Mesdames des Macarons - Not so Common in Mashpee

During a recent trip to Cape Cod, MA I was determined to find some macarons.  I searched during my trip and was happy to find Mesdames des Macarons located in Mashpee, MA.  After some research and a friendly message from the company's owner, I had a location and I was set to try them.  Mesdames des Macarons are sold in Mashpee Commons at the Gustare Oils and Vinegars store.  The store is delightful, with different flavor oils and vinegar to sample. On the counter, easy to miss are the beautiful treats I was in search for.  They are sold three to a bag and labeled on the bottom.  There is something very satisfying about trying homemade goods where you can see how much love was put into the package and the baking.  On this day, the baker herself was in the store so we had the pleasure of talking macarons for a few minutes and I even got to try a special new flavor! 

The flavors that I tried were Vanilla Bean, Lemon Zest, Vanilla Truffle and Caramel Latte.

Vanilla bean: This was an airy cookie that was very soft and fresh.  There was a nice, generous amount of sweet, fluffy vanilla filling.

Vanilla truffle: This was a soft cookie with great texture. It was a vanilla bean cookie which was different then your classic macaron cookie. The chocolate truffle filling was very smooth and rich, but not creamy. 

Lemon zest: This one was my favorite.  This cookie was a bit denser.  The flavors were refreshing and it had a light lemon filling.  It had the beautiful bright yellow cookie with white cream.  I also liked that this macaron was not overly sweet. This was your classic lemon macaron.  A real winner!!  (Okay, I'm bias too because lemon is often my favorite!)

Salted Caramel Latte:  This is the special new flavor I was happy to sample.  The macaron had a mocha coffee shell and salted caramel inside with sprinkles in the shapes of leaves on the outside. This was a fall themed macaron with a delicious caramel filling that was not overly salty. The cookie was fresh and soft and had a nice delicate shell. Coffee and caramel went well together but the filling outshines the coffee flavor.
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Who should go here: Anyone in the Mashpee, Cape Cod area.  Mashpee Commons is a great location for shopping with lots of places to try sweet treats.  But Mesdames des Macarons is a hidden gem and one of the only places in the area to indulge in delicate French macarons.

Mesdames des Macarons

4 North Street. Mashpee, MA 02649

http://mesdamesdesmacarons.blogspot.com/

Macarons at Whole Foods? They Rocq!

After a long morning in Brooklyn, I decided to drop into a Whole Foods on the way home to pick up a few food items for the week.  I walked through the door and I was welcomed by a beautiful dessert display.  I was going to just breeze by when I spotted them, my favorite, French macarons! These treats are easy to miss because they had more of a natural color then the bright colorful macarons I was used to seeing. 

I was greeted by the friendliest woman who was helpful, cheery and made my very first trip to that Whole Foods memorable. I asked her about a flavor that was not labeled and we were both unsure of what it was, so we sampled it!  I was delighted to find that it was Apple pie.  With that, I knew I would be making a purchase!

The macarons that this location carries are shipped in from Rocq Macarons, claiming to be the largest wholesale bakery provides French macarons.  The flavors that I tried were salted caramel, vanilla, apple pie and lemon.

Apple pie:  This was the new flavor for fall. The macarons tasted genuinely delicious. I can describe it as nothing less than a perfect ending to a fall meal or beginning to an autumn day.  It's a great seasonal flavor to try one time, especially if you are a macaron lover. The apple pie filling had a ganache texture and was both creamy and smooth. It also had a little bit of a spice to it. My favorite part was the wonderful apple after taste. 

Salted caramel:  This caramel filling was thick and generous. It had a delicate shell and tasted very fresh.  The cookie was soft and not too thick. Overall it was a wonderful compliment of textures. 

Vanilla:  Once again this macaron had a very generous amount of filling. It was filled with a vanilla cream that, like traditional macarons, was not overly sweet. This cookie was delicate and fresh! 

Lemon: This macaron had a thick lemon ganache. Different from the others it had a natural taste and was especially fresh. I may be bias since my favorite flavor is generally lemon but this one was delicious. A must try! 

