Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The Great Macaron Hunt: NYC & Brooklyn


When it comes to eating sweets, I tend to gravitate towards treats that are beautiful and almost too pretty. I definitely do not discriminate but I tend to gravitate towards French desserts like tarts, eclairs and other sweet confections and when it comes to pretty there is nothing prettier than the macaron - the light as air cookie shell filled with so many decadent and interesting flavors. I set out to discover and rediscover my favorite macaron spots in New York, in particulary the places that are unique to only New York. We are lucky in the city to have great places that are authentically French like Ladurée and La Maison du Chocolat but I wanted to taste and explore the delicous spots that you can find only in New York.  Join me as I take you to the best places that will entice the palette and leaving you to want to book a trip to New York (or Paris!).  



La Maison du Macaron is a charming patisserie located in the heart of Manhattan.  Walking through the door you are greeted with the wonderful aroma of sweet, buttery croissants and delicious coffee.  They have a wide range of macaron flavors and by far have the prettiest macarons in the city, as many of the macarons are brushed with hints of gold flecks.
Flavors to Try: Key Lime Pie with Graham Cracker, Banana & Nutella, Roses & Champagne

The Macaron Parlour
Tucked into a store-front in the East Village, The Macaron Parlour infuses a bit of French culture into the already eclectic east side of Manhattan. This parlour is cozy, yet at the same time bright and airy and the pastel macarons are plenty.  I love their out-there flavors like Candied Bacon with Maple Cream Cheese and Cheetos in addition to tradition favorites like Pistachio, Caramel Fleur de Sel and Dark Chocolate. Their presentation is also just pretty - I loved how some of the macarons had washes of yellow and blue for color impact.
Flavors to Try:  Elvis (Peanut Butter & Caramelized Banana), Pistachio, Raspberry Chocolate, Lemon & Basil

Out of all of the macarons that I tried (yes, I did a great deal of sampling, tough job I know), these won my vote for the best texture and overall taste. The macaron shell was chewy and not too sweet which really allowed the delicious filling to shine through.
Flavors to Try: Romeo & Juliet, Sour Cherry, Poppy, Lavender & Honey, Kaffir Lime

Vendôme Macaron

I stumbled across this macaron 'parlor' by accident with a grumbling stomach at the Brooklyn Smorgasburg on a recent Sunday.  Amid all of the barbecue, dumplings, porchetta and ice cream sandwiches there was a petite little shop selling beautiful macarons in flavors like champagne, passion fruit and cassis.
Flavors to Try: Champagne, Vanilla, Peanut Butter and Rose

*All photographs & styling by Alison 

16 comments:

  1. those look amazing! I will have to try those the next time I am there! They look delish!

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  2. Love this post! Will definitely have to keep these in mind for the next time I'm in NYC :)

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  3. This was so great!!! Love this post!! I will have to do this little tour when I go!! Yummers!

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  4. Oh my gosh I love this idea!
    www.fashiontruffles.com

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  5. Ahhhh, you know the way to my heart! I'm obsessed with Laudree (I mean, who isn't!), but I've never tried any of these other ones. I can't wait!

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  6. J'adore les macarons !!! We have so many great places to eat delicious macarons in Paris but your post really makes me want to travel across the sea to try the ones in NY ...!

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  7. They look so delicious! I would love to try the banana and nutella one

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  8. wow these look amazing, making me hungry! x

    http://lifeinlipstick.blogspot.co.uk/

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  9. I love how colorful and pretty these macarons are!

    xo, Yi-chia
    Always Maylee

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  10. These look great! Especially the purple one !

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  11. S-T-O-P!!! I wish I was in NYC right now as I would try all of these!!!!! Banana and nutella...YUM. I really love that "macarons" sign too! xoxo

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  12. Haha we always get macaroon samples in at my work, but they are too sweet for me. I guess I could do chocolate, do not have much of a sweet tooth though they are pretty.

    Ali of Dressing Ken

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  13. Drooling! I need to get some ASAP

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  14. Oh my god. I'm so happy you did all the work for me! I did this in Paris and my favorite was Pierre Hermes {also the most expensive, of course...}. I'm going to have to try some of your favorite spots next time I'm in NYC! xx

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  15. wonderful post! those pics look so yummy - thanks for sharing. If you want to learn how to make macarons then pls see www.TheMacaronMaster.com

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