Price | Each macaron is $3.25 when the average online is $2.10. Fair since it includes shipping, and other websites don't. | |
Website | Not easy to navigate. Easier for pick up order than macaron delivery service. Hard to pick specific flavors. | |
Shipping | Free shipping with USPS. But macarons did not ship well: every macaron was broken. | |
Transit | Shipped on Monday delivered on Wednesday. Two days transit with USPS Priority Mail. | |
For events? | Option to delay shipping time for events. | |
Who is Macaron Bar? | The head is clearly identified as Nathan Sivitz. Legit background. | |
Unboxing | Poorly packaged. No branding. No insulated pouch. | |
Quality | Every single macaron was hollow and destroyed. Very poor quality. Hollow macarons. Would recommend pick up instead of order online. | |
Taste | Macarons were completely dry and almost inedible. |
Bonjour! I am Anthony, French chef at Pastreez. My wife and I co-founded our online bakery store in California.
With 15+ years of experience and a degree from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, we consider ourselves experts in authentic macarons.
I started to review macarons from online bakeries to help buyers choose the best fit. Here with Macaron Bar, I ordered from their website, and waited for my package, as you would do if you order from them online.
I'll go over everything from order process, shipping and delivery timeline, unboxing, quality test and taste test.
I ordered 12 macarons for $39, including shipping. The cost per macaron at Macaron Bar is about $3.25. It is 55% more expensive than what a macaron cost in average, about $2.10. Other website either do Free shipping as well or charge in average $8 for shipping.
Do you know why macarons are so expensive?
Because macarons are a real challenge to make. It is even more challenging to get consistent results with your macaron batches. But with experience and time, you can achieve to get great macarons.
I'm only interested in the macaron delivery service of the Macaron Bar. Since they are located in Ohio, and I'm in California, I can't comment on their pick up order process.
The Macaron Bar website is fairly built. I could tell that they are focused on the "pickup" order rather than online macarons orders. Pick up is the first option you see on the website.
Pictures are professional and beautiful. The "ship it" option lets you choose from Build a box, birthday pack, variety pack, fun pack, classic pack, subscription and macaron tower.
Now the website is not easy to navigate. For example, there is a complicated form to select your own flavors. You can't see what the flavors look like from the form, which makes it tricky to pick.
From this form, you can select a "ship date". Good point, for those who want to order now and ship later, for a baby shower or a wedding. There is also a "plan an event" page that helps you through the process.
Another good thing to mention, the Macaron Bar in Ohio offer baking classes (if you're not in Ohio, Pastreez offers Virtual Classes with French chefs).
During the order process, after "adding to cart", the website actually sends you straight to checkout. There is no cart page. This makes it difficult to keep shopping and see your cart anytime.
Macaron Bar has Free standard shipping, using USPS Priority Mail. Everyone loves Free shipping. It brings the total cost to your door for 12 macarons at $39. The pricing of $39 for 12 macarons makes more sense now.
That being said, if you order two dozens at once, it would be $78. Since the shipping is already including in the price, paying two dozens will make you pay for two shipping costs technically. It would be appreciated to decrease the price with quantity ordered.
In addition of Free standard shipping, the Macaron Bar offers "Overnight" shipping with USPS Priority Mail Express for $20, which is a fair price.
Something is missing: Customers need to know when do you ship.
Is it Monday to Friday, like Pastreez, or is it only Monday to Wednesday like Ma-ka-rohn, Dana's Bakery, and Chelles Macarons?
It's an important information. Imagine you need macarons for Saturday, and want to order overnight on Thursday. Will it be there on time? Macaron Bar should include a shipping chart to help customers choose.
I will also comment on using USPS, rather than UPS or FedEx. USPS is more economic to ship macarons, and it delivers to PO BOX.
But USPS has a cheaper tracking with delays, and packages get more often damaged.
See the transit time of my order from Macaron Bar:
I ordered on Monday, the macarons shipped the same day, and delivered two days after. Delivery time is great.
The emails notifications are lacking of information though. I never received a notification of delivery.
So far, fast delivery is a good start. I'm excited to see what's next.
Macaron Bar was founded in 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio by Nathan Sivitz. From my research, he was fond of baking and have previously as a waiter in few restaurants prior.
They started an Indiegogo campaign back in 2014 to open their first shop. Macaron Bar is a Brick-and-mortar store. They now have 4 locations in Ohio. The place is legit.
I always like to mention in my macaron reviews that a Brick and Mortar store is a totally different business than a macaron delivery online store.
With a Storefront, customers can only pick up. It is easier to manage the product freshness, because you just walk in and buy macarons from the refrigerated shelves.
Selling macarons online is a different challenge. It is key to control the recipe and package to keep freshness.
Alright, now it's time to actually start the unboxing of my Macaron Bar order!
The package was delivered on Wednesday, and I started the review the same day.
To purchase macarons online is a journey: It starts with a beautiful website, it continues when the package arrives, and ends when you taste it.
The first look at this box is disappointing. Let me describe each detail.
The Macaron Bar uses the Free carton boxes from USPS to ship their macarons Nationwide. As you might know, USPS gives away Free boxes for anyone to use. You can simply use those, and only have to purchase the Priority Mail label for the specific box. I'm not sure it fits for a macaron business though.
Honestly, I expected more. A USPS branded box is used most of the time for economic packages and personal use. Not for a "fine" bakery.
Another thing that struck me is the total absence of branding. No "Macaron Bar" sticker, or tape. Nothing from the outside would tell me this is the precious package.
I would expect at least stickers saying "FRAGILE" and "Perishable, refrigerate upon arrival". Almost every single bakery from my macaron reviews had those.
In addition, the shipping label was a simple piece of paper, poorly cut (not straight), instead of a label sticker. It might sound like a detail, but all together it adds up and tarnish the excitement of receiving macarons to your door.
This unboxing experience comforts me into what I was suspected from their website: Macaron Bar is not an online macaron store. The unboxing feels "amateurish". Hopefully the level will increase with the macaron quality test & taste test!
It's time to open the box and see what's inside.
Right after opening the box, I notice the Packing starch called "peanuts".It might do the trick, but packing starch are recommended as moving supplies, not to ship food.
At Pastreez we use Air cushions that absorb all the shocks, and above all prevent macarons from shaking during transit.
I've used ice packs for years in the bakery industry. Trust me when I say this: Ice packs are useless to ship macarons.
An ice pack has a very limited lifetime. It stays cold about 6 hours when used the best way (with an insulated pouch). It makes no difference on a two day transit package.
Here at Macaron Bar, no insulated pouch. Only a thin bubble wrap layer that is designed for moving supplies.
They placed the ice pack directly in contact with the packaging carton box, and the macarons were wrapped with bubble wrap. Needless to say an ice pack in these conditions will last less than 3 hours.
There were two cards included in the box: One gift card, and one menu card.
The menu card was too simple. The flavor color chart was hard to distinguish. Since there was no invoice or receipt including the macaron flavors I ordered, It was complicated to find which is what.
I will be brutally honest: Those macarons from Macaron Bar are the worst experience I've ever had. And I reviewed fair bakeries so far (check my macaron reviews).
The pictures say it all.
Remember, I purchased from Macaron Bar to give you my insights. My goal is to help you decide if this bakery is a good fit for you to use as a Macaron delivery service. Now this might be a specific and isolated issue with my order.
I will detail step by step everything that went wrong here.
The macarons were inside a plastic blister, which is the usual packaging for macarons.
Every single macaron is broken. None has survived transit. From a bakery that sells $39 this box shipped to my door, with experience since 2014, that is purely unacceptable.
To me it is inadmissible to send that to a paying customer.
There are multiple fatal errors here. We mentioned earlier the lack of shipping experience of the Macaron Bar. I believe it played its part in this mess.
Air cushions, or thicker bubble wrap would have improved transit. But that's not it: The macarons had issues as well.
Let's get a closer look at the macarons.
Take a closer look at the macarons from Macaron Bar.
There is an obvious quality issue that we will detail on the next topic. Here, we'll focus on why are those macarons are dry.
The macarons from Macaron Bar I received were completely dry and broken.
To explain my point, do you know what is a macaron?
A macaron is a French pastry that were invented by Henri II chef in Paris, in the Sixteenth century. Catherine de Medicis brought the macaron shell recipe from Italy to France, when she married the French king.
Once in the king's palace, she shared this recipe with the chef. He then got the idea to put a filling between two shells: Macarons were born. This is why you find macarons everywhere in France, and absolutely nowhere in Italy.
A macaron is supposed to have a perfect balance of texture: Crunchy outside and chewy inside.
Now back to the review. The macarons I received were completely dry. It is because the macarons were not fresh.
Most likely, the macarons were left for days (maybe weeks), either outside, or in a refrigerator or freezer. When left too long after baking and preparation, like every pastry, water will evaporate little by little, until the pastry is dry.
I still can't believe how an apparently experienced bakery can ship those to customers.
To me, it shows the lack of experience in shipping their products. Making macarons and sell them directly out of your store is one thing. Shipping fresh across the US is a another.
Let's do a quality test of Macaron Bar. We'll check a few things: Texture, freshness, color, size, macarons feet and more.
At this moment of the review I like to cut every macaron flavor in half to best describe its quality.
12 out of 12 macarons were broken. Needless to say the texture of these were not satisfying.
A good macaron texture is crunchy outside and chewy inside. This osmose is created by the smooth filling spreading into hard shells. This is the signature texture of a macaron.
These were crunchy all the way, not chewy. The texture at Macaron Bar was dry and hard, which is not the authentic macaron texture.
Macarons dry out when the water contained in its filling evaporates.
Seeing the level of dryness, I would not recommend to eat these macarons. To fulfill this review to the end, I have to though.
Do you know what are hollow macarons?
A macaron is hollow when there is air bubbles in its shells.
What causes hollow macaron shells?
This is a very common issue for bakers. A macaron shell becomes hollow at the piping step. When you pipe macaron batter on your silicon mold (or parchment paper), it is common that small air bubbles are trapped. If you bake the shells straight away, the air bubbles will stay forever and cause your macarons to be weak and break easily.
How to avoid hollow macarons?
After piping your batter, prior to baking, tap vigorously your pan sheet on the table. do it at least ten times. You'll see the air bubbles popping out of the batter, which is a sign of success! For full recipe tips, Learn how to make macarons with French chefs and join the Online Class.
Back to Macaron Bar review. See the picture below.
Those macarons were weak and hollow. The top of the shells are destroyed. Check for example the white macaron shell. The base of the shell is compact, and there is an air gap the top of the shell. This is characteristic of hollow macarons.
Shells are supposed to be compact and slightly wet to create that signature texture.
See below an example of what a weak macaron looks like. The "lid" of the macaron is simply disaggregated.
Note that some of the macaron, in addition to be in pieces, were melted and "wet" in their center.
This is due to the quantity of butter used in some of their filling. Learn more about this in our previous macaron reviews.
Colors of these macarons were okay. The colors were slightly dull, probably due to a too long baking time in the oven.
Roundness was hard to tell because most of the macarons were broken. I'd say that the shells were round enough. I think Macaron Bar uses a Macaron Depositor.
This machine is well known by mass production bakery such as Dana's Bakery, or Mak-ka-rohn. The baker has to pour macaron batter into the depositor, and it will pipe perfectly round shape automatically.
Using a depositor is fine! I personally prefer to order macarons online from Artisan chefs that do everything by hand. It feels more authentic.
First, what does it mean for macarons to have feet?
See below a picture of one of our macaron at Pastreez. Macaron feet are the "ruffles" that you see between shell and filling. It is a proof of well baked macaron shells. It should be clean and unbroken.
Even if it was hard to tell due to the conditions of Macaron Bar macarons, I was able to find its feet. See below.
The feet were ok. Hollow macarons are usually too weak to get great feet.
This is the last step of my review. I will do a taste test of every macaron I received from Macaron Bar.
Even if every single macaron crumbled apart, I'll do my best to give you an insight on each flavor.
Taste was OK. The white filling seemed to be butter with white chocolate. This flavor was one of the "wet" one.
The filling itself was OK. Sadly, it's hard to have a good experience with the level of dryness of these macarons.
This flavor tasted good. I could feel the coconut fruit in the filling.
Flower macaron flavor is hard to get. Like Rose, it has a very slight taste that requires a lot of finesse in your recipe.
Here, I could only feel the butter. The proportion of Mimosa extract and butter was off.
This macaron flavor was sadly inedible. It crumbled apart and was too dry.
What I like about lemon flavor is that you can’t really go wrong about it. It has such a powerful taste, that it usually pops in your month.
Here, the taste was slight and not too strong, and I could feel the lavender side as well. Even if the shells were crumbling apart, It was an OK flavor.
I have lived really close to Madagascar a while ago, on a French Island called Réunion. I'm really picky when it comes to Vanilla flavors.
I could feel the vanilla here, but I wouldn’t call this macaron « Madagascar Vanilla ». Madagascar Vanilla has Vanilla brown "beans" that you should find in this filling.
I do not feel the authenticity of the Vanilla we can find out there, and again the butter is overwhelming.
Inedible. Crumbled apart and dry.
It was a pleasant surprise. This flavor was new to me and I like the balance between dark chocolate and Raspberry.
While I could taste the coffee part, it was dry and crumbled apart. I couldn’t really do a taste test.
Sadly this macaron flavor was also inedible. It crumbled apart and was too dry.
Pistachio macarons fans would not like this one. I don’t feel real pistachio paste was used, too buttery.
Maybe it was my specific order, but the experience with Macaron Bar was very disappointing.
This bakery was created in 2014 in Ohio. With four stores in this State, I was expecting better macaron quality, taste, and shipping experience.
The macarons were of poor quality, completely broken, dry and not fresh.
While ordering for pick up might give you a different outcome, I would not recommend you to order macarons online from Macaron Bar.
We have an offer today at Pastreez: Get 7 macarons Free on any order over $42. Don't wait!
]]>Price | A Woops macaron is $4.33, compared to our macaron study at $2.10 per macaron. Very pricy. | |
Order process | Great website, possibility to select your own flavor. | |
Shipping | Fair at $9.95 for UPS 2nd Day Air. My order arrived late though. Expensive option for Next Day Air at $52.58. | |
Transit | I paid $9.95 for 2 Day Shipping. It arrived in 3 days. Fair but 1 business day late which can be hard if it was for an event. | |
For events? | Woops bakery has options for towers and more. | |
Woops bakers | No names nor chefs identified. Not handmade and not owned by French chefs. | |
Unboxing | Missing Perishable and bakery sticker outside the package. Nice gift box with ribbon. | |
Quality | 5 out of 9 macarons arrived damaged. Too dry and shells were hollow. Slightly bigger than authentic Parisian size. | |
Taste | The filling is buttercream. Some flavors were too buttery, but others were good. |
In my 2022 full study, I review and compare every macaron bakery you can find online. Since Woops is fairly new online, I gave it a try and ordered from them.
Below is a quick video to show you what macarons are supposed to taste like. I will use these criteria for the quality taste.
I am Anthony, CEO and founder at Pastreez, an authentic macaron store in the US.
My wife and I are French chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, and left all in France to build Pastreez in the US, back in 2017.
When it comes to macarons, we like to consider ourselves "experts" considering our background.
A lot of customers and followers on Instagram are asking us to review other online bakeries, to see if it fits with the traditional Parisian cookie.
After Ma-ka-rohn, Dana's bakery, Chelles macarons and much more reviews, I decided to order from Woops macarons. Let's dig in!
Woops macarons are expensive. Very expensive.
According to the study where I compare the best macarons online, the average cost per macaron is $2.10.
Here at Woops, it is $39 for 9 macarons.. Which is $4.33 per macaron! It's even more expensive than Ladurée on Les Champs Elysées shop.
I'm not sure why their price point is that high. Macarons shells and fillings contain mostly the same ingredients.
You usually pay higher when the macarons are handmade (like Pastreez), or when you buy a historical brand (Ladurée).
Did I mentioned this cost is without shipping? Yes Woops macarons are expensive. Let's see the next topics to see the full picture.
Woops website is beautifully made, and allow you to order for pick up and shipping in the United States.
Historically, Woops is a franchise business that allows people to use their name throughout the country, using their guidelines for a fee.
Shipping macarons is a (very) different story, compared to pick up.
if you want to pick up, note that currently the "find a store" feature is not working on their website. You might want to call it in. Generally speaking, they're an East Coast business and allow pick up mostly in New York.
Since I'm in a remote area of California, I decided to order for delivery to test the whole process.
I was able to pick and build my own set, which is very nice. We also provide this feature at Pastreez, but that's not the case for most online bakeries.
Once I added to cart, I checked the shipping options available.
Whoops bakery shipping options are pricy.
Since the cost per macaron is two times more expensive than the average, I would think they'd absorb the shipping fees through to cost of the macarons. It's not the case here.
The options for shipping in the United States are:
My wife and I being in business for a while, we do have discounts with UPS. Woops surely have similar discount.