Who should go here: This is a great place to try macarons! They are only $2 each and you can pick them up along with all of your other necessities.  They could easily be added to your weekly shopping list!

I'll definitely be stopping back to try: Red velvet & Chocolate macarons

Rocq Macarons

http://macarons.rocqgroup.com/

Whole Foods

214 3rd Street

Brooklyn, NY 11215

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/brooklyn

Macarons in St. Maarten- Worth the search?

During a recent trip to St. Maarten, I was staying on the Dutch side of the island.  I had read a review before heading there indicating that the French side, St. Martin, had the absolute best French macarons, second to only Paris!  You can imagine my absolute delight upon hearing this.  I was determined to stop in French bakeries along my travels on the French side.  However, with each hop out the car and each march up to the counter I was told, "We don't have them today."  WHAT??  Every single bakery I stopped in had picture of French macarons drawing me to them, but none for sale.  A few croissants and almond cookies later I had just about completely given up.  There are no French macarons in St. Martin in August.

Back on the Dutch side, only blocks from our resort, there was this modern looking bakery called The Taste Factory.  After passing it for days, I realized that its logo was in the shape of an Eiffel tower.  I was not optimistic but figured I would try one last bakery for the delectable treasures before leaving the island.  Voila!  At last I had found them!  

These were unlike any I had seen before; they were enormous! Stored in the refrigerator, they were pretty cold.  They each had a very generous amount of filling and appeared to be malted.  The cookie top was not smooth, like the macarons I have grown used to seeing.  But after the long, hard search, I knew I had to try them. The flavors I tried were vanilla, chocolate and lemon.  Overall the flavors were very good and satisfying.

Vanilla had a soft shell.  Inside it was airy and a bit chewy.  The generous filled was a butter cream vanilla filling.

Chocolate was also chewy, however it was also crunchy.  The filling was dense and very chocolaty.  While eating it, it felt like a crunchy cookie.

Lemon had crunchy thick shell with a moist inside that I found to be delicious. The lemon ganache was absolutely refreshing and a perfect way to end my sampling.

In the end, I never did get to try the French side's macarons, but the Dutch side had macarons that were worth trying for the experience.  It was nice to see so much filling while not being overly sweet.  If I ever return to St. Martin, I will continue my search, but at least I know there is at least one place I can find these treats!

The Taste Factory

120 Welfare Road, Simpson Bay

St. Maarten / St. Martin.

http://www.taste-factory.com/

Voyage Bakery & Cafe at LaGuardia Airport - Worth the Trip?

You check in, take off your shoes to pass through security and walk, what seems like endlessly, to your gate.  If you have traveled by plane, you know the drill.  Sometimes along your trek you're greeted with a welcomed surprise in the terminal.  For me that was Voyage Bakery & Cafe in LaGuardia Airport in New York.

As I approached the bakery, the rainbow of colors reflected in my eyes and I just knew macarons were straight ahead.  On this day, the iZone, or area lined with iPads and places to sit, was not especially crowded.  I found a place to sit off to the right of the cafe and browsed through the menu and added two macarons to my cart:  Nutella and lemon. When they arrived, I was informed that they were all out of lemon and I received passion fruit instead.  Excited and enjoying the experience, I agreed to the swap.  The macarons were $3 each but were actually fairly large in size, so the price was not unreasonable.

Nutella:  This macaron was filled with a nutty ganache.  It's shell was not bumpy, but the cookie part had a thickness to it.  I was so excited for these during my travels that I ate the macaron before remembering to take a picture out it! 

Passion Fruit: (pictured below) This macaron was filled with a passion fruit ganache and was actually extremely sweet.  The filling had a nice smooth texture.  Additionally, it had the right amount of filling for these larger cookies, especially because of how sweet it was.

Overall these macarons were okay.  Like many bakeries selling multiple treats, there's no guarantee that your macarons will be as fresh as you'd hope. It's a gamble but I enjoyed the novelty of the order and its convenience.  

Who should go here: This bakery is good for traveler looking to sit for a bit, charge their device and take a chance on a French treat.  Just browse the case first to make sure they have what you are ordering.  

