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Friday, January 5, 2018

10 Best French Macarons in NYC


A macaron is another very popular item found in New York City. There are many places opening offering original and unique flavor combinations. I had been looking at photos of macarons for quite a while, and they were on my list to try asap. They just looked so beautiful, yet light and airy. As we are now into 2013, I have tried many places in the city. I thought they deserved their own Top 10 list here on NYC, Style and a little Cannoli.

Here is a bit of history of the macaron, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, in case you have never heard of them. 

macaron (French pronunciation: ​[makaˈʁɔ̃] is a sweet meringue-based confectionery made with egg whitesicing sugargranulated sugaralmond powder or ground almond, and food colouring. The macaron is commonly filled with ganachebuttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. Its name is derived from the Italian word maccarone or maccherone

Although predominantly a French confection, there has been much debate about its origins. Larousse Gastronomique cites the macaron as being created in 1791 in a convent near Cormery. Some have traced its French debut back to the arrival of Catherine de' Medici's Italian pastry chefs whom she brought with her in 1533 upon marrying Henry II of France

In the 1830s, macarons were served two-by-two with the addition of jams, liqueurs, and spices. The macaron as it is known today was called the "Gerbet" or the "Paris macaron" and was created in the early 20th Century by Pierre Desfontaines of the French pâtisserie Ladurée, composed of two almond meringue discs filled with a layer of buttercream, jam, or ganache filling. 

The confectionery is characterized by its smooth, squared top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the "foot"), and flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth. Macarons can be found in a wide variety of flavors that range from the traditional (raspberrychocolate) to the new (foie grasmatcha). The fillings can range from jams to ganache to butter. 

Since the English word macaroon can also refer to the macaroon, many have adopted the French spelling of macaron to distinguish the two items in the English language. However, this has caused confusion over the correct spelling. Some recipes exclude the use of macaroon to refer to this French confection while others think that they are synonymous. 

In Paris, the Ladurée chain of pastry shops has been known for its macarons for about 150 years. In FranceMcDonald's sells macarons in their McCafés (sometimes using advertising that likens the shape of a macaron to that of a hamburger). McCafé macarons are produced by Château Blanc, which, like Ladurée, is a subsidiary of Groupe Holder, though they do not use the same macaron recipe. Outside of Europe, the French-style macaron can be found in Canada and the United States. 

In no particular order, here is my Top 10 which has been revised for December 2017.

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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Baked by Melissa French Macarons Review

I waited as long as I could to order these little guys! I am a HUGE fan of Baked by Melissa. I had the pleasure of working with them twice in the past to help promote their little cupcakes. It is so great to work with a company you already patronize quite often. They have been baking their adorable cupcakes for quite a few years, and they are oh-so-popular. I love giving them as gifts to friends, and try to take some home each time I visit NYC. When I heard they were going to make another product, I was so excited. I was thinking brownies, but when on January 14th they announced bite-site French macarons, I was too darn excited! 

The flavor choices are: 

SUGAR COOKIE 
Shell: Pink and White
Filling: Sugar Cookie and Rainbow Nonpareil
Topping: Rainbow Nonpareil
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE 
Shell: Dark Chocolate
Filling: Chocolate Ganache and Sea Salt
RED VELVET 
Shell: Red Velvet 
Filling: Cream Cheese and Chocolate 
Topping: Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Drizzle
COOKIE DOUGH 
Shell: Cookie Dough 
Filling: Cookie Dough and Chocolate
Topping: Dark Chocolate Drizzle
SNICKERDOODLE 
Shell: White 
Filling: Sugar Cookie and Cinnamon
Topping: Cinnamon and Sugar
SALTED CARAMEL
Shell: Caramel 
Filling: Dulce de Leche, Chocolate Ganache, and Sea Salt
Topping: Dark Chocolate Drizzle




These gorgeous little guys are also GLUTEN FREE!! 


These are just unreal! The flavors are all amazing, I can't decide on a favorite! This was a great choice for Baked by Melissa, and I highly recommend you trying them. If you are looking for a fun gift for someone that is unique, this is it! You can choose the sampler like I did where you get all flavors, or the single flavors of each, 25 French macarons per package, cost is $20.00 plus shipping.