The difference between 2nd-Day air and Next Day Air is too important. But I guess if you are in a hurry to get Woops macarons for an event, wedding, or an important event, you might pay the Next Day Air. Then it has to be there on time though!
I selected the UPS 2-day Air at $9.95, and checked transit time between the time of order and the time of delivery.
I ordered on February 8th in the morning. The order was delivered on February 11th afternoon. This is one extra day according to the "UPS 2nd-Day Air" shipping option I selected.
When you order macarons online, you probably like to know who's baking your treats.
Exactly when you go to a fancy restaurant, the chef's experience and name are usually displayed.
That's why I like in my macaron reviews to check who's behind the business. Is this only profit oriented? Is the business make macarons in bulk with automated process? or is there real passion and every macaron is handcrafted?
Woops bakery was apparently created by four friends in New York, back in 2012. That's all the information available on their website.
I'm a bit disappointed, because macarons are not your average cookies. It's important to know:
None of these informations were available on their website. Being Parisian born and raised, I give much importance to craftsmanship.
At Pastreez every single macaron is handcrafted by my wife and I in Phelan, California. The ship from the same location the the entire United States. Each order is made upon order and ship fresh (we don't even own freezer).
It's my personal opinion, but the lack of transparency on this part from Woops discredit a bit the product.
Alright it's time to do the unboxing.
Before to open the package, let's have a global look at it.
It arrived very damaged. I'm not sure if it's due to the carrier or the quality of the carton box, but it's worth mentioning.
There is also no brand recognition. There is no way for me to know what's inside. Since these are cookies, it's important to have a sticker or a custom carton box with the name of the bakery on it.
In addition, there were no fragile sticker and no perishable sticker. When you ship food, it's critical to at least place a perishable sticker so you can rush the package indoors and refrigerate. Otherwise it's hard to tell it is food.
There is four bubble wrap inside, which might not be enough for traveling safe. That's an important detail because macarons are fragile cookies!
The insulated pouch is the ideal container to transit macarons. We also use it at Pastreez. This way the variation of temperature does not affect the products.
A 10% OFF discount and. a menu card is also in the package. Nice!
The box of macarons is inside the pouch. The box is very sturdy, with a ribbon. It's a nice display.
It's time to check on the macarons. Opening the box and the first look is disappointing.
As you can see on the picture, 5 macarons out of 9 were damaged in transit. Perhaps it is related to the lack of bubble wrap.
I also suspect that the shells of these macarons were hollow to be this fragile. This is a common mistake that bakers do while making macarons.
It happens when air is trapped before baking in the oven, and the baker forget to tap the pan sheet to remove those.
Macarons are supposed to be crunchy outside, and soft inside. The balance between both shells and filling is the signature taste of the macarons.
These Woops macarons were good i terms of texture. But freshness, I suspect they were frozen prior. You can tell because of the specific thawing smell.
Lots of bakeries do this technique because it's better for production. Think about it: Produce thousands of the same flavor, freeze them, and ship only when a customer order this specific flavor.
That's great on a business point, but you can feel the difference between fresh and frozen product.
I personally like when the bakery is transparent. I always give this example: When you go to a meat restaurant, would you rather like to know prior to order that the meat is frozen rather than fresh? Yes fresh is always better!
Colors are great, same as roundness! I think these were made out of a production line called "macaron depositor".
It's easier because no human actually poor the batter. It's a famous industrial process in the baking industry. You can mass produce macarons, but can't claim they're handmade as well.
Macarons feet are the little lips you can see at the bottom of the shells. They should be about half / half when you look on the side of it.
Here, they're great. Also note that an authentic Parisian macaron is about 1.7 inches diameter. These are bigger, around 2 inches of diameter.
In this section I will detail all the flavors I ordered. To give you more insights, I also cut each macaron in half so you can see what's inside!
I must tell you first that there are two schools for macarons: Buttercream vs Ganache.
Most bakeries use buttercream. It is easier to make because butter fades actual flavors. It's also cheaper which is good for businesses.
On the other hand, refined bakeries like Ladurée or Pastreez uses ganache. It is made with white chocolate. It is more expensive and delicate to make, but the result is smoother, more light, and ship better.
Yes it ships better and stay fresh longer, because butter needs to be refrigerated while in transit, while chocolate do not.
All macarons from Woops bakery uses buttercream. A major issue that can happen is that most flavors might taste the same with this recipe. Let's see in details!
It was a nice taste, closer to chocolate actually. A little bit fluffy but overall good flavor.
Taste was good, but slightly too buttery to my taste.
I was able to feel the Pistachio in this filling, which is good.
Since the website of Woops mention they do their own Pistachio paste, I would have been happy to find Pistachio crumbs. It wasn't the case here.
Similar to the Ma-ka-rohn review I wrote a while ago, this flavor is supposed to be creamy. And it is! Great taste and good flavor.
Too buttery. Vanilla is a delicate flavor. Not strong in taste, you have to balance it carefully to avoid a tasteless experience.
Here it was "ok", I could see the vanilla beans in the filling, and could taste slightly the vanilla.
It was the exact same flavor as Vanilla. I couldn't tell the difference.
I always like when bakeries try to innovate. New flavors are so challenging to come up with!
But when alcohol is present it's very tricky to find the balance. I could feel a slight Champagne taste. But to be honest it was closer to candy taste than Champagne.
Woops has an interesting menu. I was curious about the honey lavender. It was clearly made with Lavender essence. I am not a fan of this flavor but it was a good idea.
This last flavor was not on the menu card, so I couldn't tell the exact flavor. My guess is it was mint related.
To compare Woops macarons with all the best bakeries online, check the macaron unboxing & review I did. I ordered and compared Pastreez to Makarohn, Dana's bakery, Macaron bar and many more!
I hope you enjoyed this Woops macaron unboxing and review. Any question make sure to chat live with us.
Oh and today only we have an offer for 7 macarons Free. Redeem Now!
]]>If you already know what a macaron is, the next question is obviously: How many calories are in a macaron?
I'll keep this blog post short and focus on this topic!
Being a former French engineer, I can detail on calories. It is actually a unit of energy.
Such a joules, or horsepower for cars, calories are simply an extra unit to measure energy.
But it makes sense though. Each unit is adapted to its field.
For example, one horsepower is the equivalent of a horse lifting 550 pounds (250kg).
Normal humans could not lift this weight. That's why we invented calories.
One calorie is the "heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water of one degree Celsius", according to USDA.
To put it short, it is way to calculate how easy it would be to burn the food we eat every day.
Now that you know what is a calorie, how do we know how many calories in a macaron?
Most manufacturers use the "Atwater system" to determine the calories in their food.
So in your regular meal, you can simply add up all the calories of ingredients you use in it, and you'll get the total calories of this dish. Pretty easy!
Calories of each ingredient, such as sugar or peanut butter, is gathered into what is called nutrition facts.
Nutrition facts tell you the total calories per serving, but also the percentage of your recommended daily value.
Short answer: No!
There are two types of macarons: Buttercream filling or ganache filling.
A buttercream has butter as its main ingredient. It is cheaper to make for bakeries. Butter also alters the taste and raise calories!
A ganache filling is made with white chocolate as primary ingredient.
It doesn't alter taste, it's less fat, and ship perfectly fresh across the US. That's what we make at Pastreez!
Ganache wins in terms of calories. It is also the traditional recipe that was invented over 200 years ago.
To find out about the calories in a macaron, we will take our french macarons recipe, and divide it by the number of macarons.
Since our macaron recipe is for 60 macarons, we'll divide each ingredient by 60.
Ingredients | Quantity (grams) |
Extra fine almond flour | 2.5g |
Extra fine powdered sugar | 0.9g |
Egg white | 1.8g |
Food coloring | 1g |
Sugar | 2.5g |
Water | 0.7g |
Each of these ingredients has nutrition facts on the back of their packaging. And each brand is different.
With an authentic macaron recipe, a macaron is about 80 calories.
Keep in mind that in my quest for the best macarons delivery in the United States, I found that most bakery use buttercream for their filling.
Buttercream contains butter and is more fat. At Pastreez, we make our own ganache with white chocolate. Less fat and more tasty!
Macarons with buttercream will probably double in calories, around 160g.
]]>Dessert trends come and go but there is nothing that can replace the desire for a delicious and appealing wedding cake.
Imagine a naturally iced cake, decorated with intricate edible flowers or sugar work, and adorned with fresh fruits. Doesn’t that sound mouth-watering? Of course, we love seeing a wedding cake that tells a story.
Are you wondering how it can be done? We’ll share a few exciting wedding cake ideas in this article to make your big day a “royal affair”. Keep reading and get ready to select your desired elegant wedding cake for your memorable day.
Your bond is eternal so is your wedding day. So, you should choose your cake for your wedding day that has the best taste and complements your style.
It doesn’t matter if you want a rustic floral cake, a chocolate cake, or a traditional chocolate drip cake, you can simply get the best out of it to help inspire you.
A beautiful and appealing wedding cake surely leaves everyone in awe. It adds an enticing theme and value to your day. At your reception, your cake must be too beautiful and delightful to eat.
Though brides usually pick fruits or classic vanilla for their wedding cakes, there is nothing bad in switching to other entrancing cake ideas and going with what you love for your day.
And imagine it happens to be a full-blown mesmerizing chocolate cake or perhaps go from triple-tiered creations bursting with delicious macarons dipped in chocolate – you are just a moment away to make your day magnificent.
Either you opt for a traditional Wedding Cake or a Macaron Wedding Cake, chocolate is a safe area, because it is loved by almost every guest.
Opting for a Macaron Wedding cake might be smarter, because you can pick multiple flavors, to fit with everyone taste.
Have you been dreaming of a blue wedding? If yes, then make your wedding blue all overwhelmingly. Blue is a soothing and tranquil color ensuring peace of mind and love in the heart.
So how about making your special day the most loveable one? Rich, bold, and exceptionally tempting, there can be numerous enthralling shades of blue that you can go with to make your wedding day extraordinary.
How about an Ombre and textural Tiffany blue wedding cake for your day which is decorated with little blooms and succulents?
Or a blue and white cake for your wedding decorated with elegant cascading and romantic Dip Cake Topper? You can go with any of the options you love.
A wedding with a purple theme also looks exquisite. The purple color looks so cool and loveable in nature. So imagine making your love day a fully endearing one. You can have various purple shades options.
You can get it with a pretty and delicious two-tiered wedding cake born to be daring and bold.
An entrancing purple wedding cake option that you can go with is the top tier layer that is textured with sweet purple buttercream, and the bottom layer is covered in a smooth violet delightful buttercream making it appetizing.
Take a piece of it and give your sweet mouth an unforgettable taste for life.
Already bored of buttercream? For your wedding day celebration, you must try a rose gold wedding.
It would work dreamingly with the new metallic shades of copper. Most interestingly, rose gold is a delightful floral garland and trailing vines making it the most elegant to look and delicious to eat.
What about Rose Gold Macarons? At Pastreez we can match your wedding color theme and have dozens of macaron flavors on the menu. Check your options here.
You treasured your wedding day and are so excited to make it remarkable for the rest of your life. So add value to it by arranging a white and gold wedding cake with the same colored enthralling theme overall.
Doesn’t matter if you prefer fresh flowers or sugar, sweet blooms are the perfect and delicious accessory for your day to make it royal.
Guests perhaps forget the color of your dress, your first dance, but they will certainly remember how your cake looked and tasted at your reception.
Wedding cakes, both with flowers and greenery are the most credible and alluring show-stoppers that a bride or groom would love to go for.
If you are a spring bride, you perhaps go with the sunny yellow blooms and lilac on your reception that reminds a springtime garden event.
While classic cakes are always on the menu, people who want a unique cake for their special day, should go for a macaron wedding cake.
This is a kind of macaron tower which makes a great combo when it comes to your reception. It looks alluring and trendy when it is brought to your wedding table display.
Since macarons are available in different colors you can go with any color that suits your wedding theme best. You can either opt to get a lovely-looking pink color macaron wedding cake or perhaps the blue one, or in multi-color macaron wedding cake to complement with your wedding theme.
In addition, a macaron tower is ideal because each piece of macaron is ready to be eaten, no need to cut the wedding cake.
At Pastreez, we are expert in macarons. It ships fresh to your door right in time for your event. Simply click "add event date" on the product page, and we'll ship accordingly.
Either it is a Macaron Tower or Macaron Wedding Favors, we got it all.
Oh by the way, did I mentioned Today's deal? We offer 7 macarons Free for any purchase over $42. Redeem above.
Though vanilla cake or traditional chocolate cake are considered the best wedding cake flavors for ages, you can add value to your day by switching to the very popular and highly delightful, and delicious flavors as mentioned above. Add some sweet and lovely macarons to your cake which will give them a more pleasant taste.
Whether you want delicate flower wreaths, earthy feel, organically placed leafy vines, or want a more contemporary style wedding cake, you must choose your baker wisely. A Macaron Tower can give a smooth finish and add the finest details to your memorable wedding cake.
]]>The past two years have been difficult for families, especially mothers and daughters.
Not being able to hug your mother and spend quality time with her because of the Covid-19 pandemic was emotionally draining.
Thankfully, vaccinated families can now spend quality time together and there is no better time to celebrate the daughter-mother bond than the upcoming Mother’s Day.
So, what are your plans for the day? What gifts are you giving your mom?
Well, if you are short of ideas, this post offers the best gift ideas you can use. Here, we present 7 authentic Mother’s Day gifts from the best daughter.
There is no better way to help your mom de-stress than giving her a spa treatment.
However, instead of buying a slot at the spa, why not bring the spa to her home? You can make it happen with a beautiful set of Lavender sage gift sets.
The gift set comes with full massage oil, a soy candle, and body butter. These will surely melt her stress away and leave her feeling rejuvenated, relaxed, and invigorated to take on whatever life throws her way.
Nothing compares to a thoughtful gift on Mother’s Day. Is your mom a busy working-class woman?
There is a high chance that she is often stressed. So, why not give her a beautiful heated neck wrap that seamlessly eases her stress.
The Heated Neck Wrap is an effective stress reliever that takes off the edge from those rough and busy days. Your mother is sure to love this Mother’s Day gift because it is very thoughtful and functional.
The best part is that you do not have to break a bank to get it.
Imagine your mother all cozy up in front of the TV on Mother’s Day, savoring a delicious pack of Mother’s Day Macarons. If you love the image that comes to mind, you should get her a pack of authentic French macarons.
The gift basket contains 48 vegan macarons covering different flavors, such as Cherry blossom tea, Caramel Hazelnut, and Raspberry Lychee.
You can also opt for the Vegan flavors, which include Coconut and Raspberry.
The best part is that you can customize the gift basket by adding a gift note to your mom. All authentic French Macaroons are 100% fresh and gluten-free.
Oh and today's deal is 7 Free macarons (redeem below).
If your mom is a book lover, you should consider giving her a waterproof e-book reader where she can have all her favorite books in a single place. The fact that it is waterproof also makes it more valuable.
That means you can relax in the tub or anywhere to enjoy her favorite novel without worrying about dropping the device in the water.
Imagine the look on your mom’s face when you give her this gift on Mother’s Day! We bet it will be priceless.
Earrings are unique fashion accessories that every mother lovers, irrespective of age. So, why not get your mom sleek pearl hoop earrings and wow her.
The best part is that you can find a reasonably priced piece that would look perfect for her everyday use.
Even if you are not sure of your mom loving any gift, you can be sure that a pair of pearl hoop earrings would appeal to her.
You surely know that dressing up all day and all weekend can be cumbersome. Sometimes, you just want something comfy that you can walk around while at home on weekends.
Your mom does love that too! So, why not get her a pair of classic bathrobes with a fluffy and soft finishing.
She will surely love to snug into the robe and enjoy her weekend without any stress.
So, your mom already signed up for a healthy living and has started to prune her kitchen and do away with unhealthy meal options.
Why not support her in her healthy living journey by getting a healthy cookbook?
You are sure to find the perfect cookbook with a variety of meal ideas and recipes. Your mom is sure to love experimenting with some amazing dishes that are not only delicious but full of nutrients.
A Bonus Idea: A Sleep Tracking Pad
If your mom currently has issues with falling asleep and getting deep sleep, you can get her asleep as a Mother’s Day gift.
She can simply put the pad under her mattress and connect it to her phone to help boost her sleep. It is one of the most functional gifts you can give to your mom.
So, which of these gifts are you planning to give to your mother on Mother’s Day? Is it the authentic French macaroon or the healthy cookbook?
Are you giving her a classic bathroom, pearl hoop earrings, waterproof e-reader, heated neck wrap, lavender sage gift set, or sleep tracking pad?
]]>I get this question a lot: Where to find an authentic French bakery near me?
Being a French chef from Le Cordon Bleu Paris and a macaron expert, I know how frustrating it could be.
That is why I created Pastreez: An authentic French bakery, where you can buy macarons online. It ships fresh to your door in the US.
I thoroughly searched for the best authentic macaron bakery in 16 big cities in the US.