Voyage Bakery Cafe

LGA - LaGuardia Airport

New York, NY 11371

Terminal C

Pierre's In Bridgehampton

On my way to East Hampton, NY, I dropped into this gem.  Right on Main street, although hard to miss, while inside it feels hidden and special.  I did not have the pleasure of eating in the restaurant, or enjoying their sidewalk seating.  I was on a mission, to sample some macarons in the Hamptons!  Beside their sit down restaurant is a delightful gourmet market.  I was excited to see that they did indeed have macarons on this day since I would not be able to stop back.  

Their macarons are sold as a 12 pack, with two of each of the following flavors: chocolate, vanilla, passion fruit, pistachio, lemon and raspberry.  The cost for the 12 was $22.

These macarons were a good size, had smooth shells and were very pretty. They especially grabbed my attention being sold altogether and sealed with ribbon.  It was like carrying around the most precious present.

While all of them had some positive attributes, there were some inconsistencies in regard to freshness.  For me, the definite highlights were the pistachio and lemon flavors.

Pistachio:  This macaron was soft inside with that perfect crunch to the shell.  The ganache gave more of a hint of pistachio, almost letting you in on its little secret with each bite.

Lemon: This macaron seemed pillow-like, and extremely fresh.  It was filled with a lemon ganache that was not overly sweet, but would have been the perfect taste for someone trying to satisfy a sweet tooth. 

Who should go here: Anyone in the neighborhood looking to try macarons or to bring a great present to a host if they are a guest.

I'll definitely be stopping by the shop to try: I would love to return and enjoy a bit more of the ambiance.  Next time I'll be enjoying a treat, or a meal, at this comfy bistro instead of just dropping by.

Pierre's

2468 Main Street

Bridgehampton, NY

Twitter: @Pierres_BH

http://www.pierresbridgehampton.com/

Chantilly Patisserie & Epicerie Boulud- Just a Peek!

There were two more notable bakeries who were selling French macarons for Bastille Day that I was able to try: Chantilly Patisserie and Epicerie Boulud.  For them, this was just a small sampling of what they have to offer and I definitely have to head to the bakery to try some again.

Chantilly Patisserie 

Chantilly sold three very mini macarons sold in a bag.  Even though they a small bite they pack a punch with flavor. They had smooth shells, were soft on the inside and were overall plump. The flavors were vanilla, pistachio, and caramel.  Each had a nice almond flavor while the vanilla, with a strong flavor, and pistachio, just soft and delicious, were the highlights for me.

I can't wait to try the bigger ones!

Chantilly Patisserie 

135 Parkway Road, Bronxville, NY 

Twitter: @ChantillyPastry

http://www.chantillybronxville.com/

Epicerie Boulud 

This vanilla marshmallow macaron was festive and beautiful for Bastille Day in its red, white and blue. It was a great preview of what's in store for me at the bakery: soft, fresh and delicious macarons! I loved how the marshmallow and vanilla were in perfect harmony. I tasted both flavors equally. I'm looking forward to trying some of their seasonal macarons in the future!

Epicerie Boulud 

1900 Broadway at 64th Street, New York, NY

Twitter: @EpicerieBoulud

http://www.epicerieboulud.com/

Bosie Tea Parlor- To Tea or Not to Tea?

Bosie Tea Parlor was another participant in the Bastille Day event on 60th Street.  I was so happy to come across them there because I had not heard of them previously.  After tasting their macarons, the fact that I did not know them sooner was shocking.  Being a coffee/espresso drinker myself, I have yet to pair a macaron with a nice cup of tea.  After tasting their treats, I am looking forward to trying macarons and tea in their shop soon.  Overall, I found the macarons to be soft on the in all the right places and extremely fresh.  Additionally, they had a very good filling to cookie ratio, which I am always excited about!  I love lemon macarons, so I was excited to try their lemon praline flavor.  Additionally, I think I have been on a pistachio kick, so it has been fun comparing the different pistachio flavors and this one was a definite contender.

