Sweet Doctors Prescribed Macarons for Your Sweet Tooth

Reading “Macaron Madness $1 each!” flash onto your notifications is nothing short of magical for a macaron lover.  This was the absolute best opportunity to try Sweet Doctors and explore what they had to offer in terms of delicious French treats.  Once finally there, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was still a variety to choose from.  The gentleman behind the counter asked which one I would like and I am certain that I seemed crazy when replying that I would happily take “one of each.”

Sweet Doctors do not purely specialize in macarons, nor do they always have them available.  Be sure to call ahead if you are hoping to find this delectable treat at their location.  They do however accept specialty orders for events and have surprising flash sales!!

In general, each of the macarons had a great cookie to filling ratio, distinct feet on their cookies and that crackle of the shell you look for on the first, fresh bite. For the review, I will be focusing on the following flavors:  Watermelon, Fruity Pebbles & Cookie Butter

Watermelon:  This macaron had a very sweet cream that tasted like watermelon cotton candy. It really packed a candy watermelon punch! This is a great change of pace from a traditional flavor and a lot of fun.

Fruity Pebbles: This macaron was one of the best and most flavorful of the bunch. The cream was flavored with the cereal and topped with it, too. This had a clear and distinct flavor but was not overwhelming or too sweet. It was a fun throwback for adults and a great first time, flirty flavor to try if you are new to macarons.

Cookie Butter: I’m already a huge fan of cookie butter in general so this review comes with some bias.  The cookie was filled with a delicious sweet cream (that may have been a cookie butter cream) accompanied by a generous helping of cookie butter. It was just delicious. It was my first-time combining cookie butter with a macaron and I would love have this again. 

Who should go here: A person with a sweet tooth!  Call ahead to see if they have macarons though or order them.

I'll be stopping back to try: Cookie Butter again, unless they have lemon.

Sweet Doctors

7638 Lockwood Ridge Road,
Sarasota, Florida 34243

https://sweet-doctors.com/

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/

MacarOn Café - Full of Filling and Surprises

During the Bastille Day celebration at 60th street and Lexington Avenue, I thought I would visit the first place I had a macaron in NYC, MacarOn Café.  I was so happy that they had a stand at the festival and I was happy to buy a whole box.

Their macaron flavors can best been described as a blend of classic and seasonal, but with a flair for the dramatic.  Besides being beautiful, these macarons have the most generous amount of filling between their cookies.  Sometimes, when you try a macaron, you struggle to identify the flavor.  With MacarOn Café's macarons, there is so much filling that the flavor is clear and enjoyable.

The flavors that I tried this time are Lemon, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Pistachio and Orange Buttercream.

Lemon: This macaron had more of a natural color with a delicious lemon cream.  It had a natural flavor and it not overly lemony. This is great for someone looking to try a lemon macaron but is hesitant because it's undeniably delicious.

Peanut butter and Jelly: This macaron had delicious peanut butter with jelly preserves. The peanut butter was so creamy. The pink sugar crystals were a nice touch. 

Pistachio: This macaron was not overly nutty and had a great buttercream filling.  The cookie had a great color and wonderful aftertaste.

Orange Buttercream: This macaron tastes exactly like it was described. It was subtly orange with a thick creamy buttercream filling. It had a wonderful size macaron and a generous amount of cream.

Who should go here: Anyone looking to try macarons or see how these classics compare.  You will not be disappointed!  I have always been fond of their sandwiches, as well.

I'll definitely be stopping back to try: Dark chocolate, Rhubarb. Matcha Green Tea and I'll have the lemon again too!

MacarOn Café

Flagship Store:

750 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10017

(212) 983-2370

http://macaroncafe.com/

Is bisous ciao French for delicious macaron?

Is bisous ciao French for delicious macaron? No, it's not. But it is an amazingly adorable little macaron shop in the West Village in NYC.  

On Macaron Day (March 20th) in New York City several participants get into the spring spirit and offer free samples of their delicious macarons from 12-5pm.  On this day, I followed behind a crowd of people through the falling snow, yes I said snow on the first day of spring, to wait in line for my sample at bisous ciao.  But when I arrived at 3pm, all of the samples were gone! I think this was typical of most shops due to the tremendous turn out this year.  However, they had “buy two get one free” between 3pm-6pm which I was very happy to take advantage of.  I was glad to find that even with all of the crowds and slushy weather, the staff was still very friendly.  

Feeling the line of Macaron Day customers growing behind me, I asked for a recommendation for one and then happily picked two of my personal favorite flavors to try. All cookies were wonderful! I found them to have a perfect softness and very delicate shells. This patisserie is a must try for classic flavors.

Salted Peanut Butter and Jelly: This had a beautiful purple circle within the top of the cookie.  It had a soft shell with fluffy peanut butter cream inside. The almost secret grape was hiding inside the macaron cookie. Just when you think there isn't anything inside, the flavor sneaks up on you and it's delightful! I love peanut butter so I enjoyed it all.

Raspberry: This cookie had a seeded tart raspberry jam. It was completely full of jam, again with a soft cookie that had taken in some of the moistness of the jam. There was a slight crunch to the shell.  It tasted natural, fresh and very delicious.  I enjoyed how much filling it had!  It was a nice filling to cookie ratio.

Lemon: The lemon cream is so light and fluffy. It had this tangy-ness I enjoy in a lemon macaron with the smoothness of the cream. Definitely enjoyable!

Who should go here: A first time macaron eater would be safe here. It's also perfect for anyone who loves the classics.  You will not be disappointed.

I'll definitely be stopping back to try: I would love to try one of their seasonal flavors such as Yuzu or the Coconut Dipped (this one is dipped in dark chocolate-Hello!)

bisous ciao. Macarons -West village
235 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10014
www.bisousciao.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 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