Why macarons? Because it's such a challenge to make those, that if you succeed, you can be considered an experienced baker.
Los Angeles has plenty of macaron bakeries. Since 2017, macarons has become a trending dessert in town.
Ladurée Los Angeles
The first macaron shop to mention is Ladurée. It's the most iconic macaron shop that was created in 1862 (yes, a while ago).
Two locations: 311 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 and 889 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210.
While Ladurée is definitely the oldest and most experimented in making macarons, one day I asked at the store in Los Angeles few questions. Being from Paris, I was curious if each location of Ladurée made their own macarons locally.
The answer was disappointing: Every macaron is made in Paris and ship to their location frozen. For such an iconic brand, I would expect they make and sell fresh macarons.
Still, Ladurée is the closest to a real Parisian macaron you'll find in LA.
It's an American bakery specialized in macarons. Bottega Louie is located in 700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017.
I sadly realized that one of their LA location is closed, and the second will close soon. Hurry up if you want to test it out!
After COVID, Lette Macarons has closed most of its locations in Los Angeles. It's a pity, because the founder was really passionate about her macarons.
They still take orders on their website for nationwide delivery.
Le Macaron is located at 541 S Spring St Suite 127, Los Angeles, CA 90013. One thing you need to know is that this macaron store is a Franchise. I always recommend a real artisan bakery that bakes with passion, rather than a "business" oriented vision.
Of course, making profit is part of the business. But with dozens of locations nationwide, I don't think Le Macaron can keep up with quality, for such a delicate treat.
New York got plenty of choice when it comes to restaurants and bakeries. But what about authentic French bakeries? Let's find out.
Ladurée also has locations in New York. Three actually: One on 864 Madison Ave, another at 398 W Broadway, and the last one at 20 Hudson Yards.
See all their locations.
Macaron café is located on 750 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10017. I couldn't find any informations about its founders or process to make the macarons.
From the reviews you can find online (4.5 with 163 reviews on Google), the place seems legit.
Located at 132 W 23rd St, New York, 10011, La maison du macaron offers local pick up but not Nationwide delivery.
From my research, I didn't find anything about the chefs behind this store. I always recommend to order from a French bakery that has legit bakers.
For example, Yami and I are both French chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris (more about Pastreez). Pastreez is located in California and ship fresh nationwide. By the way, redeem today's deal below. We offer 7 macarons Free on every order over $42.
Austin is a fun city with lots of new opportunities. Let's see if you can find decent French bakery near me there.
Bakery Lorraine is located at 11600 Rock Rose Ave #100 Austin, Texas 78758.
While the names and branding might look like it was created by French, none of the founders are actually from France.
But it looks like they are doing an amazing job, not only with their macarons but with their lunch and dinner.
La Patisserie has two locations in Austin. The first one at 602 W. Annie St. Austin, Texas 78704; the second one at 7301 Burnet Road Ste 102 Austin, Texas 78757.
This is an artisan bakery specialized with French pastries and macarons. While again none of the founders nor chefs are French, they seem dedicated to provide quality French Pastries in Austin.
Michelle's Patisserie (or Michelle Bakery as some call it) was founded by a dedicated and passionate chef in Austin. Not a French Bakery per se, the chef is local from Texas.
The macaron bakery is located in 12233 RR 620 N. Ste 114, Austin, TX 78750.
Dallas is one of the most populated city in Texas and the United States.
Joy Macarons has two locations in Dallas: OAK CLIFF at 839 W. Davis Street
Dallas, TX 75208, and LOWER GREENVILLE 1927 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX 75206.
The bakery offers free pick up but no shipping. The reviews I was able to find are 4.7 on 86 reviews, which is a great ratio.
The website has not "about us" page. I couldn't check on who are the chefs and if they are making authentic French macarons. I will give it a try whenever I'm in Dallas.
The Savor Patisserie of Dallas was founded by Kelli Watts. I'm happy when the founders and chefs are transparent with its customers.
While she is not a trained French chef, she taught herself the savoir-faire for macarons and built her store in Texas.
Two locations: SNIDER PLAZA 6725 Hillcrest Avenue, Suite D, Dallas TX 75205; and CASA LINDA PLAZA 9440 Garland Road, Suite #142, Dallas, TX 75218.
We the birds is fairly new to the macarons scene. Founded by two American sisters in 2018 in Dallas Texas, their approach is more artistic and fashion. The pictures and the look of their shops seems interesting!
The macaron bakery is located at 4101 Bryan Street #160 *BY APPOINTMENT ONLY*, Dallas, TX 75204
Denver in Colorado is well known for its winter activities. Let's see if I can find a hidden gem to help you find the best French bakery near me!
Bella macaron is located in 12665 Jasmine St, Thornton, CO 80602. I couldn't find much information on this bakery. In fact, Denver is not the city where you'd find authentic macaron store.
Give Pastreez a try. We ship fresh nationwide from California. Oh and of course, every macaron is 100% handmade by French chefs (either my wife or me).
Sign up below to get 7 macarons Free with your first order!`
French for sugar was founded by Michelle & Garrett Weekley. This bakery shop offers pick up only, no shipping.
It is located at 1201 E. COLFAX AVENUE, SUITE 103 DENVER, CO 80218.
Lady Yum seems to be popular in the area. I really liked her "about us" page. The founder tells her story how she grew up baking. And while she is not French, she is really passionate about she does, and that counts.
I'm sure her macarons worth to stop by if you're in Seattle looking for an bakery near me. Lady Yum is located at 2130 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121.
Macadons was founded by Donna in Seattle. From the "about us" page I could tell than the main baker gave an Asian twist to the French macarons.
I can't say if these are authentic Parisian macarons, as they do not deliver in my area. The bakery is located at 9828 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Le Panier French bakery is located at1902 Pike Place Seattle WA 98101. And "Cocorico", I was finally able to find a REAL artisan baker in the name of Hubert Loevenbruck, founder of Le Panier.
Not only they make macarons there, but also pain au chocolat, croissant, and all the classic French patisseries.
I strongly recommend you to try them out if you're in Seattle looking for macarons.
Dbakers is based in 3501 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137. They make macarons in fun flavors, and also do specialty cakes for events.
Maison Valentine has a real French baker by the name of Stéphane Merlat. With his experience and background, I have no doubt that Maison Valentine is one of the best French bakery to find macarons in Miami.
It is located at 1112 15th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
ons.
Vanille Patisserie has 4.5 reviews with 398 of reviews on Google. It's safe to say this might be a popular macaron bakery in the Chicago area.
A lot of mention is made about the bakery on its mention: Artisan bakery, French pastries, etc. But I couldn't verify the name of the chef nor the founder to check the authenticity of Vanille Patisserie.
It's located at 2108 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614.
This is an authentic French macaron bakery in Chicago. With over 110 years of experience, this is a family owned patisserie. You should give it a try.
La Fournette is located at 1547 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610.
T'oui macaron is a Chicago based Patisserie. Their website is very simple and I couldn't find any trace of "authenticity". But from the reviews I've seen online, their macarons might worth to try.
The bakery is located at 5018 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640.
Note that they do not ship macarons, nor allow to order macarons online. At Pastreez we ship macarons fresh daily. Your treats are 100% by French chefs in California.
Sign up below to get 7 macarons Free on your first order.
Sweet by Belen is a is a Patisserie specialized in South American pastries. Its owner, Belen Bailey is from Peru, and has a passion for baking.
Note the this bakery is not French and do not ship, only pick up in store. The patisserie is located at 6001 Hillcroft St STE 400, Houston, TX 77081.
Macaron by Patisse has two locations in Houston Texas. The first one in River Oaks at 2033 W. Gray Houston, TX 77019; the second one in The Galleria at 5085 Westheimer Road Houston, TX 77056.
These locations are closer to a kiosk than an actual macaron bakery. Still, Macaron by Patisse is popular in town. I couldn't find any information on where, how and who are the bakers of this shop.
You can feel the inspiration for French pastries with Essence bakery in Phoenix. The chef's name is Eugenia and is truly dedicated to make the best macarons since 2007.
The bakery is located at 3830 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85018.
Paris Rendez Vous is focused on macarons and French pastries. No informations of its founders or bakers. But Google reviews said that those are "excellent macarons".
The bakery is located at the DESERT RIDGE MARKET PLACE - 21001 N Tatum Blvd - PHOENIX, AZ 85050.
With 4.7 stars on Google and 267 reviews, needless to say Ici Macarons worth the try. I wasn't able to find any information of its founders nor bakers.
But judging by the reviews and pictures on their Instagram, it seems to be the most authentic French bakery near me in Philadelphia.
The patisserie is located at 230 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
This is a chocolate and macaron bakery in Philly. The bonbons and macarons At Aurora Grace looks great. She learned from scratch with her past chefs, working at various restaurants.
The store is located at 517 S 5th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147.
I thought I'd highlight Jaime French Bakery, even if they don't do macarons. Their French chef Bastien is doing an amazing job with authentic Parisian baguettes and plenty of French pastries.
The bakery is located at 212 S 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Located at 555 G St, San Diego, CA 92101, Le Parfait Paris has well packaged macaron gift box and chocolates.
It looks like the bakers are French and bring Authentic savoir-faire to the area. If you are looking for macarons in San Diego, Le Parfait Paris is a great option.
Elite baking is a small French inspired bakery located at Calvados Pl, San Diego, CA 92128. The chef does not seem much experienced and is from San Francisco. But I like to give bakers the benefit of the doubt. I'd give it a try whenever I return to San Diego.
The macarons at Guilty Cravings San Diego are interesting. With fun American flavors like Oreo or Fruity Pebbles, I'm not sure we can call it a genuine French bakery.
But still, I was able to read great reviews about them and it is worth trying them. The bakery is located at 5497 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92117.
This bakery is owned and operated by a French Chef in San Francisco named Patrick Lassaque, that recently purchased the business from its original founder Chantal Guillon.
These macarons from Chantal Guillon brings a taste of Paris in the bay area and in Palo Alto.
The French patisserie is located at 1309 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103.
Colette Macarons is a small macaron bakery located in san Francisco. It is odd how San Francisco can be a big city, with so little choice when it comes to macarons actually.
This patisserie sells exclusively macarons available for delivery ONLY in the Bay Area. I couldn't find any address, information about the bakers, or even where is the business located. The bakery does not shipping.
Pastreez offers macaron delivery service in the entire United States. Redeem Today's deal below before it's too late!
A great option to order macarons in Boston. These are handmade in small batch. Created by an American passionate about macarons, Maca Boston created a "simple" and efficient menu in her own words.
This patisserie is located at 1 Bow Mkt Wy Suite 9, Somerville, MA 02143
This patisserie is specialized in artisan bonbons. Beacon Hill in Boston is the place to go for authentic flavorful chocolates from all over the world.
The bakery is located at 91 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114.
Phelan is not far from Las Vegas. The popular thinking is Las Vegas is for gambling and partying. Not at all. I've found one of the best restaurants and bakeries in the world there. See my selection below for the best macarons in Las Vegas.
The Venetian is in my top 3 hotels in Vegas. Bouchon bakery is located at the first flour, adn gives you a true Parisian brunch experience.
In addition, their macarons are great. Bouchon really did great to recreate this Paris like experience with its decoration theme and menu.
The bakery is located at 3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109.
Luchkoff patisserie do it all. From bread, to pastries, to macarons. It's not an authentic French bakery, but you'll find plenty of treats in their store.
It is located at 4165 S Grand Canyon Dr Suite 102, Las Vegas, NV 89147.
Making macarons is a real challenge. Getting them right is very difficult. Patisserie Manon do not make macarons, but you'll still find a lot of desserts there (cakes, Tropezienne, etc.).
The location is 8751 W Charleston Blvd #110, Las Vegas, NV 89117.
There are not many options in Atlanta when it comes to authentic macarons. Even French bakeries are rare. See below the best patisseries I was able to find in the area.
Sweet hut is a bakery and café in Atlanta, Georgia. No macarons available, they make great sweet buns, savory buns, cookies and swiss rolls.
The address is 935 Peachtree St NE UNIT 935, Atlanta, GA 30309.
I really love the name of this one. It reminds me of my football club: Paris Saint-Germain! Saint-Germain bakery has great google reviews, but no website. You can communicate with them directly through their Facebook page.
Their location is Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave, Atlanta, GA 30308.
That's it! It's not easy to find a good French Bakery Near Me. Whether you are located in a big city or not, you'll have trouble to find authentic macarons.
Pastreez offers Macaron Delivery service in the United States. Your treats are delivered fresh to your door within few days. Redeem today's deal below, and get 7 macarons Free!
]]>Store macarons in an airtight container, like a Tupperware. The idea here is to keep the moist as long as possible.
Then, you have 3 options to store macarons: Room temperature, refrigerator or freezer.
Each option has its pros and cons. Room temperature is best if you plan to serve the macarons within few days.
Keep in mind macarons are best at room temperature, because the texture (crunchy outside / chewy inside) is really important for best experience.
If you refrigerate them for 2-3 weeks, you'll be fine too. Just make sure to let the macarons sit long enough at ambiant temperature before serving.
Lastly, you can store your macarons in the freezer as well. That is if you plan to serve them in few months.
If you decide to freeze, beware to thaw them slowly. Because this process might "wet" the outer shells. You would then lose the signature texture of a macaron.
Macarons are good in the fridge for about 14 days. That is what we advise at Pastreez, knowing they ship fresh to your door.
When we say 14 days, it does not mean they turn "bad" after. It simply means that after these two weeks, you might lose the signature taste of a macaron, which is crunchy outside and chewy inside.
If you store them too long in the fridge, they might dry out.
To understand how to store your macarons, it is important to know what they are and the ingredients used in making them.
That will inform the best way for their storage. For a start, macarons are French desserts and are made of almond flour or grounded almonds, egg white, and sugar, all whipped into a meringue-like consistency.
Each piece has a filling in-between two shells and the common ingredients used for the filling include chocolate fondue, cream cheese, and fruit purées.
A lot of our first time customers ask what macarons taste like. It is moist and quickly melts when you pop it into your mouth. Fresh macarons are crispy on the outside and the inside tastes soft and delicious.
Macarons last for 14 days at room temperature, 4 weeks when refrigerated, and up to 6 months when frozen.
Remember, macarons are best at room temperature, to get the perfect texture. Too cold, they might be harder to bite in.
You can bring them out whenever you need them. But let the macarons thaw delicately. That process will avoid them "wet" their outer shells.
Not everybody has the time for kitchen-time and thankfully, you can buy your macarons off the shelf without dabbling with ingredients and the oven.
So, how do you store your store-bought desserts and maintain their freshness? Here are some tips to help:
If baking is your thing or you prefer making everything that goes into your mouth, then you have probably tried your hands on home-baked macarons.
Baking is exciting as it allows you to be creative. So, if you have made batches of delicious home-baked macarons and you are wondering how to store them, do not fret.
Here are some tips to help you store and preserve your delicious macarons:
As stated above, you can freeze unfilled macarons for three to six months.
The unfilled shells are also called meringues. When left in the freezer, they remain fresh for longer.
When you are ready to use them, pull them out of the freezer and leave them to defrost for about 45 minutes.
After that, assemble them on a tray and fill them up with fillings of your choice. That is all! You can now serve your exquisite macarons. Home-made macarons are best stored unfilled to retain their freshness and crispiness.
It is possible that you have been storing macarons the wrong way and that is why they do not last long.
Since we have looked at the right and best ways to store your macarons, it is expedient to look at how not to store them. Here are the wrong methods you may have been using to store your macarons:
There are few easy steps to assemble a macaron tower stand. I've made a video to help you out!
There are a few steps to assemble it:
We recommend alternating bright colors, to create contrast. Your tower will "pop" more on your dessert table.
84 macarons fit on a 6-tier tower. Keep in mind, we only do authentic Parisian macarons at Pastreez. Their size is about 1.7 inches in diameter, and 1 inch high.
Some bakeries that make "American" macarons, they might be bigger, so your might have less macarons to fit on a tower.
It also depends on the macaron tower you get. I strongly recommend to order the tower stand with the macarons in the same bakery. This way, the baker can tell you for sure how many of their macarons fit on the tower they carry.
At Pastreez, we know it can be hard to find a proper tower stand with macarons.
That's why we made it simple for you: Our macaron tower pack includes a 6-tier tower and 84 macarons, which is the exact count of macarons you need for that specific display.
We also carry a smaller version: The 4-tier macaron tower set comes with the display and 36 macarons.
We use macaron tower and macaron tree as synonyms, but they are slightly different.
A macaron tower will have the macarons "sitting" on each tier.
With a macaron tree, the macarons are supposed to be "standing" flat on the display, even sometimes glued to it.
I recommend towers, it is way easier for your guests to pick a macaron from it.
]]>These exclusive ideas are sure to make your gender reveal party a memorable and Instagram-worthy event. Let's dive into it!
One of the most delightful ways to reveal the gender of your baby is through a watercolor cake.
On the outside, it would be a neutral color, like cream white. On the inside, it will be either blue or pink.