Lemon Praline- This was not your typical lemon.  It had what seemed to be a lemon curd on the sides with a praline ganache in the center.  It was a delightful mix of refreshing and savory.  The combination was unique for me but felt very special.  The lemon was creamy and pale in color, which differed from the bright color you usually see in a fruit flavored macaron.  I loved how the lemon flavor lingered long after the bites were done.

Pistachio- This macaron had a strong pistachio flavor.  Some pistachio macarons are more subtle while the actual nuttiness of this one really came across.  It was a perfect cross between crumbly and solidly together.  It was just delicious and had my usual favorite; a cracking shell and moist fresh inside.  To top it off, the color in side was such a pretty green inside maintaining its beauty as I ate it.  Yum!!!

Who should go here: This is a great place for a macaron lover to try.  I think a person who particularly likes the tea flavors would appreciate their variety: Jasmine Tea, Darjeeling Tea, and Chai Tea.

I'll definitely be stopping by the shop to try: Bacon & Maple Syrup, Classic Lemon, and Dark Chocolate. 

Bosie Tea Parlor

Twitter: @Bosienyc

10 Morton Street, NY

bosienyc.com

Mad Mac Macarons NYC- Crazy About Them!!

At the Bastille Day celebration, it nice to see founders, and pastry chefs, Florien Bellanger and Ludovic Augendre behind the table, smiling and selling their beautiful macarons.  They specialize in French macarons, madeleines and caneles.

On this day, they were selling the macarons in bags on paired flavors and I was pleased to pick up a bag of classic flavors: chocolate and pistachio.  Note: They freeze amazingly!

Chocolate- This macaron literally melted in my mouth.  It has a slight crunch through shell and is full of silky chocolate ganache.  This macaron has a beautiful chocolate flavor. Sometimes when you eat a chocolate macaron, you can still taste the almond and they are not very chocolaty.  However, this is not that case with this macaron.  It was delicious and I'm so glad I had 2 more to try!

Pistachio- Upon tasting this macaron, I realize that I have been using the word "delicate" too loosely.  This was the most delicate macaron I have tasted recently.  I actually loved that because it felt so special and needed to be handled with care.  I just loved how soft and tender it was.  The amount of pistachio filling was not visually overwhelming but the flavor packed such a punch that it was perfect.

Who should order from here: These are delicious and affordable!  Great for office meetings and parties.  You can also order them and freeze them for yourself!

I'll definitely be placing an order to try: I cannot wait until their Winter Collection! The flavors are pumpkin, cinnamon, earl grey, orange/chocolate, chestnut/whiskey.  I would also want more chocolate!

Mad Mac NYC 
They ship nationwide!
Twitter: @madmacnyc
http://www.madmacnyc.com/

Mille-feuille Bakery Cafe- Blew me away!

Those who have read my previous posts will not be surprised to find that this was a purchase from the 60th Street Bastille Day celebration in NYC.  Through the hustle and bustle of the busy street fair, I managed to purchase these delectable treats on July 13th.
Unfortunately, they did not make it home safety and were smashed, but this did not deter me.  I was still very excited to try them.

I decided to order two flavors that I don't ordinarily order, once again.  I ordered raspberry and Dulce de leche.  It was very clear that they were made with the finest of ingredients because it comes through in every bite.

Raspberry- This macaron was so soft and it simply dissolved in my mouth.  It was not overly sweet for a fruit flavor and seemed to be filled with fresh fruit jam.  If not for the delicate cookie I would have forgotten that I was indeed eating a macaron and not a fresh raspberry.

Dulce de leche- Wow! This was so flavorful.  The taste just overwhelms my mouth and taste buds.  They were simply soft, fresh & amazing. I definitely recommend this one!

Who should go here: A true macaron lover looking to try some made with delicious ingredients.  This is also a good start for a first timer!!

I'll definitely be stopping by the shop to try: I'm not sure of their other flavors, but I would love to try more of the classics, definitely the fruit flavors.

