Should You Try ofKors Bakery for French macarons? Of Course!!

I am a sucker for a great “Main St.” and Sarasota delivers one full of flavor, charm, shops and, luckily for me, French macarons!  While walking through, hoping to find a place to sit for a quiet dessert, I found ofKors Bakery. Tucked in between a slew of restaurants, ofKors stood out as not only a café but a full bakery, perfect for an evening sweet.  I was delightfully surprised to find a tray of colorful macarons atop their dessert display and I was eager to learn more. What I needed to know of course was, “do you make your own macarons?”  This question was met with a confirmation that all of their goods are baked in right in their kitchen.  Just then, I knew I would need to try them.

While small, these macarons were packed with a great punch of flavor.  I would categorize these as mini macarons, but were priced fairly at only $1.60 each. The flavors I tried were lemon, raspberry and vanilla. Each of the three macarons were very fresh, soft and had a perfect crackle on the shell as I bit into them.  They also had nice, distinct feet for such a small cookie.  It is often that I find such fresh macarons in a place that doesn’t primarily sell macarons.  This was a wonderful surprise and important to note. Below is just a bit more about their individual flavors and fillings.

Lemon: This cookie had a light lemon filling.  I loved that the lemon lingered after each smooth bite.

Raspberry:  This cookie had a generous amount of filling. It was a perfect proportion of filling to shells.  This was filled with raspberry preserves that were not too sweet and provided a nice amount of flavor to carry the treat.

Vanilla:  These were clearly vanilla bean shells with the speckles of bean throughout.  It was filled with a very buttery vanilla buttercream filling with subtle flavors throughout.

Who should go here: This is a great place for organic baked goods and treats. You should pop in and add a French macaron to your order for a fresh, sweet treat. It will not disappoint!

I’ll definitely be stopping back to try: Their chocolate macaron.  I am excited to see what their filling will consist of for this one. I would love to try some of their other desserts too!

ofKors Bakery

1359 Main Street

Sarasota, FL 34236 

http://ofkorsbakery.com/

Circle Your Way to Le Macaron in St. Armands

A walk around and through St. Armands Circle is a unique experience. As you walk around the circle, you are surrounded by beach goers, tourists, locals, street performers and art galleries.  The circle itself is full of statues reminding visitors of the area’s rich culture and youthful history while you snack, shop and relax.  A short walk from Lido Beach and a short drive to now famous Siesta Key Beach, St. Armands is a popular destination in Sarasota, FL.

At the corner of one of the circle’s “quadrants” is a delightful escape into European delights: Le Macaron.  This location is one of many throughout Florida. There are even many locations in the US.  On this corner they sell gelato, truffles, and most importantly, French Macarons.  There is both indoor and outdoor seating so when you visit, take a moment to sit, enjoy the sunshine and these delicious treats. You can expect to find macarons with soft cookies and delicious fillings.

The flavors I tried on this day were Lemon Cream, Raspberry, Belgium Chocolate, Orange Chocolate Grand Marnier, Sicilian Pistachio, and Vanilla.

Lemon Cream: This soft cookie absorbed some of the cream. The delicious lemon inside was sour and sweet.  Overall, this macaron had a great texture. Considering lemon macarons are my favorite, I liked this one.

Raspberry: This treat was filled with raspberry preserves. The filling was perfectly absorbed into the soft delicious cookies. I loved the texture of the raspberry seeds. It was not too sweet and was my favorite of the trip.

Belgium Chocolate: This macaron had a very dense and chocolatey filling accompanying a chocolate cookie. This one had a nice amount of chocolate filing, enough to satisfy anyone’s chocolate cravings. I enjoyed the whole thing.

Orange Chocolate Grand Marnier: This macaron had a clear Grand Marnier taste with a hint of orange flavor and subtle chocolate flavor. It was a beautiful orange cookie with a fun orange and chocolate cream. It had a soft delicious cookie and great cookie to filling ratio.

Sicilian pistachio: With a strong pistachio smooth filling, very soft cookie, and great after taste, I found that this cookie absorbed a lot of the cream but made it soft and tasty.

Vanilla: Finally, this had a vanilla bean cookie, with a flavorful, light, fluffy, buttery cream.  A solid macaron.