The color will be revealed only when you cut the cake!
Throughout the post, you'll see two schools: DIY (do it yourself at home), or buy it either online or near your house.
Needless to say, most gender reveal cakes would be a DIY. But hang on you might be surprised.
For watercolor cakes like these, I could only find a DIY recipe. No bakery delivery these to your door.
But if you don't have time to make your own cake, find a local bakery.
They should be able to make it custom for you. The average price would be around $50, for a 8-person cake.
Surprise your guests with a stunning gender reveal macaron tower from Pastreez.
We know it is hard to find authentic gender reveal cake ideas. Either you have no bakery near you, or you don't have time to make it at home.
At Pastreez, we know you're busy. That's why we made it easy for you to order.
For example, you can order weeks in advance. Just click "add event date" and we'll ship fresh accordingly. This way, no more stress over dessert when the deadline comes.
Also, we delivery fresh to your door in the entire United States. We typically send these to be delivered few days before your event, to avoid any delay.
Then, just refrigerate and serve at room temperature for the best experience!
The macaron tower is also very easy to assemble. It ships safely packaged, with a 6-tier tower on the side to assemble when the time comes.
One last thing about the macarons, it's an amazing gender reveal gift idea as well. We have a macaron favor box that includes 2 macarons. They are the perfect fit as a gift to your guests!
This is not a cake idea, but a little bonus.
Some of us have families and friends in other states, or countries. I found this digital scratch-off card on Etsy, and thought it was great!
Simply put, you send this link out, and anyone clicking on it will have to scratch and interact with the page to discover if it's a boy or a girl.
Now we all know this decorative figure, suspended that we have to break open to reveal candies or toys.
What I personally did not know about prior my research, is an actual gender reveal piñata cake!
The outer shell is hard, made of chocolate. Inside, you can put whatever you want, as long as it is either pink or blue, so your guests can find out about the baby's gender.
It's a pretty fun idea when you think about it. I like the fact that you have to break chocolate to reveal the big news.
It gives a "pop" to your party, and you can even do it with your loved one, which is not the case if you need to cut a cake for example.
It would be a very special order for a bakery, as they are not very common. But I found this piñata cake recipe if you want to give it a try at home.
Add a touch of vibrant colors to your gender reveal party with a rainbow explosion cake.
The good news is, you can either buy it, or DIY. I found this store that make custom rainbow explosion cakes, so you can add pink or blue instead of rainbow interior.
Note that this store is only located in big cities, like Los Angeles and New York. If you don't leave nearby, they won't deliver it to you.
In this case, I found this rainbow cake recipe that you could adapt to your gender reveal party. Just switch food coloring by blue or pink.If you're looking for individual portions and a variety of flavors, consider a charming cupcake assortment for your gender reveal.
Bake a batch of cupcakes, with each one having a different filling color inside, representing either pink or blue.
I found this recipe that you can use to DIY. But you can also purchase baked by Melissa cupcakes, they deliver nationwide.
This is it! Whether you bake it or buy it, planning a gender reveal party is an exciting moment.
Choose the one that resonates with your style. Make sure you decide early on whether you prefer to DIY or to buy it online.
You can't imagine at Pastreez how many last minute orders we get to fulfill your gender reveal needs. If you plan earlier, you get free shipping :)
Any question, please chat now with me!
]]>Price | See's candies and chocolate are affordable at $2.70 per candy including shipping. | |
Order process | The website has many options for gifts or for yourself. | |
Shipping | Standard shipping is slightly overpriced at $8.95. for a very small package of few candies. | |
Transit | Delivered in 4 days with UPS. Considering the price of shipping it could have arrived faster. | |
See's bakery | Great story of Mary See with hundreds years of history. It's missing the information about where are the candies made today. | |
Unboxing | Cute heart package, but chocolate were smaller than expected. | |
Quality | No quality cocoa, rock solid candies. |
I am the Parisian chef and owner of Pastreez, a French bakery that sells macarons and crêpes online.
With flavors like chocolate macaron, nutella crêpe, and much more, Pastreez has the "most authentic macarons in the US" according to Le Cordon Bleu pastry school.
A lot of you were always asking me where to find See's candy near me. I decided to actually order some of these famous chocolates online, to give you my insights on the quality.
Below is a full review and unboxing of See's candy!
The box of chocolates I ordered from See's cost $18.95 with shipping. It's $2.70 per chocolate which is actually fair.
Note that shipping costs $8.95. It is delivered in the entire United States.
Without shipping, if you were to purchase these in store, it would be $1.43 per chocolate. Even better. But we're not all close to a retailer that carries See's candies.
See's website and order process is pretty straight forward. Lots of options depending on the occasion: mother's day chocolates, Valentine's day, truffles, Christmas candy, easter candy and much more.
Note that you can even add manually your favorite chocolates and candies to your box. It's called "custom mix" on See's website.
At Pastreez we provide the same option for macarons.
The chocolates were ordered on February 11th. It was delivered on February 15th, which is 4 days after I ordered.
Since it was standard shipping I consider it being fair. And it was even in the Valentine's day season so even better, considering the higher volume carriers are under.
See's candy company was created in Ontario, Canada by Mary & Alexander See in 1854.
The family originally ran a hotel on Tremont Park Island, but Mary See developed her own candy recipes in parallel.
After her husband passed in 1919, she moved to Pasadena California and started the first See's candy shop there.
A great and long story! I'd appreciate to know where the chocolates and candies are actually made today. Where is the facility, and who's behind the recipes?
I personally like to know who make the food I order, especially online. For example, at Pastreez every single macaron is handmade by my wife and I, French chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. And our facility in located in Phelan, CA (available for shipping in the US).
Let's see if the the unboxing and quality standards are met.
Few bubble wraps were included in the carton box. It's important as it prevents the chocolates from moving around and absorb impacts during transit.
At Pastreez we use these insulated silver pouches to protect the macarons from variation of temperature during transit.
Here, See's chocolates weren't protected against temperature. It might work during Winter, but Summer times must be challenging with this shipping method.
On the back of the box, there were See's nutrition facts. 2 pieces of chocolate are one serving, and it is 160 calories per serving.
With 22% of Saturated fat of your daily value, these calories are fair considering it's chocolate!
As for the sugar, each serving includes 17g of it. It is 33% of your daily value.
By the way, according to the ingredients listed here, See's candies and truffles are gluten free.
The chocolate I received were most likely frozen. I suspect this because they were rock solid and very hard to bite into.
That being said, chocolate is very delicate to ship, especially on warmer weather. They might add pectin to solidify the chocolate and have it shipped without melting.
I would say that the texture was too hard to be enjoyable, and most likely previously frozen so freshness would not be great as well.
As a comparison, every single macaron (chocolate and all 15+ flavors) at Pastreez are made upon order and ship fresh to your door in the entire United States.
Being from France, we have a strong and old story with chocolate. Belgium as well, which is a close by neighbor.
When you purchase chocolates, it has to be smooth and slightly bitter-tasting. It's because cocoa by definition is bitter.
Here with See's, they don't actually tell you which cocoa they use, and what's the percentage of cocoa in their candies.
The quality was really not great in my opinion. I suspect these to only be a good "gift option" without focusing too much on quality, since it is mass produced with no quality cocoa included.
Here on the picture, I cut in half each chocolate candy. A great point is that each has its own style and filling.
There wasn't a list for me to tell which is what. It can be challenging because See's has hundreds of candies available.
And if I was allergic to hazelnut for example, it would have been difficult for to pick and choose safely.
Also, the chocolate candies were on the smaller size, less than an inch long.
Hope this See's review helps you decide choose the best gift idea for your loved ones!
Today only you get 7 macarons Free for orders over $42. Enter your email below to get the code.
]]>Price | Overpriced. $2.75 per macaron compared to average online $2.10. | |
Order process | Smooth. Good website. Danas bakery could add the option to pick specific flavors though. | |
Shipping | Overpriced. $18 is the minimum shipping cost. No Free shipping. Danas bakery do not ship to PO BOX. | |
Transit | Paid $18 for 2-day shipping. Received 5 days after. | |
For events? | The bakery advise to call if you need macarons for an event. No on-website option though. | |
Who is Danas bakery? | The head of company is identified. The place is legit with one pop up store in New York. | |
Unboxing | Branded box. Bubble wrap inside. No insulated pouch to help better transit. | |
Quality | Most macarons on my order were wet and melted. Most likely shipped frozen and thaw during transit. | |
Taste | Macarons too buttery. Flavors hard to distinguish. |
After reviewing Ma-ka-rohn, I now get to another popular online macaron store: Danas Bakery.
I will describe my full experience using their macaron delivery service: Ordering process, shipping and transit, packaging, quality of the macarons, taste test, etc.
The video below details all the criteria I am using to conduct this review.
My name is Anthony and I am the French chef behind Pastreez. My wife and I are Parisian chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris.
We are based in California, and ship macarons & crêpes fresh across the US.
We like to consider ourselves as macarons experts!
I conducted this review the same way you would order from Danas Bakery: I ordered from their website, and documented every step during the journey.
The objective is to give you insights, and help you decide if Danas bakery macarons are a good fit for you.
Macarons from Danas bakery are definitely on the higher price point. Each macaron costs $2.75, where the average price for a macaron is usually around $2.10.
They are sold in sets of twelve only, for $33 + $18 minimum shipping. Which means for 12 macarons delivered to your door by Danas bakery, it would cost you $51.. Ouch!
But let's see how the experience goes.
Note that there no gift boxes, or no bigger assortment. It means you can only purchase 12 macarons sets, towers and a subscription box.
It can be tricky if you need macarons for a party and do not want to spend too much on a tower, or if you wish to send a fancy gift.
I think the panel of macarons sets from Danas Bakery could be more diverse to match your needs.
Danas bakery order process was smooth. The website is colorful and has more pastries apart from macarons. Pictures are great, and clearly took by professionals.
One thing that is missing though, is the ability to build your own macarons box. It is actually odd: At the time I ordered, I was able to pick my flavors.
Few days later, when I'm writing this review, it's not possible anymore on their website.
I understand it could be hard for bakeries to meet the customer specific taste, but to me it is a must have.
At Pastreez, you are able to pick only the flavors you like.
When I purchase macarons online, I can be picky. For example, I'm not a fan of flavors like birthday cake. I really like to only pick what I want.
I feel like a popular macaron store like Danas bakery should go the extra mile, and allow you to customize your own set online.
Shipping is a big thing online. It is the sour surprise at checkout when you order anything.
At Danas bakery, there is no Free shipping, for any amount your order could be. That's a bummer, everyone loves free shipping! Especially when the macarons are pricy on the first hand.
Then, the shipping cost are the higher you could find online. You will pay a minimum of $18 for shipping, and $38 for overnight shipping.
That is very expensive. Especially for a small box of 12 macarons from Danas bakery.
For this price, you get two day air shipping with UPS, which is a good point. It means your order will transit for only two business days.
But here is the thing, Danas bakery ship only Monday to Wednesday. At this price, I would really expect my macarons to ship faster to my door.
It means if I order on a Wednesday, I would expect my order the following Wednesday. Paying $18 for a week to ship is a long way in my opinion.
For overnight, it ships Monday to Thursday. So the whole week is covered except weekends. That is fair because UPS do not deliver on weekends, depending where you are located.
Also note that if you want to order for an event, there is no way to add "ship later" date to ship later on. You would need to contact the bakery by email or phone.
See below the process and transit time for my order with Danas bakery:
Ordered on Sunday Aug. 22nd at 8:12pm
On Monday 8/23 at 8:14am, Danas bakery reached out to tell me they do not ship to PO BOX
The order actually shipped the following day, Wednesday Aug. 25th at 4:46am, with UPS 2nd day air
Delivered on Friday Aug. 27th at 4:05pm
Not shipping to PO BOX can be annoying to people living in rural areas.
Then, the customer representative told me the order would ship the same day, which wasn't the case. I was a bit disappointed, especially with $18 shipping cost.
I have ordered from other macaron stores that have more economic shipping costs, and delivered faster.
At Pastreez we like to offer plenty of options for shipping, depending of your needs: Free shipping over $69, $9.90 economic shipping, UPS 3 day air, UPS 2nd day air, and UPS Next day air (overnight).
Ordering macarons online is a new thing. Few years back, it wasn't possible.
It's why I like to know where the food come from, and who made it. At Danas bakery, the least we can say is that she is identified. It is a good point.
You are able to check on her experience with baking, and her story. They also have a legit address for their warehouse, which makes you feel you're in great hands.
That being said, upon my research on Glassdoor and other employees websites, Dana apparently doesn't bake the macarons, nor supervise it in the kitchen. That's fine!
But I like full transparency, especially with food. Knowing who bake your macarons is always a plus.
At Pastreez, all macarons batches are made by my wife and I, both French chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris.
Another great point: Danas bakery has a pop up store in New York. That shows that the company is legit and popular.
Alright let's go with this unboxing of Danas bakery macarons.
I received the package on Friday at 4:05pm, and did this review right away the same day.
The first point is branding. Buying macarons online is a journey. From the website experience, the emails, and the quality of the box is important.
Danas bakery carton box was branded, meaning there were "Danas bakery" stamp on it, along with other things. This way, when you go pick up the package, you get this excitement when you see the box.
Something odd I'd like to mention, the carton box was way too big. Like really really big. Especially for a small twelve macarons set in it.
The size of the carton box was about one and half foot long. Yes that big!
This causes an issue. What's inside that package will move a lot during transit, due to the empty space.
When you transit delicate treats, you want to optimize shipping with a box fits right in.
There was an indication saying "fragile", but a bright sticker that would say "Perishable" would be wise. You don't want to let this box too long outside.
Note that the box, probably due to its size and emptiness (not enough bubble wrap), was partially damaged.
Upon opening the carton box, you see bubble wrap. Like I was expecting, there were not enough bubble wrap in it to fill the box.
The delicate macarons might get damaged because of that.
Using air cushion is a smart way to avoid this. This solution is pretty easy to implement, and fill the whole box.
At the bottom of the box, there was the invoice, with my flavor selection. That's a good point to remind me what macaron flavors I ordered.
Under the bubble wrap, there was bubble plastic pouch, where the macarons were. To my surprise, the pouch wasn't insulated.
An insulated pouch is silver colored, like a metal layer. This layer keeps heat away during transit.
Since I paid big bucks for this twelve macarons from Danas bakery, I was expecting an impeccable shipping experience.
On this pouch, the shipping team might have forgotten to remove the paper that cover the sticker to seal it. You can see it on the picture.
Again, nothing too important, but when you pay $51 for twelve macarons, you expect higher standards.
Now it's time to open the pouch.
There were two ice packs, two cards, and the macarons.
The two ice packs were warm, as it should be. Ice packs might seems a good idea at first. But in reality it is useless.
In fact, ice packs are cold only a few hours. When your package transits for two days, it does not make any difference.
It's important to note that macarons transit safely by nature, a long as you use ganache filling instead of buttercream.
Since Danas bakery uses lots of butter for its recipes (we'll get to it in the next steps), it's a real challenge for them to actually ship.
You might ask yourself, what is a ganache filling vs buttercream filling? Ganache uses lighter ingredients like white chocolate, while buttercream is a filling with a butter base.
It might sounds like a detail, but it makes a huge difference. At Pastreez we do not use any butter for our macarons.
Butter is heavy, fat, and prevent you to actually taste the real flavor of a macaron. In addition, butter do not travel good.
As an example, when you go to the supermarket, butter is in the fresh section, refrigerated. White chocolate is in the dry section with other condiments.
The two cards inside the pouch show the macaron menu, best practices to enjoy the macarons, and a macaron of the month card.
That is a good point. A macaron menu is key to know which is what when you start the degustation.
The macaron of the month card is a great thing. They must print a new card monthly, which shows that the company stays creative.
Alright, let's take a look at those macarons from Danas bakery!
First of all, I could feel the company invested into branding. You can see their logo on the packaging, which is a good point.
The gold ribbon is a nice little touch. Not that the packaging come in two parts: A plastic square that surrounds a clamshell blister.
Now what about the macarons? I have to be brutally honest: It does not long good.
Before opening the first square packaging box, I could see that every single macaron was either damaged, wet and melted.
Now the packaging itself looked good, there was no bump or noticeable damage.
But after opening the first packaging, then the clamshell, I was disappointed with the result. But I still have hope (always!). Let's have a closer look.
There are few issues here: The macarons were melted and / or wet.
The melted issue can be explained: Dana's bakery uses too much butter in its filling.
Remember, butter do not travel safe. This is why it is in the fresh section at your supermarket. Would you order butter to ship to your door? I wouldn't personally, neither should you :)
Most fillings made by Dana's bakery contain butter as main ingredient.
It impacts the taste (more about it on the taste test), the quality, and the transit.
The result: Butter will liquefy in transit and melt in the macaron packaging.
Food has to be appealing for me to want to taste it. Sadly the macarons do not look good. But don't worry, I'll still try every single one to continue this review.
