Seattle Met Taste Test: Macarons
A panel of sweet teeth gobbles up 12 kinds of the pretty French pastry.
Posted by: Seattle Met Staff on Nov 08, 2011 at 08:51AM
4 Comments
Lilli-Pilli: Caramel
The Verdict: Great ratio of crumb to cream, and downright yummy. Alas the gloppy caramel had us pining for a thinner spread. Points for the just-so touch of salt.
View Slideshow » Illustration:Bakery Nouveau: Chocolate
The Verdict: Dense rather than dainty, this nugget reminded us of a truffle, not a macaron. Intensely flavorful, with a boozy aftertaste.
View Slideshow » Illustration:THIRD PLACE WINNER! (TIE)
Belle Epicurean: Pumpkin
The Verdict: Kudos for the zesty, complex finish. As one taster put it, “There is some rogue flavor. Is it chili? Is it rum? Maybe a little salt?” The filling: pleasant, thanks to its velvet whip, but rather buttery for some. Great texture all around.
View Slideshow » Illustration:Le Panier: Chocolate
The Verdict: With the tooth of a brownie and a tad dry, these didn’t deliver the ethereal texture we sought. Not enough filling.
View Slideshow » Illustration:THIRD PLACE WINNER! (TIE)
Le Panier: Espresso
The Verdict: But Le Panier’s coffee cakes did capture that lightness.
View Slideshow » Illustration:Madeleine Bread and Desserts: Chocolate
The Verdict: The middle maintained an undeniably chocolate flavor, but the meringues were wan. The first morsels gave way nicely: “It almost melts as soon as you bite it.”
View Slideshow » Illustration:SECOND PLACE WINNER!
Lilli-Pilli: Chocolate
The Verdict: Effortlessly delicious, with a smooth cacao tang and masterful balance between meringue and middle. No matter these were the penultimate macs on our list—most noshers went in for seconds.
View Slideshow » Illustration:Marie and Freres: Chocolate
The Verdict: While the ganache is no doubt first-rate (indeed, it’s additive free and sourced from Brazil’s Atlantic Forest), it just didn’t work in this medium. The dark savor imparted sour notes, we wanted something sweeter. But the crusty cakes rocked.
View Slideshow » Illustration:FIRST PLACE WINNER!
Belle Epicurean: Chocolate
The verdict: Truly delectable. As any proper macaron should, the meringues are made with almond. The ganache—“really, really creamy and dark”—proved a delicious complement to the fragrant, nutty undertones. Delicate yet “the right amount of chewiness.”
View Slideshow » Illustration:Le Panier: Lemon
The Verdict: Not as bright in flavor as color but notable nonetheless: “This tastes natural,” enthused one over the citrus savor.
View Slideshow » Illustration:Madeleine Bread and Desserts: Green Tea
The Verdict: Fans of Asian pastries may dig the heavy hints of matcha. This team, however, found it overpowering.
View Slideshow » Illustration:Bakery Nouveau: Margarita
The Verdict: Too much of a novelty for this classic-loving crew.
By Stephanie Rubesh and Christopher Werner
No, not the coconut heaps (those are spelled with two Os). We’re talking about macarons, the French pastries the color of Easter popping up in pastry cases the country over.
Macarons are as elegant as they are complex. Two dainty meringue domes cocoon a luxe filling, typically buttercream or ganache. Ratio is key—too much filling negates the crisp of the cookies. So is the feather-light texture: each nibble should yield a slight crackle then give way to the creamy, chewy center, advises Jessie Oleson, aka CakeSpy, Seattle’s resident sweet tooth. It’s not every time a macaronier masters both meringue and middle.
To find out which local bakeries are doing it right, we gobbled up dozens of samples. We reached out to notable patisseries (and one confectionery) and asked each to submit two types of macs: chocolate and a flavor of their choice (note one participant submitted several, one only the former). A panel then blindly sampled and ranked them.
Which ones wowed us? Click through the slideshow to find out and to read tasting notes. Don’t see your favorite macaron maker? Holler in the comments. Oh, but let’s get this out of the way: Honore unfortunately opted not to partake.
All photos by seattlemet.com photographer Lucas Anderson.
Tags: Desserts, Nosh Pit Taste Tests, Food Taste Tests, Macarons, Lilli-Pilli
Oh Honore – does not play well with others? This is not the press you want, little bakery. Disappointed they didnt participate.
Yeah – Lilli-Pilli! My favorite macarons!
I love Madison Valley’s Ines Patisserie…not in the competition? Check it out!
You missed the macarons at Fresh Flours in Phinney Ridge!
Light but chewy and wonderful, unexpected flavors.