Mille-feuille Bakery Cafe

552 Laguardia Pl, New York 10012
2175 Broadway, New York 10024

Twitter: @millefeuillenyc

http://www.millefeuille-nyc.com/

Tiny Treats Cafe- A Tasty Small Bite

Right away, I have to say that I love the playful box. It kept my delicate treats safe all the way home from the Bastille Day NYC celebration on 60th street. The macarons came pre-selected, 4 to a box, for $5 per box. This seemed pretty affordable.

"Tiny Treats" they definitely are! I would describe them as an amuse-bouche dessert. I managed to eat them in two bites, but that was not without missing a crumb or two of the shell. They have the flavor of classic French macarons, but a little bit smaller.

The flavors that I was happy to enjoy were raspberry, apricot, chocolate and coffee. At first glance, these macarons did not appear to have very much filling. But after taking a bite, I found them to be bursting with flavor! While the actual amount is not plentiful, any more filling would actually end up overwhelming the cookie. Well done! The shells were all delicate and crackled upon the first bite. The cookies, or biscuits, were fantastically soft and fresh.

I thought that they two fruit flavors were very good. It was actually my first time tasting a coffee macaron and I enjoyed it. As for the chocolate, I found it to be so chocolaty and smooth for such a small bite. This one was my favorite. Because I also love to eat chocolate, I am sometimes disappointed by chocolate macarons, but this one did not disappoint!

Who should go here: Great for anyone trying a variety of flavors, someone new to macarons, a person watching their waist but wanting the delicious treat, to accompany other desserts either in their cafe or at home (remember, they travel well in that box!).

I'll definitely be stopping by the shop to try: Lemon, Vanilla and Pistachio
Although, I'm not 100% that their shop is officially open yet.

Tiny Treats Cafe

Twitter: @TinyTreatsCafe

http://www.tinytreatscafe.com/
http://www.tinytreats.biz/

Macaron Parlour Patisserie - A Twist on the Classics

I think my mouth just exploded with flavor! I'm not even sure where to start.

I was very glad to come upon this stand at the Bastille Day street celebration on July 13th, 2014. In an attempt to try many different macarons from different bakeries, I walked around buying several from everyone and saving them to savor at home at my leisure. Okay, that was the back story leading up the wonderful moment when I opened up my baggy storing the macarons. I opened it up and the smell of bacon, yes bacon!, filled the air. I know, that's not your first thought when you hear about macarons. Allow me to explain.

I ordered 3 flavors: Party Time, Strawberry and Candied Bacon. 

Strawberry, with white chocolate ganache, was a very refreshing flavor. I loved the pink color inside, revealed after the first bite. The taste of strawberry lingered, which I enjoyed. It was not overly fruity since it was accompanied by the white chocolate. Yum!!  

Party Time is salted milk chocolate with dulce de leche. Unfortunately, being chocolate in the summertime, it did not make it all the way home without getting a little melty. Therefore, a picture was not included. That being said, it was such a fun flavor! The French macaron had different color specks throughout the shell. As for the filling, you taste both flavors equally which was delightful because it wasn't overly salty or overly sweet.  If you love chocolate but are looking to try something new, this is for you!

Candied Bacon with maple cream cheese was shockingly delicious! At first bite, it was a little tricky to eat since there was an actual piece of bacon in it but it was that perfect mix of salty and sweet. As I was eating it, I had wished I saved it for breakfast, imagining how good it would be with coffee in the morning. In fact, I saved half for tomorrow so that I can continue to enjoy it! While the bacon adds fun and flavor to the macaron, my favorite part was the maple cream cheese. 

I found these macarons to definitely be a new twist on the classics. They were a little larger than others which gave me the opportunity to save some and also share some. I thought that they were a bit less delicate then some other macarons, but equally as fresh and soft. 

Who should go here: Anyone interested in a modern twist on classic French macaron with a foodie palette! 

I'll definitely be stopping by the shop to try: Lemon (my personal favorite macaron flavor) and Cheetos.

Macaron Parlour Patisserie

Two Locations:

111 St. Marks Place between 1st Ave & Avenue A in NYC and 560 Columbus Avenue between 87th & 87th Streets

http://www.macaronparlour.com/