The New Cupcake
We could all learn a thing or two from the Cookie Monster. Keep it simple, don’t worry too much about your appearance and indulge your inner child’s craving for cooookiiiees (insert gravelly voice and googly eyes).
Word is that cookies are the new cupcakes in the trendy sweet department. Specifically, macarons (pronounced like macaroni without the ‘e’ sound at the end) are today’s must-have baked treat. Available in an array of flavours (we’ve seen over 100 varieties), macarons are colorful enough to be fun for kids while maintaining an adult allure.
To be clear, we’re not talking about the coconut macaroons (although we are fond of them, too). We are referring to the little sandwich cookies made with a fresh ganache (chocolate, cream or butter) squished between two flavoured, often coloured, meringues (egg whites, sugar and ground almond). They can be rolled in other ingredients such as coconut or hazelnuts for texture and appearance.
Macarons are best eaten at room temperature and should sit at least 24 hours after assembly to allow the flavour of the ganache to infuse into the bland meringue. They also freeze well, making it easy to keep a stockpile ready for drop-in visitors.
Sure, you could make them yourself, but they’re a little fussy and time consuming, so we recommend taking a tasty trip to one of Calgary’s macaron vendors. Yann Haute Patisserie is a beautiful little bake shop tucked in a petite old house around the corner from busy 4th Street SW. They make croissants and baguettes as well (both delish) and we love their gift-boxed macarons (four, six or eight in a cylindrical package)—perfect hostess gifts. Yann Haute Patisserie also makes special occasion macaron cakes (more like cookies stacked in a cake-like way).
M for Macaron makes their cookies in a local commercial kitchen and retails at the Millarville Market and Buttercream Bake Shoppe. Their macarons are sublime (worth the country drive) and we were delighted to discover they only use natural flavours such as lavender, peppermint and black tea (and lemon, yum). Many of M for Macaron’s biscuits are dairy-free and all are gluten-free. Keep in mind, however, that macarons are made with almonds (or other nuts) making them unsuitable for school lunches.
So, feed that inner cookie monster (on occasion) with grown-up treats designed for adults with good taste, but sweet enough for kids of any age.
Yann Haute Patisserie
www.yannboutique.com
M for Macaron
www.mformacarons.com
Buttercream Bake Shoppe
www.buttercreambakeshoppe.com
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Tested by Jeff A., Jayden (8), Drew (5), Calgary |  |