Good Eats: Macarons

Ube, salted caramel, mango, and maple bacon macarons

Oh, macarons, you lovely pieces of delicate goodness! Alejandro and I went to East Bay Coffee Company again today to get some coffee. This time, we tried their iced coffees. He got himself an iced vanilla latte with almond milk while I got an iced Havana with almond milk. Mmm, delicious! I kept staring at the pastry counter, contemplating on whether or not to get some macarons to go. They had their usual flavors that I see every day, but mango is a rarity. That alone helped make my decision to buy some. I limited myself to four macarons, each different flavors. I've already tried ube (purple yam) and maple bacon before, but the salted caramel and mango macarons were new to me. Out of all the macarons I've tried from EBCC so far, I'd say ube is my favorite. No, not because I'm Filipino and accustomed to eating ube flavored products, but the marrying of the crispy outer shell with a soft and chewy interior, decadent ube flavored filling, and shredded coconut on top create a perfect balance of flavors and textures. Don't get me wrong, the other macarons are really good too, but the ube one is a macaron I won't get tired of.
Since I'm on the topic of macarons, you know what really grinds my gears? The misconception that macarons are the same as macaroons. I remember when macarons started becoming a "thing," and my bff, fiance, and I decided to go to a French bakery. I was telling them, "I'm excited to try their macarons!" and they looked at me like I was crazy. The both of them asked, "Don't you mean macaroons?" I sighed out of frustration and just walked into the bakery so they could see for themselves. To their surprise, there was indeed a sign in front of the pastries that said "macarons," yes, with one "O" and not two. What really irks me, though, is the fact that a lot of modern, American bakeries are now selling macarons, but labeling them as macaroons. Even the workers call them macaroons! YOU'RE WORKING IN A BAKERY! YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THE DIFFERENCE! *End rant* I'll just let the picture below explain all you need to know. Other than that, hope you're all enjoying the rest of your Sunday!

In Words, With Love,

Vanessa Mae

Photo courtesy of www,TheMacaronMaster.com