning as well: This Christmas tree display marks 150 years of shared history between the hotel and Ladurée, as they both began in 1862.

For more holiday cheer, visit The Daily Meal's Ultimate Guide to Christmas!