French Macarons

Rows of macarons fill a bakery display in pink, yellow, green, lavender and brown. Gift boxes and folded trays stand behind the glass, with a few pastries arranged inside them. Smooth tops contrast with the ruffled edges of the shells. A thin layer of filling separates each pair, adding another pale line to the close-packed rows.

Each macaron has a smooth upper shell, a rougher frilled edge and a thin band of filling. Those layers remain recognizable even when two neighboring pastries have the same color. Rows recede through the display, so the circles become smaller farther back. Box corners interrupt the rounded shapes with straight lines. Chocolate shells hold deeper shadows than the yellow and pink ones, making their cream centers especially useful for matching.