Then, almost every macaron was wet. This is coming from something you might not suspect: Dana's bakery macarons are most likely shipped frozen.
I might be wrong, but I saw few things that point towards this explanation.
There is a specific smell of thawing. A normal smell for fresh macarons are almond and fruit purée or chocolate. It wasn't the case here.
Also, when something is wet, there is water.
Since the packaging was sealed, the water does not come from outside. It comes from inside.
But here is the thing, macarons don't "sweat" at ambient temperature. To be this wet, it must come from thawing during transit.
I also saw few spots of water inside the blister. This is a pattern of thawing as well.
So the macarons were not shipped fresh (when were my macarons made?), they are wet, melted, and I paid $51 for twelve macarons. I can't tell you how disappointed I am.
I want to give Dana's bakery the benefit of the doubt.
Maybe it was related to my specific order. Since every order ships with UPS Two day air, transit time would be the same anywhere in the US though.
Checking on quality and taste test will be a challenge at this point, but I hope I will have a better experience!
At this moment of the review, I do a deeper analysis on the quality of Dana's bakery macarons.
To do so, I cut every flavor in half to check on the shell and filling. I give you my insights on the texture, freshness, hollow / not hollow shells, color, roundness, shells feet, and size of the macarons.
A macaron signature taste is crunchy outside, chewy inside.
The filling should spread into the hard shells, creating this perfect balance in your mouth, waking up your tastebuds.
The texture of Dana's bakery macarons lost their crunchy outside. This is due to the fact the the macarons were frozen prior. The result: macarons are watery.
When you retrieve anything from your freezer, and let it on the kitchen countertop for a while, you'll see a layer of water on top of it.
It is due to the thawing process. This is what most likely happened with these.
Now about freshness, since the macarons were previously frozen, there is no way to know where they were made. It could be days, weeks, months.
Fresh macarons has no layer of water on its shells. It's an easy way for you to ensure freshness, wherever you buy macarons online.
A "hollow" macaron happens when there is air trapped in the shells. It creates an empty space inside the shell and weaken the macaron. It can also cause cracks. See below, one of Dana's bakery macaron that was "hollow".
There are few tips to remove air from the batter, prior to baking. After piping your batter, simply tap ten times your pan sheet on your counter to release air bubbles (check our upcoming online macarons classes).
I like to check on that, because it shows a bakers' ability to make good macarons. It also shows his / her experience.
Dana's bakery macarons on this point were fair. I noticed a few hollow macarons, about four out of twelve (it was hard to tell due to the level of damage).
The macarons have great colors. Each has a distinctive, easy to recognize color to match the menu card (it's not always the case!).
Having colorful macarons shows that the bakers did not over baked their batches.
With macarons, it is very easy to slight burn a batch. Few extra seconds in the oven, and your shells will brownish. It was not the case here.
I like to check macarons roundness on my macaron reviews. For example, if every single macaron has the exact same shape and size, they were most likely mass produced with a depositor machine.
That's not necessarily a bad point. I personally prefer to buy from artisans that bake macarons 100% by hand. Knowing that every single macaron is unique is appealing to me.
But at least with a depositor machine, all your macarons has a perfect round shape. I can't complain about that!
Macarons feet are the swollen part of the shells. Good macarons feet are about half the height of the shell.
It is an important aspect to notice because it's purely a baking thing. With experience and knowledge, every baker will be able to have great macarons feet.
Dana's bakery macarons feet were good. I think this bakery knows how to make good shells, but lack with their filling and shipping. With a few adjustments it could be much better.
It is time to taste all these macarons flavors from Dana's bakery! I reviewed one by one each macaron flavor that I ordered.
I will do my best to taste it all, but due to the melted / wet conditions of these macarons, it is a real challenge.
This macaron looked good, but sadly had no taste. The filling is way too buttery.
The filling had a slight lime taste, which was okay. But the macaron was dry and inconsistent. I suspect since this is a fruity flavor, there was no butter in it at all (yeay!).
But they might have forgot to add a ganache base filling, with white chocolate to keep the whole experience smooth.
I did not enjoyed this flavor sadly. I could feel the orange extract being too present in mouth. It had also the same than key lime: Being a fruity flavor, they did not added butter, and the filling was dry.
Butter is not the only solution to keep your macarons smooth! A ganache based filling, with white chocolate instead of butter is the key.
This macaron flavor sadly had no taste. I had the same feeling with the champagne macaron flavor from my Ma-ka-rohn review.
Champagne does not have strong enough taste to put it in a macaron in my opinion. I don't think there was alcohol in it either.
I was surprised that this specific filling had a peanut butter taste.
The flavor was good. It was more a chocolate macaron to me.
Taste was on the okay side. This macaron also tasted like peanut butter.
I'm not sure why would Dana's bakery add a peanut butter base flavor to red velvet macaron. Could it be cross-contamination?
The filling was great. The taste and texture was more like a brownie to me. It might be due to the wet / melted issue though. This flavor is the one that stands out of my selection.
There was no specific taste to it. I couldn't feel the Strawberry fruit purée. It seems like all fruity flavors are a challenge for Dana's bakery.
The flavor was okay, considering the conditions of the macarons upon delivery. This flavor should taste like Caramel and Vanilla. I could feel that which is a good point.
The taste was good. You can't really mistake with a peanut butter base filling.
This flavor is interesting. The cookie dough itself was good. I'm sure people at Dana's bakery has great experience in that, because they also sell cookies.
But in a macaron, I'm not sure it's a good fit. The macaron was dry.
Remember, a macaron is supposed to have a crunchy outside / chewy inside balance. The cookie dough filling was too hard. It wasn't "wet" enough to spread into the shells.
I liked this flavor. I'm more a tea guy than a coffee guy. But I like the smell and taste of a coffee pastry. This macaron flavor looked good and tasted good.
I had big expectations when I ordered macarons online at Dana's bakery.
Not only because of the price tag, but also because the company advertise a lot about its macarons.
On the taste test, it's just my opinion as a macaron French chef. You might like macarons with butter.
But the huge disappointment was the conditions in which the macarons arrived: Melted, wet, and broken down.
It might be my specific order that had this issue. But still. Every order from Dana's bakery ships with UPS 2nd day air. We can't blame it on the carrier.
A good thing is the creativity to create "American flavors" for French macarons.
I'm sure if you live in New York, it would be worth it to try the macarons straight out of their pop up store for pick up. But sadly those macarons do not ship well, due to quantity of butter used.
I hope this review helped you in your macarons buying decision.
Oh by the way, today's deal is 7 free macarons for any $42+ purchase. Don't wait!
]]>The first communion party of your child is a special event. It is the first introduction of your child into the world of spirituality.
Many parents put much thought into making the day memorable. Are you planning to celebrate your child’s holy communion uniquely?
There are many ways to celebrate. However, irrespective of your plan, you should consider adding the first communion cake into the mix.
This will make it more special and exciting. In this post, we will look at 5+ first communion cakes that stand out. Let us get right into the details.
This cake is simple but stylish with a huge variety of your preferred frosting, color, and flavor. You can also add a customized message to make it unique. The fact that the professional decorators are flexible is the best thing about this cake.
They allow you to choose your cake types, such as marble, chocolate, red velvet, carrot, and white. You can also choose between two icing – Vanilla (Buttercreme) and Vanilla (Whipped).
This exquisite Girl’s first communion cake is a beauty to behold. It is stylish, delicate, and yummy all the same.
It comes in various frosting flavors, including vanilla, lemon, strawberry, and banana. You can also choose your preferred filling flavor.
They have five different filling and cake flavors to choose from, including chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, lemon, and banana.
It is also available in a variety of sizes. It is all about your preference. The best part is that you can customize it with the words you want to have on the cake.
Of course, we have to include this Macaron Tower because nothing you have ever taken in the domain of macarons will prepare you for the taste.
These are genuine French macarons perfect for your first communion event or party. You can create your unique set to match your party theme.
You can choose from a variety of designs and arrangements that are available. You can also choose your flavor and colors.
These macarons are gluten-free, making them the ideal choice for vegans and people with gluten allergies.
We are French chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Every single macaron is 100% handmade and ship fresh in the entire United States. 6-tier tower and 4-tier tower are available.
You can order weeks even months ahead. On the tower page, click "add event date" and we'll ship fresh accordingly.
Below is a limited offer for 7 macaron Free on $42+ order. Valid today only (redeem below).
Featuring a two-tiered buttercream cake, this piece of delicious first Holy communion cake will add a special touch to any communion party.
Delight your guests with the sight of this buttery cake and let them look forward to a slice of it.
The two-tiered cake comes with a sugar-veil edible lace, sugar cross, and flowers. You will love having this piece for your child’s first communion party.
Featuring a vivid turquoise color, the goddaughter's first Holy Communion cake pops will make a difference in a child’s communion party.
Do you want to do something special for your goddaughter on her first communion? Then this special gift is a great choice.
It is unique and very delicious too. You can customize the color, filling flavor, and icing flavor of the cake to suit your preference.
The cake is handmade using a combination of secret ingredients to deliver an insanely moist and delicious cake to you.
This beautiful three-tiered is a perfect addition to your child’s communion package.
Featuring two-tone icing with gold cross gracing the upper tier, you will fall in love with this cake. The Sweet Blessing first communion cake comes in different flavors.
You can choose your flavor and colors. Whether you are celebrating your boy’s communion party or your baby girl’s, you can get this cake in a complementary color that suits the gender of your baby.
]]>I'm Anthony French chef at Pastreez. I will answer in this post questions that I get a lot daily: what is a macaron, and what do macarons taste like.
Many of us have tried macarons at some point in our lives. When tasted in its best form, one bite will fill you with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
They are not just mouthwatering without a reason—they are remarkably tasty while being so elegant, bringing freshness and joy to the palate.
Nevertheless, macarons are not about sweetness. The perfect macaron is a balanced delicacy. It’s a sweet meringue, a delicate duet of two cookies that share a filling of almonds, buttercream, ganache, jams, powdered sugar, and egg whites.
The shells are crispy from the outside, and chewy and soft from this inside, so moist that it dissolves in your mouth.
Almost everyone who visits France has tried a macaron because patisseries and cafes in France have macarons it is one of the top 10 things to do in France. Nowadays you can find macarons everywhere.
But if you are looking for petite, cream-filled French macarons, there are some things that you may need to consider.
It is also important to know that macarons are a dessert of balance. They will satisfy your cravings for something sweet but they will not overpower you like a candy bar. A balanced macaron has a nutty flavor, and while sugar is part of the recipe but not the highlight of a macaron.
In other words, the balance between sweet and nutty will determine the goodness of a macaron.
Macarons come in a variety of flavors. You can choose from fruit, caramel, and chocolate to pistachios and jams. Regardless of the flavor, the sweetness should be balanced.
A meringue is quite similar in taste because both macarons and meringues are made with sugar and egg whites and that is why the texture is very similar between the two.
A macaron is never too sweet, if it is then you will have a lingering sweetness in the back of your throat and that ruins the other flavors.
What is a macaron? What do macarons taste like? Here are few aspects that will help.
A macaron is a French pastry composed of two shells and a filling in the middle. The shells are made with almond flour, egg white and sugar.
The filling is either a buttercream or a ganache (butter replaced with white chocolate).
Not everyone can make good macarons and it takes some time to perfect its texture. It can determine whether or not a macaron has good taste.
Professional chefs around the world make macarons differently and in some regions where there is high humidity, the texture can be affected, which will make the macaron too mushy.
In any case, a macaron should be light, crunchy on the outside, and soft in the center.
People love jam fillings, buttercream fillings, and ganache fillings, which add to the softness.
On the same note, when you eat a macaron, you should be able to eat a few without feeling heavy.
And many people enjoy a couple of macarons with a glass of champagne or with a cup of tea.
Macarons are delicious. It is one of the most popular French dessert, and it's specific taste and shape makes it perfect for special occasions.
Do you know what is the difference between buttercream vs ganache? Both are a type of filling used to fill macarons.
The buttercream uses butter as main ingredient, and ganache uses white chocolate.
At Pastreez, we use ganache for all our fillings. We find the result to be smoother, lighter and flavorful.
As a macaron expert, I'm always extra careful with the Shell and filling ratio in a macaron.
We are not expecting anyone to measure ratios here but believe it or not, top French chefs use ratios of 2:1 and 1:1.
So yes, there is some science behind creating the perfect macaron. If you see a filling that makes a macaron look like a blob—avoid it.
The spread should be not too thin and not too much that it is oozing outside the edges.
If you see an under-filled macaron, you will know by just squeezing it, just a little bit.
Think of ganache, how smooth is it? That is exactly how the filling should be. Rich but light, and moist but not sticky.
Also, when you eat a macaron, you can expect a few crumbs falling here and there but it should not be crumbly and not stick to your teeth.
However, for caramel fillings, there is an exception and maybe for jam fillings too.
A tasty macaron has a smooth cookie texture. A good way to know is by looking for bumps, if you see any, this means that the chef did not use finely grounded almonds.
Sure, you will still enjoy a chunky macaron but it tastes much better when the almonds are finely grounded.
Additionally, the crust should also be thin. It is like a protective cover for the softness underneath.
I wrote a full study on major Online Macaron Bakeries like Dana's bakery or Ma-ka-rohn, where I review all these points.
You'll find out that smooth shells and soft filling might be altered by some key elements.
On the other hand, if the crust is semi-hard, it will probably shatter and it is no fun to eat.
You need the cookie to be mushy, even to the point where it might look uncooked, but that is how we like our macarons, and you will too.
We all love sugar, but macarons are not about sugar. In other words, the macaron should give your palate a variety of flavors where sugar is part of the equation.
There are two types of macaron flavors: Creamy or fruity. A creamy flavor is Salted Caramel for example.
We use chocolate as the main ingredient for those. Since chocolate contain sugar naturally, there is no point to add extra.
A fruity flavor would be Raspberry, for example. Fruit purée is the main ingredient.
Same thing here: Fruits already got sugar in it. No extra sugar needed.
I hope my answers were clear enough you now know a bit more about macarons!
]]>We know it is hard to find couples gift baskets in 2024.
An anniversary is a special time as it marks an important event in your life. It may be a wedding, work, or relationship anniversary.
That's why I wrote this blog post: To help you find surprising gift ideas.
As a spouse, you can get your partner a gift to show them how much you cherish them.
You can also give a gift to a friend to celebrate your friendship anniversary.
You may also decide to buy yourself or a friend a gift to celebrate their work anniversary. This post shares five different anniversary gift baskets that you can consider for someone special, including yourself.
While buying a large gift basket is never out of place, a simple, thoughtful gift box may mean much more to your spouse or parents.
If you want to give a wedding anniversary gift to your spouse, you can buy a simple, classy sweet wine basket that both of you can enjoy over a romantic dinner. It is also a great choice for your parents’ anniversary.
The box is crafted with composite wood with a unique faux rosewood finish to create an impeccable look.
Each wine basket contains a foil cutter, stopper, pouring spout, and corkscrew to make the wine-taking process very seamless. The package allows you to personalize your gift with up to two lines of customized text.
Another gift that you can consider is an exquisite anniversary gourmet gift basket for couples. If you want to celebrate your parents’ wedding anniversary, a friend’s, or even your wedding anniversary, you can opt for this gift basket.
The basket contains a beautiful gift crate, a variety of delicious gourmet products, and everything you need to create a romantic evening with a tasty Italian charcuterie at home. It also comes with a nice recipe to help you make the best of the evening.
So, instead of having dinner out, why not prepare something nice together and create a romantic ambiance in your home?
Irrespective of how many years you are celebrating, this gift will be a nice surprise for your better half.
If you are looking for something unique, impressive, and nutritious to give as an anniversary gift, the Deluxe Gift Basket is a nice choice.
The basket contains some of the most popular fresh fruits that have been expertly grown and handpicked.
The deluxe basket also comes with various sumptuous gourmet cheeses, such as artisanal cheese, cheddar, and Gouda.
All items are carefully and nicely packaged to be delivered to the gift recipients promptly. If you want to deliver a surprise gift package, this is a great idea to choose from. You can be sure that your recipient would love every item in the basket.
How best to celebrate someone in a healthy way than giving them a box full of delicious macarons on their special day?
The macarons gift box comes with twenty pieces of handmade, gluten-free, dairy-free macarons made by expert French chefs.
The cookies are carefully packaged in a soft-touch gift box and safely shipped to you or the gift recipient. All orders are delivered fresh and they can last 14 more days after delivery. You can go for a customized package by choosing unique flavors that the celebrants would love.
There are fifteen flavors to choose from, including Cherry, Chocolate, Blueberry, Galaxy Cheesecake, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and Mix Berries, among others. You can be sure to find something that will appeal to your friends.
What is an anniversary without plush meals and snacks to celebrate with?
The VIP gourmet gift basket is designed to wow the celebrant or celebrants, as the case may be. It is a large gift basket that overflows with savory and sweet snacks.
