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/

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/