Who should go here: This is a great location for first time French macaron samplers and macaron lovers. You will not have to worry about trying something fresh, as all of the cookies are soft and delicious.

I’ll definitely be stopping back to try: Their newest flavors, since they frequently change and Basil White Chocolate and Salted Caramel.

Le Macaron

382 St. Armands Circle

Sarasota, FL 34236

Phone: 941-552-8872

http://lemacaron-us.com/

Dana's Bakery- A Gift That Keeps on Giving

I was delighted to find that my husband, in support of my new macaron blog, had gifted me an incredibly thoughtful gift, a 3 month subscription to Dana's macarons of the month club.  So what did this include?  The membership was 3 monthly shipments of 12 macarons, including their current flavor of the month.  As one would presume, it can be difficult to eat that many macarons while they are still fresh.  With the arrival of that first delivery, I very quickly placed the whole box in the freezer as I formulated a plan of action.

Each shipment came in a refrigerated bag with an accompanying ice pack.  For extra protection, I wrapped my box in foil.  This many have been unnecessary but I was happy to take the extra precaution.  When the desire came, I would take out a number of macarons, place them in an airtight container for about 20-30 minutes as they defrosted and prepared for my treats!

One flavor was better than the next as I enjoyed all three months of the club.  While nearly impossible to choose, I did come away with some personal favorites.  The flavors shipped in each box were S'mores, Thin Mint, Molten Chocolate Mac!, Orange Creamsicle, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Red Velvet, Cookie Dough, Birthday Cake, Cup of Joe, Fruity Cereal and Key Lime Pie.  It was a lot of fun trying all of the different flavors!

Overall, every single macaron was deliciously soft with a delicate smooth shell.  Not one single flavor disappointed when it came to texture and amount filling.  Their cookie is consistently delicate with a smooth finish and soft chewy inside. Each one gave me the same feeling that moment when your teeth crunch through the shell and you reach the soft, pillow-like cookie!  Below are descriptions of some of the flavors and presentations of my favorites.

Chocolate Molten Mac!:  Right now, this is my favorite chocolate macaron! Drizzled with chocolate on the top, the milk chocolate cookie had a thick chocolate ganache filling. It was dense and extremely flavorful. I often tell people who love chocolate and are trying macarons for the first time to steer clear of chocolate flavor ones.  I feel like they have an expectation that it will be a very chocolaty cookie.  However, this is so chocolaty that a even chocolate lover will be more than satisfied!

Fruity Cereal: This macaron had flakes of fruity pebbles throughout the cookie and the cream! This one is a must try!! It's a flashback to your childhood. It had a great texture. Fruity pebble is really the only flavor that shines through and consistently with each bite. It had a good amount of filling as to not make it overly sweet. 

Red Velvet:  This macaron was amazing!  I loved the red cookie and how beautiful it looked inside.  It didn't taste chocolaty but the cream cheese filling and cookie were the perfect compliment.  This was sweet, but not overly so.

Cookie dough: This macaron had a vanilla cookie with dusting of chocolate power.  It's sweet filling, doesn't really taste like cookie dough but does kind of taste like a cookie. It had a natural flavor with slivers of chocolate pieces in the filling.

Candy corn:  This macaron was a flavor of the month.  It was so pretty and festive for the fall. It was orange on one side and yellow on the other with a orange butter cream filling. There was a delightful surprise of a candy corn hiding on the inside.

S'mores:  This macaron had a chocolate ganache filling with a dollop of marshmallow fluff accompanying it.  The cookie, one chocolate and the other white, had perfect shells.  The macaron had the flavor of what seems like a toasted marshmallow, giving that authentic campfire moment.  I really liked it!

Who Should Go There/Order:  These macarons are great as a gift (especially the macaron of the month club).  They are fun to try if you are looking for “not your ordinary macaron.” 

I'll definitely be stopping back to try:  I’d love to try the Seat Salt Caramel and I’ll keep a look out for a their take on the classic lemon macarons.

Dana's Bakery

http://www.danasbakery.com/

New Store Location:

52 Gansevoort Street, New York, NY 10014

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.
.

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 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/

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/

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/