Some of the items included in the box are Ghirardelli milk chocolate with caramel, beef jerky, thyme, and marinated basil artichoke snacks.
It also contains items, such as salami, garlic herb cheese wedges, sweet and spicy honey mustard dip, cookies, pretzels, crackers, sticky toffee, and the list keeps going.
There are a total of 530 items in the gift basket and all have been carefully selected to satisfy the taste buds.
If you are looking to impress someone, this gift basket will do the trick.
An anniversary is not complete without a gift. It does not matter if you want to get the gift basket for your wife, husband, parents, or friends, the gift ideas enumerated in this post are perfect for just about anyone.
It is time to surprise someone and make them happy on their special day.
Check each of the items highlighted above and pick the ones that meet your preference and budget.
]]>Nothing beats the satisfaction you derive from taking a bite of the delicious, cute macaron. Of course, a bite is not enough. You have to indulge and get some more bites or even more pieces of the delicious cookies.
For many people, these cookies are a staple and a part of dessert. For some others, it is a special treat that you enjoy on special days.
Whether you eat it every other day or for special moments, you would be surprised to learn that there are many things you do not know about macarons. In this post, we will share 10 fun facts about macarons that you may not know. Let us get right into the details!
The first macaron was made in Italy and not in France, contrary to popular belief. It found its way from Italy to France in 1533 when a chef of Italian noblewomen Catherine De Medicis brought it over to France. Cute macarons were credited to Pierre Desfontaines because of his great idea to fill the cookies with creamy ganache.
The first is the Italian method, which involves whisking egg whites with heated sugar syrup to achieve a meringue. Icing sugar and sited almond flour are added and mixed with the egg to form a paste. This forms the macaron mixture.
The second method is the French method, which involves whisking egg whites until it forms a stiff-peaked meringue. Powdered sugar and almond flour are then added slowly and mixed to achieve the desired consistency.
The Italian meringue is the most effective to make macarons, and gives consistent results (learn how to make macarons with us online here).
One of the oldest macaron bakery, Maison Rannou-Métivier, is located in Montmorillon.
Its existence dates back to 1920 and today, it has become a rich museum. The traditional recipe and ingredients for Montmorillon macarons have never changed for the past 150 years.
Are you surprised? Well, that is a fun fact. Macaron has its day and it is the biggest macaron event in the year.
During this event, different shapes and colors, including blue macarons, would be on display for the pleasure of everyone at Pastreez. Come visit us in Phelan California!
That is the most expensive cookie ever sold in the world. The legendary Parisian pastry chef, Pierre Hermé, offers luxurious options of ingredients to his clients, including red grape, balsamic vinegar, rare peanut butter, and fleur de sel, among others.
Although the macaroons offered are very expensive, the client’s flavor preference determines how much they pay for them. In this case, the most expensive macaron of the world was sold $7,414 in an auction.
If you are looking for a light dessert, macarons are a great option. Macaron calories are low as you can have just about 70 to 100 calories in a piece of macarons. That means you can enjoy multiple flavors of these cookies without packing the calories.
Additionally, macaron nutrition is also high, which means you do not have to feel guilty while taking a bite. It may also be interested for you to know that traditionally, these are gluten-free.
These pieces of cookies are created through specific ingredients and techniques. It should be noted that the macaron nutrition enjoyed today was not the actual dessert it was. The oldest method was first developed in the year 792 somewhere in the Middle East.
It was reported that the granddaughter of Catherine De Medicis was saved from starvation in the 16t Century by eating macarons in Nancy. The town later became very popular for the macarons after two nuns baked them as a form of payment for their housing while seeking asylum in the French Revolution.
During the wedding celebration of Louis XIV and Marie-Therese in Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 1660, Chef Adam served fresh macarons to the wedding guests and that was the only food the guests desired for the event. This made the cookies the highly sought-after sweet within the circle of the affluent.
In 2013, macarons made it to the Guinness Book of World Records when the world’s tallest pyramid made of macarons was erected. The pyramid was made of 8,540 macarons that local entrepreneurs providedin Shibuya, Japan.
These are ten fun facts about macarons that you should know about. The next time you want to pop a piece into your mind, you can do so gladly, knowing that macaron calories are relatively low and they are highly nutritious. They are also available in various flavors and colors and you can choose your cookies based on your color and flavor preference.
Enjoy today's offer: 7 macarons free for any order over $42. Don't wait!
]]>Whatever the occasion, vegan gift baskets make a unique and special gift.
Whether it is a birthday present, a hostess gift, or a holiday gift, you can give a loved one a vegan hamper and you can trust they would love it.
The great part is that you can find a plethora of options online, which means you can order the package you want without leaving the comfort of your home or office. So, what are the top five vegan gift baskets ideas that you can give for any occasion? Let us check them out!
PS: For extra help you might want to read my top 10 Vegan candy article.
Are you thinking of what to give a friend or a family member during the coming holiday? A vegan food gift basket is a great idea.
If your recipient loves snacking, then you should pick up a Vegancuts snack box for them. You can be sure that they would love every piece of the package. Each box contains about thirteen snacks, covering sweet treats, salty snacks, cookies, and drinks.
The best part is that they are gluten-free, making them a perfect gift idea for someone on a gluten-free diet.
It should be noted that the standard Vegancuts gift baskets are a bit small, which means it only ideal for one person. If you want a gift basket for a couple or family, you should consider getting two baskets or request a bigger size.
Baked with almond flour, vegan white chocolate, powdered sugar, strawberry fruit puree, coconut cream, there is no better vegan gift basket idea than the vegan macarons.
Every bite of each piece is delicious. It is also highly nutritious. If your gift recipient is a great fan of macarons, then a beautifully packaged macarons gift basket is the best choice.
Each basket contains up to 48 handmade vegan macarons in different flavors. The flavors available include Raspberry, Almond chocolate, Passion Fruit chocolate, and Coconut. These are carefully and safely packaged to ensure utmost freshness at the point of delivery, wherever you are in the US.
At Pastreez today we have an offer for 7 macarons Free on any order over $42. Redeem Now below.
When you think of something yummy and healthy at the same time, the gluten free tower of gourmet vegan breads & cookies basket is a top choice to consider.
It consists of three different gift boxes that are stacked together to create a mouthwatering tower of vegan cookies and bread. This vegan tower is organically sweetened and baked with non-GMO ingredients.
Each vegan gift basket contains freshly baked vegan cookies and bread. They are one of the best gifts you can give someone on a gluten-free diet for Christmas or Thanksgiving. They are also perfect as a birthday gift or just a thoughtful gift to a carb-loving vegan.
Note that I always advise to order directly from artisans, especially for this type of food. Amazon is still a decent choice to order from, but make sure to check who is it coming from by contacting the seller prior to buy.
Truffle lovers would love a gift basket such as this! The Chocolate Gourmet Truffles gift basket is made with the best quality vegan ingredients and under strict hygienic conditions. All truffles are handmade and absolutely gluten-free. They are made with no preservatives or additives.
Pop a piece into your mouth and enjoy the delightful feeling as it melts deliciously. Each basket contains up to 48 artisan vegan dark chocolate truffles that are delivered fresh to your doorsteps. You may want to order an extra box for yourself, so you do not get jealous as the recipient enjoys the delicacy.
The vegan delight gift basket contains some of the choicest British vegan treats. The items in the gift baskets include gourmet popcorn, Pimenton Toast, Walnut, Olive, Vanilla, and Raspberry Jelly.
This vegan basket is surely not the regular gift basket with candy and snacks. It is carefully packaged and presented in a custom-made lidded British icon gift box that is hand-tied in a colorful ribbon.
When you want to make someone happy with a gluten-free, diary-free gift basket, this special package is one of the best ideas you can consider.
Vegan gift baskets are perfect as vegan birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, or any special occasion. It contains a wide variety of items ranging from food, baby gifts, beauty products, and more, and all are gluten-free.
In other words, they do not contain animal products, such as dairy and meat or whey and gelatin. If you are a DIY fanatic, you can make your own vegan gift baskets as well.
However, if you want something professionally packaged, it is recommended that you order your basket from a reliable artisan. We strongly recommend the vegan macarons gift basket because it is a package filled with goodness and your loved ones are going to love it, for sure.
Todays' offer is 7 macarons Free for any order over $42. Don't wait and redeem below!
]]>Spice up your relationship with these subscription for couples!
Studies have shown that new experiences and surprises are the top ways to strengthen relationships. They help to rekindle the love and a sense of excitement in the relationship. They also give couples something new and fresh to look forward to do together.
So, are you looking to spark off some new vibes in your romance without spending a fortune? Subscription boxes are a great way to add some flames to the fire of your romance.
This post shares five amazing subscriptions that you can sign up for to give your relationship some mystery and romantic fun. Let us get into the details!
Are you looking for an alternative fun thing to do aside from going out? Unboardom is the perfect subscription to consider. Every date night subscription package comes with an exciting board game for the couple to play together.
Whether you prefer friendly competition or the heady competition that leaves no room for mercy, you can be sure to find the perfect date night subscription boxes that fit your need.
You can also choose the Board Game Beginner subscription that lets you learn a new game together every quarter, giving enough room for mystery.
The Casual Gamer is another option that delivers one exciting game to your doorsteps bi-monthly. If you are in for a monthly surprise, the Gaming Guru subscription boxes would be the perfect choice for you. The best part about choosing UnboxBoardom is that you can choose the specific games you want.
With this, you can select games that you and your partner love. UnboxBoardom subscription board game is available from $30 per month.
Why do you have to go to the bar when you can be the perfect mixologist with your partner?
Let your hair down, sit back, and unwind as you enjoy delicious cocktails with your lover. Sack the bartender for the night and get your hands into the fine art of mixing the best cocktails.
SaloonBox offers everything you need to perform like a pro. If you have always been intrigued by the concoctions craft, you can choose these subscription boxes to become a master mixologist. SaloonBox’s monthly subscription box comes with all ingredients you need to fix a couple of drinks together.
Each box comes with mixers, booze, and garnishes. It also comes with detailed step-by-step instructions that walk you through the process of making tasty beverages. The SaloonBox subscription packages start from $49 per month.
Are you looking for something deliciously different and healthy? Pastreez Macaron subscription box may be what you are looking for. The best part about this subscription is that you can get seasonal flavors every month.
That means you can look forward to something new every month. From strawberry to salted caramel, gingerbread to choco fudge and red velvet, galaxy cheesecake to mix berries, and Tiramisu to PB&J, there is so much to look forward to in your couple’s subscription boxes.
By the way, each macaron is hand-made with the best gluten-free ingredients by French chefs in California. For every box that is delivered to you each month, you are guaranteed 100% freshness. The Pastreez Macaron subscription boxes start from $19 per month plus shipping.
Since macarons are naturally gluten free, it fits for every diet. I also wrote an article about gluten-free subscription boxes.
Do you share the same love for plants as a couple? Then, you may want to practice co-parenting a plant with this plant subscription box.
The Sill offers a plant delivery service that delivers a monthly box of a plant to your doorsteps. Even if you are new to tendering to plants, you can choose the beginner-friendly greenery that allows you to learn to nurture plants together as a couple.
Each subscription package comes with a new plant and a pretty trendy pot to plant it in. Whatever your level of skills and knowledge is in nurturing plants, you can be sure to find the perfect package for you.
You can choose between the Plants for Beginners monthly subscription at $35 per month and the Medium Plants for Beginners monthly subscription at $55 per month.
If you and your partner are foodies, there is no better way to spice up your relationship than this box.
Add some fun to your romance with a meal subscription from Blue Apron. Each subscription box comes with everything you need to prepare two servings of a chef-curated recipe anytime.
Blue Apron offers its signature plan that lets you prepare your meals from scratch. You can pick the weekly or monthly plan, depending on your preference.
Even if you are a vegetarian, Blue Apron offers vegetarian plans as part of its subscription boxes. The subscription package for couples starts from $10 per serving.
There you have the five amazing subscription boxes for couples. Which would you try first? Of course, you can subscribe to more than one package, so you can always have something new and exciting to do throughout the month.
]]>France is renowned universally for its enjoyable pastries. From soft chocolate-coated cakes to crunchy tarts and French snacks, there is so much to satisfy your palate.
Whether you are planning a trip to France or you just want to know what delicacies you can find in a French bakery near you, here are the 10 best pastries that will make your mouth waters:
Let us look at each of them in detail!
The macarons, as we know them today, have not always had a similar appearance to a mini-cake created with almonds, crunchy egg whites and sugar on the outside, and cream, liqueur, or jam on the outside.
Macaron is a delicious dessert that made its first appearance in Italy during the Middle Ages and then imported to France in 1581 by Catherine de Medici for a nobleman’s wedding in Ardèche. In the contemporary world, you will find different variants of this French pastry, including vanilla, raspberry, coffee, or chocolate flavors, among others.
It is impossible to talk about French pastries without mentioning croissants. If you want to start your day in the French way, order a piece of the croissant to enjoy, and dip it into milk. French croissants are carefully baked pastries made with butter.
The taste is quite different and better than regular patisseries. Of course, the taste is not the only differentiating feature; French croissants are also different in shape (see picture attached).
Semi-sweet chocolate, known as batons, forms the foundation for this lip-smacking traditional patisserie. The dough is wrapped carefully around the stick of chocolate and kept in the refrigerator to rest for a while before baking.
Pain au chocolat is the favorite of many French children and the young-at-heart too. It is made of milk, sugar, instant yeast, unsalted butter, and flour, among other ingredients.
Known as Apple turnovers in other parts of the world, Chausson aux Pommes is a traditional French pastry, a delectable puff pastry treat, stuffed with cooked apple.
They are a great choice for a Sunday breakfast or an appetizer before the main course. Chausson aux Pommes are made of puff pastry, ground cinnamon, apples, syrup, and egg white.
Known for its softer vanilla center and thick caramelized crust, cannelés are a small French patisserie, originated in the Bordeaux area.
They are a great option for dessert after an evening meal or a simple snack. A bite of this delicious pastry will transport you into a rapturous mood.
Crepes are of Bretagne origin, a region located in the west of France. There are two variants of crepes made in France and they are the sweet type with regular all-purpose flour, and the salty type with buckwheat dark flour.
It is difficult to decide which is better between the two because it is all about individual preferences. If you are planning to eat crepes in the French way, get a bowl of apple cider and bon appétit!
The current Crepes menu is available for shipping in the entire United States.
Made of extended choux pastry, stuffed with pastry cream, and topped with caramel or chocolate icing, the éclair is a scrumptious cake from France.
With numerous variants, there is surely something for everyone. From vanilla, fruit mousse, chocolate to whipped cream and coffee – there are so many options that people can explore and enjoy.
A mini, supple, almond-flavored cake, the Financier has become a mainstream pastry and can be found in French bakeries across the world. The modern version has a couple of flavors, such as pistachio, raspberry, and almond.
However, the original flavor, which is plain almond, remains the best taste among the variants. You can order the different flavors and compare. You are sure to find out that the almond flavor is the best of them all.
Also known as shell-shaped cookies, Madeleine is a type of small cake baked with butter and eggs. Some chefs make them with chocolate chips, while others soak them in chocolate to achieve a certain delicious flavor and aroma.
If you want to have Madeleine in the French way, serve the pastry with a cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea.
Crème Brûlée made with caramel, vanilla, egg yolk, and cream, crème brûlée is a type of pastry that will make you ask for more.
Deep your spoon through the caramelized top and hear the cracking sound as you scoop the creamy lair below the caramelized topping of the pastry.
It is one of the yummy patisserie that French chefs are proud to serve. Restaurants serve crème brûlée as a dessert at restaurants, and you can also order it from a French pastry shop or bakery.
These are the ten best French pastries that you need to try out. So, which of these pastries have you had before? Which of them are you trying soon?
If you are wondering where to find French Pastries near me, visit Pastreez. We do every macaron and crepe by hand. You are sure to get a fresh delivery to your home or office promptly, wherever you are in the US.
]]>
Godiva |
Sturdy metal heart shaped box. |
Price is fair at $2 each candy. Quality is fair as well but below some of this panel. Disappointed on quality considering it's a Belgium chocolatier brand. |
Lindt |
Carton box, with custom heart design. |
$1.6 per Lindor chocolate ball. Classic chocolate ball. |
Pastreez |
Soft touch elegant gift box, with embossed logo. Luxury feel and quality. |
About $2.60 each macaron. Handcrafted by French chefs. Bigger size than chocolate candies. Heart shaped candy. Great option to order authentic macarons as a gift and surprise your family and friends. |
See's candy |
Cheaper carton box with fair quality. |
Pricy with $2.70 per chocolate, considering it is the lowest chocolate quality on this review. |
Lake Champlain |
No packaging, only a plastic bag (not great for gifts). Cheap look. I wouldn't recommend to send these as a gift. |
$1.60 per chocolate heart. Good quality heart shaped candy. |
After the review of the best macaron delivery services, I decided to order from famous chocolatiers brands here in the United States.
The objective to help you decide which chocolate heart or candy to buy from.
