Macaron (Parisian)

Two almond meringue shells sandwiching ganache or buttercream, popularised globally by Pierre Hermé and Ladurée. Herme sells roughly 15,000 macarons a day from his Paris boutiques, with flavours from rose-lychee to salted caramel. It outperforms the average filled pastry in shelf life by 40%, and its 150-year-old recipe has spawned over 200 flavour variations — more than any other item on this list.