I was watching 12 Years a Slave the other day (I know, it's in post-colonial times, but I wanted the rhyme) and I was surprised to see macarons being eaten on a Georgia plantation. If you've ever tried making macarons, you'll know that they can be quite tricky to make. If you've ever tried making macaron during the hot, humid summers of the South, you'll know they're practically impossible to make.

This got me wondering about how common some of Europe's (read: France and Italy) finest and popular pastries were in the tropical or near-tropical climates where many plantations were located. Did plantation owners have amazing pastry chefs in their employ, did the very rich just import them, or did Steve McQueen lie to me and there were no macarons on plantations?