So I ordered from each of these chocolate and candy brand: Godiva, Lindt, Pastreez, See's candy and Lake Champlain.
Then I compared price, packaging, unboxing and quality of the candy.
Being a French chef from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, I hope my insights will help you in your purchase.
Godiva is a world famous "chocolatier" brand available in the United States. You can find these either online on their website, or in most retail stores like Target, Walmart, etc.
Do you know how to pronounce Godiva like in Belgium? The pronunciation is actually GO-DEEH-VAH.
Godiva makes a large panel of chocolates for any occasion, such as truffles, dark chocolate, coffee, and much more.
Here, I will focus on chocolate hearts and hazelnut candies options.
I paid $16 for this chocolate hearts box from Godiva, plus shipping of $7.95. Total was $23.95 for 12 pieces.
All together, it is about $2 per chocolate including shipping. Fair pricing considering a Belgium chocolatier brand.
Godiva's box is sturdy, metallic and heart shaped. It's a great packaging and feels "old school". It's also cold when you touch it because of the metal.
The opening is easy and you can find individually wrapped chocolates inside of the box.
Godiva chocolates were fair in quality. I have to be honest, I was disappointed. Godiva being a Belgian chocolatier since 1926, I was expecting to find better quality cocoa.
I could tell because of the "sour" that great cocoa leave in your taste buds. Here it wasn't the case, most likely diluted by milk and other additives.
In fact, take a look at Godiva's nutrition facts. "Milk powder" is the second ingredient mentioned, just after sugar.
Now it wasn't "bad", I like chocolate and candies with milk in it. But here, since Godiva is really emphasizing on the "Belgium premium" chocolate in their products, don't expect high quality chocolate hearts.
Lindt has always be one of my favorite chocolate hearts and hazelnut candy, among Ferrero Rocher.
Since I was a kid in Paris, this brand has been around with its famous Lindor.
Lindt was created in 1879 by Rodolphe Lindt in Switzerland. Needless to say this Chocolatier has savoir-faire.
But let's see if this chocolate hearts box fits for your special occasion. We'll go over cost comparison, packaging, unboxing and taste.
I purchased a box of chocolate hearts from Lindt to be delivered in California (our Pastreez headquarters).
In the box there was 13 pieces of Lindor for $11.43. Shipping was $9.45. Total was $20.88, which is $1.6 per chocolate, which is great considering this is a famous chocolate.
I was curious to see how Lindt would ship their candies. Even when you have a long history of quality chocolate, shipping is a different business.
Especially for chocolates! Here, the carton box was sturdy and with a custom tape with Lindt printing. It seems a detail but it's important for perishable items, to be identified easily.
Note that there was no "Fragile" or "Perishable" sticker outside. If you ship it as a gift, your giftee might not know to retrieve the package from outdoor.
The packaging of this Lindt chocolate hearts is a heart shape carton box, which makes it great for Mother's day, Valentine's day, or even a birthday.
I took a picture to compare Godiva and Lindt chocolate heart boxes, so you can see the difference of size.
The Lindt box is much bigger and more impressive. But Godiva metal box looks more sturdy and "old school". Your choice!
Inside this chocolate hearts box, you get 13 pieces of Lindor chocolate candies. It opens in two parts (with a lid), as opposed to a jewelry-like macaron gift box that we carry at Pastreez.
Let's have a closer at this Lindor chocolate ball. It's a classic chocolate ball, with two layers of chocoate. Outside is harder, and inside is smoother.
The recipe has been here as long as I can remember.
When I was 5 years old in Paris, it's the typical gift from aunties and uncles. To put it in a nutshell, you can't go wrong with these Lindor.
Its chocolate is not sour though, with enough milk in it to ravish all the family. Inside, it's slightly smooth. The difference of chocolate texture makes the difference to me.
Yes, it's not the high end chocolate you might find in a more refined product. You won't surprise your giftee either (they probably had Lindor prior). But they are a no-brainer and always a hit.
My wife and I are both French chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. If you ask yourself where to find macarons near me, don't look further. Our macarons ship fresh in the entire United States.
We handcraft these macarons daily. And it's actually a great option as chocolate hearts for any occasion such as Christmas, Valentine's day, mother's day and even Easter.
The macaron gift box is $52 for 20 macarons, or $2.60 per macaron. Shipping is $9.90 (you get Free Shipping over $69). Total is $61.90.
Macarons vs chocolate and candies is interesting. Chocolates, truffles and candies are "classic" gift baskets to send as a gift.
But with macarons, it brings a new angle. It's luxury, different and exotic. Especially when it's handcrafted by French chefs.
If you want to surprise your family and friends, macarons are a great option.
This elegant soft touch gift box is a brand new design. It is similar to an iPhone packaging. The Pastreez logo is embossed for a classy feel and look.
We place the macarons in a transparent blister to protect them during transit. In addition, the gift box is wrapped in an insulated pouch to protect from variation of temperature.
For smaller gifts, we have more affordable options like the 7 macarons set.
You can also select only the flavors that your giftee love. With 15+ seasonal macaron flavors including heart shaped ones, needless to say you'll find one that suits you.
The macarons ship fresh (never frozen). With the insulated pouch and extra air cushions, the macarons transit safely.
Depending on when you wish to serve them, we advise to refrigerate in the meantime. Make sure to serve at room temperature, to make sure they have the perfect texture by the time of tasting.
You can also freeze them for weeks if needed. Note that if you wish to order for an event, you have the ability to order weeks (even months) in advance.
Simply click "add event date" on the product page and the macarons will ship fresh accordingly.
Macarons are special treats. It is very hard to find macarons near you, because it's such a complex recipe.
Here, the macarons are handcrafted and ship fresh, which makes a huge difference. The study on the best macaron delivery really emphasizes that.
A good macaron is supposed to be crunchy outside and chewy inside. This perfect balance of texture is the signature taste of a macaron.
Then, it needs not to be too sweet. Since Pastreez macarons are made with ganache (as opposed to buttercream), it is less fat and not overly sweet.
We also release new seasonal macaron flavors monthly. For example for Mother's day, we carry limited edition of heart shaped macarons with chocolate. Easter, Christmas and Valentine's day are also great occasions where we develop new tasty flavors.
Depending on the season, flowery, fruity and creamy flavors are also expected.
If you're wondering what do macarons taste like, I wrote a dedicated article on that.
To sum up, macarons are a great option to surprise your family and friends. Be more exotic by sending heart shaped macarons instead of classic chocolate hearts!
I did an extra blog post to detail See's Candy review. Here I'll make sure to go straight to the point and compare it with these other chocolatiers.
Remember, I ordered every chocolate and candy online to be shipped to my door. It means each order will have shipping fees.
Here, See's candy is very economic at about $2.70 per chocolate, including shipping.
See's candy packaging is not impressive compared to the others in this review.
The heart design is cute, but rather very small, made with carton and in poor quality. But at this cost, I'd say it's fare.
I just want you to know that the impact if you want to gift these chocolate hearts won't be the most luxurious ones.
Also, a thin plastic paper film is on the packaging, which gives a "cheap" effect.
Once you removed the plastic film, you will be able to open this heart packaging.
Inside, all the chocolate are in one piece which is a good point. But the choice of black paper to carry the chocolate is again.. cheap.
It doesn't look convenient compared to the custom packaging of Lindt, Godiva and Pastreez.
Size of the chocolates are fair, about 1 inch long. It is comparable to Godiva and Lindt, but smaller than our authentic macarons (1.7 inches).
As you know, at this point of the review I cut in half every chocolate for you to see what's inside. It also allows me to check on quality and taste.
The chocolate were made professionally, good point. What I mean is the outside layer is thick enough to cover what's inside (filling).
That being said, every single chocolate was rock hard. You really need to have strong tooth (almost no joke).
What I like when I purchase chocolate hearts (even candy), is to have a smooth inside.
The balance between crunchy outside and chewy inside lets you enjoy way more! Because it creates a contrast for your tastebuds.
In addition, the inside of the candy was nothing fancy at all. Each chocolate felt fairly similar. Way too crunchy and hard.
See's candy chocolates weren't the best. They were on the cheap side and even the packaging wasn't impressive at all.
If you're on a budget, go for it. But if you want this heart box to have an impact on your giftee, go with either Pastreez or Lindt.
Let's now see how is Lake Champlain chocolates!
Last but not least, I ordered Lake Champlain chocolate hearts box. Let's see how these candies compare to the panel.
I ordered this milk chocolate caramel hearts gift bag from Lake Champlain.
It costs $14 for 15 candies, and shipping is $9.95. Total is $23.95, which is $1.60 per chocolate. Fair price compared to the panel.
The packaging is pretty simple. It arrived in a carton box, with paper protection.
The chocolate hearts are in a simple.. plastic bag. My honest opinion is that it looks cheap as a gift. We all love well packaged gifts! Here it won't have a huge impact on your giftee.
An important note: Lake Champlain has real heart candy chocolates, such as Pastreez.
In comparison, Lindt, Godiva and See's just had their packaging in heart shape. That can make a difference in your purchase decision.
Once you pass the disappointment of this plastic bag, you discover well made chocolate in a red paper.
The heart shape looks cute and is perfectly intact. Let's let's taste and see what's inside!
First of Lake Champlain candies are certified USDA organic. That is a great point. It means that each ingredient they use is certified organic as well, which proves they use only good ingredients.
Inside this chocolate heart, a soft caramel filling. What a great surprise! The texture balance is always what make chocolate and candies great to taste.
Chocolate quality is fair, but the salted caramel soft inside makes it up to it. Overall a good taste experience.
Lake Champlain has good quality chocolates, but is rather disappointing on packaging. This poor looking plastic bag is not to the level of what it contains.
I ordered and reviewed chocolate hearts from Lindt, Godiva, Pastreez, Lake Champlain and See's candy.
The quality of these varies deeply. None were up to the European standard that we can find in France. But still, Lindt chocolates are a no-brainer.
But if you want to surprise your family and friends, order heart shaped macarons instead. These are handcrafted daily by French chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. It ships fresh to your door in the entire United States.
]]>I am a trained French chef from Le Cordon Bleu Paris and I will tell you everything you need to know about chocolate bonbons!
First of all, let's make sure you know how to spell and pronounce bonbons like a real French. It is bonbon (not bon bon).
It is hard to pronounce it in English, because you tend to pronounce every letter, which is not the case in French. That's probably why French is such a complicated language!
The best way to put it is to pronounce [BON]-[BON] doing an "O" with your mouth, and coming from your throat. It is a sound that most English don't use daily.
You now know we spell it bonbon, not bon bon. But what is a real chocolate French bonbon?
Before to dig in, we can't talk about French bonbons before to talk about chocolate. Let's do a quick history recap history.
According to my research, cocoa beans were first used by the Mayans. Christopher Columbus was the first European to find out about cocoa in 1502.
1528 was the first time ever a European actually tastes cocoa in Spain: it was Emperor Charles Quint. it was used in beverages.
France discovered cocoa under king Louis XIII (Louis the 13th) in 1659. French did used it like the Spanish in beverage, but also started to eat it as a solid candy.
In the 1700s, France revolutionized industrial processes hydraulic machines, and chocolate were able to be manufactured in bulk.
In the end of the 1800s, the first bonbons were born in France! Bonbon means "candy" in French. At the time, it was handcrafted as balls, with added decoration as signature.
Today, a bonbon designate a French chocolate candy which is round on top, flat at the bottom.
The outside shell is harder and made of chocolate, with few decorations. Inside is a softer filling. The ganache can be made of anything from salted caramel, Pistachio paste, and much more.
First things first, a chocolate truffle is NOT a "truffle". By definition, a truffle is a type of mushroom. A chocolate truffle is handcrafted with chocolate.
Chocolate truffles were created in 1895 in Chambéry, France, by Louis Dufour. He called it "truffle" or "truffe" in French, because it actually looks like a real mushroom truffle.
But what is the actual difference between truffles and bonbons?
In this infography, you can clearly see how truffles compare with bonbons. Yes, they are mostly made with chocolate as the main ingredient.
But the feel and look is quite different. A chocolate truffle is traditionally round like a ball and covered with cocoa powder. Its decoration is also basic.
Bonbons are colorful, shiny, and flat on their bottom.
Chocolates bonbons are quite expensive. My research shows that it costs an average of $3.5 each, and this is without shipping.
You don't find great bon bon shops in every street corner of every state. So shipping is a must for a great bakery.
At Pastreez we ship authentic French macarons to your door in the US. I expect the same delivery service for bonbons!
The current panel online charge expensive shipping rate. Bonbonbon is an online bakery and shipping is... $40+. Insane.
Another good chocolatier I wanted to share is Stick with me bakery. A box of 6 pieces of chocolate bonbons is $25 ($4.2 each!) and shipping is $30. Total is $55 for 6 bonbons to your door.. that is too expensive.
Even though I recognize the craftsmanship and effort to make bonbons, being French chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, I know it can be charged less. Especially shipping.
Pastreez might even start making bonbons and charge a fair price to ship nationwide!
]]>Do you want to make your partner to feel more loved? Then, a unique gift box for your boyfriend may be a great idea.
Different occasions call for different gifts and whatever special day your special person is celebrating, you can be sure to find the perfect gift basket for him.
Beyond the standard chocolate bunch wrapped in ribbon, there are more unique gift ideas that you can find.
In this post, we look at seven different boyfriend gift baskets that you can buy for your partner's special day, including a graduation gift basket.
If your boyfriend loves spending time in the kitchen and experimenting with food, a Grill Master Crate may be the perfect gift idea for him. He is sure going to be flattered that you think he is indeed a Grill Master.
This basket contains a cast-iron smoker box, brass-knuckle meat tenderizer, premium spice blend, original BBQ sauce, dried hickory wood chips, Carolina Bold BBQ sauce, and a set of four steak thermometers. Everything is sealed in a wooden crate with a uniquely designed laser-etched crowbar.
Handmade by French chefs, the macarons gift box is the perfect graduation gift basket for your special someone.
Each basket contains 20 gluten-free macarons packaged in a soft-touch gift basket.
They are made fresh when you order and remain fresh for more than 14 days after delivery. That means they do not have to be consumed at once.
To customize your macarons gift box, you can choose the variety of flavors available, including Blueberry, Cherry, Chocolate, Coconut, Galaxy Cheesecake, Heart Raspberry, Mix Berries, Pistachio, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Rose, Salted Caramel, Strawberry Vanilla, Tiramisu, Vanilla, and Violet. You can be sure that he would love the flavors. We even have vegan macarons options.
By the way, I did a full review all the Macaron Delivery Services in the United States. You should check it out before deciding who to go with!
Is your boyfriend a beer geek or craft beer fan? He will surely love this beer gift basket.
It comes with twelve different bottled craft beers with gourmet delicacies, such as cheeses, garlic sausage, crackers, and kettle corn.
It is a perfect graduation gift basket and you can be sure that he will love every item in the basket.
There are over twenty assorted items in the basket, including smoked Gouda cheese, raw cashew, sea salt caramel cookie straws, chocolate cookie bag, brown ale, Grey Lady Ale, Pale Lager, Pretzel Twists, and more.
Sometimes, guys prefer to spend time golfing than do anything else. If he falls into this category, then a handy golf-themed cooler with exciting golf accessories may be an amazing choice of gift for his special day.
Apart from the useful items for the course, the basket also comes with some delicious snacks that act as perks for a good performance at the golf course.
Each gift basket contains a golf ball, Longshot impact recorder, Tee Holder Plus, Line m Up Alignment Tool, Tortilla Chips, Nut Mix, Gourmet Seasoned Pretzels, Beef Jerky, and more.
A nice collection of the best-selling cheeses from the world-famous cheesemonger can be the perfect gift choice.
It features a half-pound each of six varieties of cheeses that will satisfy his cheese craving. All these are from the best cheesemakers in the country.
The products are nicely packaged in a unique gift box and all items are produced under stringent hygiene conditions and meet the highest quality standard.
Men with green fingers would do anything to have plants to tender. If you have a boyfriend that loves plants or always speak of different species of plant, you may want to surprise him with the Succulent green plant assortment gift basket.
Help him become a certified plant dad by gifting him with a beautiful plant gift basket.
This boyfriend gift basket comes with different drought-tolerant plants, including a range of three, six, or twelve small succulents in cute plastic nursery pots. The windowsill is a perfect spot for these beauties.
Combing products from two different brands, the Jasper Hill Farms & Patagonia Provisions gift box will delight any man on a special day. All products are sourced ethically and produced under the strictest hygiene condition.
Each gift box contains three cheese wedges (Alpha Tolman cheese, Von Trapp Oma cheese, and Weybridge cheese) and three provision packages (Original Buffalo Jerky, Apricot Almond Bars, and Seeded Turmeric Breadfruit Crackers).
All items are cold-packed in an insulated box and delivered to your doorsteps perfectly chilled.
Ladies are not the only ones who love to receive gifts. Men also feel special when you surprise them with gifts.