Please let me know when you try them how you like them, and if you did, What is your favorite? I just cannot decide myself, so I just need to have the assortment of flavors!


Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I happily purchased these macarons as I knew they would be amazing and wanted to share with my fabulous readers. I choose to promote on this blog products that I just am crazy over, and that are of the best quality available! Thank you !!

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Wednesday, April 29, 2015

La Maison du Chocolat

One of my favorite chocolate shops in the city is La Maison du Chocolat. French chocolate is just divine, I have never met one I didn't like! Their shops are just so gorgeous, and many of the locations have seating areas. Pure perfection! 
I just love French macarons. A great treat while walking around the city, and oh so fun to take home to enjoy as well. 
How amazing those cookies and chocolates below look? The quality here is just top notch, doesn't compare to Hershey, as much as I am a fan of theirs too! 

Macarons plus ganache equals amazing! 
When I walk around the city, I tend to get quite warm, and they make some great cool drinks to enjoy. This one really hit the spot. I could go for one right this second! 
The packaging is just so lovely, how great would this be to bring home to family and friends? Or take home for yourself to enjoy! There is no problem a French chocolate truffle cannot solve! 



La Maison Du Chocolat on Urbanspoon

La Maison Du Chocolat

Hours:
Mon through Sat 10am to 7pm
Sun 11am to 6pm





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Monday, April 21, 2014

Sugar and Plumm on the Upper West Side

We have been long overdue for a in-depth look at the fabulous Sugar and Plumm on the Upper West Side. I have to say, I really explored the area more last year, and was glad I did as it is just a total delight! On their website they say they are A Boutique Bistro, An Artisan Macaron-Maker and Chocolatier, A Whimsical Ice Creamery, An Enchanting Bakery and A Unique Candy and Gift Shoppe. That sums it up pretty darn well. Let's start our tour: 
The place opened in the summer of 2012, so fairly new, but very popular. Lots of room in the dining area where you can dine for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner or a snack! 
The gift shoppe is very very cool. I did not know where to look first. 
The macaron trees always make me smile. 

The selection here is just plain old fun. Peanut Butter Cookie Dough malted milk balls. No, I didn't buy them but I really really really wanted to!! 

These are truly works of art. I would feel really bad eating these, but how great a gift would these make for a special person! 


Their macarons were amazing! My Mom felt they ranked up there with Laduree which is saying quite a bit. I was glad I purchased the few I did to bring home. 
Yes these are chocolate covered macarons. Enough said. Stop drooling now. 
The key lime tarts were so gorgeous! 

Chocolate handbags and high heeled shoes. The way to a women's heart. 
Cute, right? 
The Eiffel Tower was only $15.00 and lots of fun! 
For the best Mom in the world, only a chocolate award will do !! 
This was on the floor which I thought was just adorable!! 

So, when is your visit to Sugar and Plumm? They do accept reservations via my favorite service, Open Table, and I highly recommend you make one if desire to enjoy a sit down meal. I highly suggest making this place a part of your visit to the superb Upper West Side !! 

Our Flagship Bistro
Address
Upper West Side
377 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, New York 10024
p.212-787-8778
f. 212-787-8780

Hours of Operation
Monday – Thursday:   9:00am – 10:00pm
Friday:   9:00am – 11:30pm
Saturday:  8:30am  -  11:30pm
Sunday:  8:30am  -  10:00pm


Our Satellite Store

Address

West Village

257 Bleecker Street

New York, NY 10014

p. 212-388-5757

Hours of Operation

Sunday:   11:00am – 9:00pm

Monday: Closed

Tuesday:  11:00am – 9:00pm

Wednesday:  11:00am – 9:00pm

Thursday:  11:00am – 9:00pm

Friday & Saturday:  11:00am  -  11:00pm


Today's Words of Wisdom: Your dreams are not meant to put you to sleep, but to alert and arose you to your immense possibilities!!

Sugar and Plumm on Urbanspoon

Sugar and Plumm





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