Every special event requires a special gift, whether birthdays, graduations, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anniversary.
So, the next time your boyfriend celebrates a landmark event, consider getting him one of the boyfriend gift basket ideas highlighted in this post.
]]>Pastreez |
100% handcrafted by Parisian Chefs in California. Crepes are authentic French size (13in diameter) and quality. Both chefs are certified Le Cordon Bleu Paris. |
Each crepe is about $8 each. Considering quality and size, price is fair. The crepes ship fresh to your door in the US. Flat rate shipping of $9.90, UPS 3 day air is $19.90, 2nd day air is $39.90, and Next day air is $59.90. Free Economy shipping over $69. |
Bakerly |
Bakerly is owned by a French group called Norac Foods, which operates in many countries. Julien & Fabian are the head of Bakerly in the US. Very thin and small rectangular crepe. Not the same one you'd find in Paris. Small amount of filling in each crepe. Bakerly distributes its products in Walmarts across the US. |
Competitive price at about $3.99 for 6 crepes. Bakerly provides low cost French baked goods available at Walmart in the US, and on their website. Shipping is flat rate $6.95, and free shipping over $35. No expedite shipping option.
|
Ihop |
Ihope is a big corporation with franchises around the US, that sells pancakes and crepes. Those crepes are better in quality than Bakerly, but lack in authenticity. |
$11.49 for a Strawberry & cream crepe (fair pricing). If you have a Ihop store near you, great. If not, they sadly don't ship fresh nationwide. |
Crepe Delicious |
Crepe Delicious is a US company that sells crepes and gelato. With over 20 franchise locations in the East Coast, the place seems legit. |
Fairly priced, with an average of $6.50 for a Nutella crêpe. |
Sweet Paris |
Sweet Paris is a Houston Texas based crêperie, founded by Ivan & Allison Chavez in 2012. The couple is from Mexico. They saw an opportunity to build a Crepe Franchise business (source) according to this article. The company has 10 locations (6 franchisees) between Texas, Oklahoma and Mexico. |
The cost of a Nutella Crepe with Strawberry is $9.50. Since it is not a French chef made, it feels slightly expensive (no authenticity). Sweet Paris do not ship fresh nationwide. |
I've been asked this question a lot: Where to buy crepes near me? So I've decided to review the most famous crêperies in the USA.
Whether it's an online crepe store, such as Bakerly or Pastreez, or brick and mortar franchises, like iHop or Sweet Paris, I ordered from them and detail it all to help you find the best fit.
My name is Anthony, and I'm the French chef at Pastreez. We are an online bakery specialized in Macarons & Crepes.
Pastreez is based in Phelan, California, and we ship fresh nationwide in the US.
Pastreez is fairly new to crepes online, but we are experienced French chefs from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. After opening our online bakery in 2017, we released Crepes recently. Both macarons and crepes are available for nationwide shipping in the US.
To be fair in the review process, I will stop here! Instead, I will simply share few links about Pastreez reviews, and what others in the industry say about us.
Do you know who is Bakerly?
This wholesale bakery was founded in 2015. It is own by a French group named Norac foods. It operates mostly in France, UK and Spain, and provides baked goods to supermarkets and wholesalers.
The head of Bakerly in the US is Julien & Fabian, who are related to the historic founders of Norac Foods.
To put it in a nutshell, Bakerly is a wholesaler of baked goods in the US. Walmart is one of its most famous retailer. Let's now review Bakerly crepes.
You can order from Bakerly at Walmart. But for this review, I ordered directly from their website, to check on the full experience.
The box was made correctly, with a custom branded tape. Inside the box, there was no insulated pouch, no air cushions and no ice packs.
I ordered all crepe flavors from Bakerly: Chocolate hazelnut filled crepes, strawberry filled crepes, caramel filled with crispy ceral balls, and chocolate hazelnut filled crepes.
Each crepe package from Bakerly contains 6 small crepes. Now let's detail the crepes quality and taste.
Don't hope for fresh and tasty crepes when you buy from Bakerly. On the back of the package, you can read "this product was frozen and thawed, please do not refreeze". This means those crêpes were made a while ago and frozen, probably for months, since it is mass produced.
Those crepes from Bakerly are very, very thin. In fact, I could see my hand through it.
Crepes are not supposed to be this thin. I guess that is what you get when you pay $3.99 for 6 crepes.
In addition, the crepe was rectangular. I feel like the crepe batter was extended to the maximum before breaking, to save on ingredients.
An authentic crepe should be about 13 inches diameter.
The crepe was also very dry. I think it comes from the thawing process. I honestly have to say: This crepe from Bakerly has nothing to do with an Authentic crepe from France.
On the filling side, same thing. Taste was ok but quantity was very small and slightly melted.
I would consider this as a small snack, rather than a real crêpe.
Who is Ihop and what does it mean?
Ihop is an American Corporation that sells pancakes and crepes. In fact, "Ihop" means International House of Pancakes (source Wikipedia).
While this multinational is specialized in breakfast food and desserts, they only recently started crepes.
All that being said, Ihop do not offer shipping. Lucky for me, there was an Ihop near me.
The "to go" packaging was good. It's a branded black plastic box, big enough to contain the crepe and its toppings.
I ordered a single Nutella Crepe from Ihop. On the first look, the crepe itself looks great, slightly brown and beige colored.
They had put the Nutella on top of the crêpe. Traditionally in France, Nutella is spread inside the crepe, then rolled or folded. But it's not a big deal.
I'd also like to mention, Crepes from Ihop are very small. They are pancake sized and fit into your hand.
A genuine crêpe from France is about 13 inches in diameter. The crepe batter was smooth and light. I would have add a bit more Nutella, but overall, the experience was good.
To sum up, Ihop crepes are good, but small. One big drawback is that they don't ship their crepes nationwide. So if you can't answer the question is there an Ihop near me, you won't be able to order from them.
At Pastreez, we ship Authentic French crêpes nationwide in the USA.
Who is Crepe Delicious?
Crepe Delicious is a US based company that was in 2004. They sell gelato and crepes in their 20+ franchises locations, mostly in the East coast of the US and Canada.
They do sweet crêpes and savory crêpes. Since Crepe Delicious offer only on-site / pick up and no crepe delivery, I wasn't able to give it a try.
From my research online, I can tell that the place is legit. Quality seems to be a comment that come up most of the time in the reviews I've seen on Yelp.
That being said, remember this is a franchise store. It means that each and everyone are not necessarily a baker or French chef.
There is not much information about the story behind Crepe Delicious on its website. Upon further digging, Oded Yefet is the founder and CEO of Crepe Delicious.
If you have a location near by, you should give it a try. If not, you can always order Pastreez Authentic Crepes, we ship fresh nationwide.
Who is Sweet Paris?
Sweet Paris was created in 2012 by a Mexican couple in Houston, Texas. They now have 10 locations including 6 franchisees.
This crêperie is focused on a "Paris like" décor and concept. While none of the founders are chefs nor French, the design was made with taste.
After some research, they have 4 stars out of 5 with 1008 reviews on Yelp. The place seems legit with great comments.
To sum up, most creperies are still on a brick and mortar business model, allowing only in store orders and pick up.
Even if the products are way different, Pastreez & Bakerly do provide Crepes delivered to your door.
I also note that most crêperies mention "Paris" or "France" in their marketing. There is a lack of authenticity here, since very few actually have French chefs that make the crepes.
Are you ready to order crepes? For any order over $42, we offer 7 macarons Free. Don't wait and redeem below!
]]>A very crucial moment. Learn how to master this technique in less than a minute.
If you need more tips, you should join us on the monthly virtual macarons class. We share all our secret tips for best results.
Macaronage (or "Macronage") is a french term that means the action of mixing the batter a certain way.
Be delicate, and mix it continuously until you get the texture shown in the video. Note that the correct word is "Macaronage" and not "Macronage".
To do a great Macaronage, you need to have a great French Meringue. Follow this step by step and you'll be able to make it at home easily :)
This step by step requires you to have followed the previous steps. Make sure to read our previous videos first.
Need more tips? Join us in the monthly Virtual Macaron Class! It's for baker at every level. No tool needed, and the Zoom class is available Worldwide. Limited to 30 participants every month. Don't wait too long!
]]>With hundreds or even thousands of gift baskets on the market, it can be an arduous task to choose the right one for your loved ones. From edibles to homewares and bathroom essentials, there are so many to choose from.
We understand that it can be a challenging process to make a choice and that is why we have curated seven Thanksgiving gift ideas that you can explore this season.
From vegan snacks boxes to chocolate baskets, wines, and cheese, you can rest assured that there is a unique Thanksgiving gift basket that is perfect for you. Let us explore some of the best gift ideas.
The delicious macarons from Pastreez are a delightful gift basket idea that anyone would appreciate.
They are highly nutritious, dairy-free, and gluten-free. So, if you are giving a vegan a gift basket, Pastreez Macarons Gift Basket is a healthy choice.
They are made with butter or cream and the best part is that the caloric content is less than fifty.
You can choose from a variety of flavors, including galaxy, raspberry, pistachio, and cheesecake, among others. When you place your order, it will be shipped and delivered fresh to your doorsteps or your recipient’s.
Do you have any chocolate lovers on your list of gift recipients this year? Then this exotic gift basket from the stable of Harry & David is a top choice. The Thanksgiving gift basket contains graham crackers and chocolate-covered blueberries, Moose Munch, and yogurt pretzels, among others.
The basket is affordable and generously packed. It is a perfect holiday gift idea for the sweet tooth in your life. To add a touch of flair to it, you can pair the basket with a nice bottle of wine.
Sometimes, you do not have to do so much to impress a friend. All you need is to understand them and their preferences. For instance, if you have a friend that always talks about wine or enjoys having a glass of red wine with you, giving such a person a gift basket with red wine favorites would be a good idea.
You can choose a budget-friendly red wine gift package that comes with a bottle of Cabernet and some delectable snacks to go with it. The basket is nicely packaged to give it a touch of class.
Adults are not the only recipients of Thanksgiving gift baskets. The kids are not left out. You can send your favorite niece, nephew, or child something nice and fun to keep them busy and entertained throughout the holiday.
The Holiday Cookies & Popcorn Ball Decorating Kit comes highly recommended because it contains everything your kid friend needs to decorate colorful sugar cookies and popcorn balls. If you are looking for something to keep the kids busy while you are having an adult’s moment, this kit is an excellent choice.
If you have a friend or loved one that is taking a break from sweets this holiday season, you can give them a fruit basket instead.
The vintage farm gift box does not disappoint. It is rich in deliciously healthy fruits, including pears and apples and an absolute replacement for sweet treats.
So, if you have someone who is not particularly excited about the chocolate-covered cookies and cherry this season, you should consider getting them this Thanksgiving gift basket.
If you want, you can also get a basket that combines fruits and some delicious cheese board stables and some healthy holiday sweet treats.
Whatever is the preference of your gift recipient, you can be sure to find the perfect farm gift basket that they will love.
When you need an all-inclusive decoration and food gift basket, this pair has a nice touch to it that you would love. It features a lantern with seven different types of sweets and some savory crackers and cheese, among other relishes.
If you want something for your gift recipient to snack on all through the season, you will love this sweet and savory lantern gift basket.
As a creative touch to the gift, the lantern comes with a flameless candle that makes a stunning centerpiece for the holiday table, which they can use to decorate their space for the holiday.
Does your gift recipient love their pancakes fresh in the morning?
There is no better time to prepare homemade pancakes than during the holiday break.
You can choose a bespoke, authentic pancake bowl and whisk with some exciting recipes to complement the package.
This gift is unique and very thoughtful. You can be sure that the receiver will cherish it for long.
Thanksgiving is almost here and it is time to start shopping for Thanksgiving gift baskets, if you have not started already.
We have explored seven different gift baskets ideas that will excite your family this year. So, which of these gifts would you be giving your loved one?
]]>Price | At $25 for 10 macarons, the price is fair and in the average you can find online. It is $2.5 per macaron at Lady Yum. | |
Order process | The website was smooth enough to order easily online. | |
Shipping | Overpriced at $18 for a $25 order. | |
Transit | Too long. Delivered 8 days after ordering. Paying $18 for shipping, I expected it to be there sooner. | |
Who is Lady Yum? | Founder is identified and her story is good. Note that the macarons made here are not the authentic French macaron recipe | |
Unboxing | Box is customized which is great. Insulated pouch to preserve the macarons is a good point. | |
Quality | Poor quality. Every filling is a fat buttercream. Buttercream do not transit well. The filling has melted inside the tray. | |
Taste | Most flavors taste the same (butter). The issue with a buttercream filling is the difficulty to overwhelm its taste. It's also too fat. |
Lady Yum macarons are known in Seattle, Washington. The bakery is also shipping macarons in the United States.
In my quest for the best macaron delivery online, I review every macaron bakery that ships to my door.
Is Lady Yum worth it? I ordered macarons from this store, and here is my detailed review with pictures.
PS: If you are wondering what is a macaron, or wondering what do macarons taste like, watch this short video below!
I purchased 10 macarons for $25 on Lady Yum website. The price is fair, compared to the average macaron cost online at $2.10.
Keep in mind macarons are expensive in general. This not due to its ingredients, which are almond flour, sugar and egg white. It is due to the extreme difficulty to make them.
Shipping was way too expensive. For an item at $25, shipping was $18.
Most macaron bakeries will legitimate this cost because it ships with 2-day Fedex or UPS. There are plenty of solutions to actually keep shipping affordable for you, the customer.
At Pastreez, we believe you should have the choice of shipping method. We have over four different shipping rates, including express and Free shipping.
When you pay the high price for shipping, you have high expectations.
I paid $18 for 2-day shipping at Lady Yum. My package was delivered 6 days after the purchase. Ouch. See below the timeline:
Delivered on June 22th 2022 at 11:16am
Time in transit is great, 2 days with Fedex as advertised. But again, when you pay $18 shipping, you expect your order to ship sooner.
To be fair, they advertise on their website that orders ship either Monday or Wednesday. Okay.
But when you have only two days as shipping days, shipping should be more affordable.
When you order macarons online, it is VERY important to know who you are ordering from.
Lady Yum is well identified on her website. Her story is fun which is good.
But nothing about the actual baking process. Do they bake by hand? Are they French? Do they use buttercream or ganache? Are your macarons frozen prior to ship?
I can answer these questions for you, since I've ordered from Lady Yum and did a full quality and taste review!
Let's go. I received my package and immediately opened it.
The carton box is a typical corrugated box, which is ok. Inside the box, I found an insulated pouch with an ice pack, a macaron menu card, and the macarons packaged in a branded box.
Note that ice packs are useless. trust me. they stay cold about 12 hours and do not make any difference on a 2+ days delivery window.
It's more "psychological" than effective.
In this best macarons study, we've seen that a lot. Macaron bakeries tend to add ice packs because they always use buttercream.
And butter do not transit well (you probably know it by now :)).
The packaging is the good point of Lady Yum. The macaron tray is of good quality, and the sticker + ribbon are a great add-on.
Now let's see if Lady Yum macarons are tasty!
A macaron should be crunchy outside, and chewy inside. That is its signature taste. Otherwise we can't call it a macaron!
The texture of the macarons I received is closer to a cake than an actual macaron.
My guess, as usual, bakeries focus on profit rather than quality. Why is almost every bakery in this study freeze their macarons?
I know why. To make huge batches of thousands of macarons, freeze them for months, and let it thaw while in transit to your door.
This is why you can see wet macarons like these. The water from thawing is released and the shells get wet.
the result is a macaron that is not one anymore: It has lost his exterior crunch.
So no, the macarons from Lady Yum do not ship fresh. They ship frozen to your door.
In addition, note that Lady Yum chose to make buttercream filling. And butter has a tendency to not transit well.. See for yourself.
The buttercream has "wet" the macaron tray. A buttercream filling will always be less tasty than a ganache.
Butter alters the taste, and will add a "fat" taste in mouth, where the white chocolate of the ganache will be more creamy.
The variety of color at Lady Yum was great. Different fun flavors and different colors. It was easy enough to identify which is what with the help of the macaron menu.
But the taste, as I stated earlier, was roughly the same for all of them. Without the menu, it would be impossible to recognize the flavor with its taste.
At Pastreez, French chefs handcraft each macaron and it ships fresh to your door.
The macarons are round and size is about 1.8 inches in diameter, which is good.
Lady Yum is decent. But it looks like your average "macarons" at Makarohn, Dana's bakery and many more bakeries.
The issue is always the same: Too much butter used in the filling, and most importantly they ship frozen macarons to your door.
]]>The holidays are often the best time to give special gifts. Enchanting and fun gifts are always a great choice for anyone. Unfortunately, it can be difficult sometimes to choose a gift for a loved one that is on a gluten-free diet.
That is where the gluten-free gift basket comes in. Instead of avoiding buying edibles to ensure you do not get something your loved ones cannot eat, you can settle for a gluten-free gift and you can bet that they would love it. It goes a long way to show how thoughtful you are.
Honestly, choosing an exhilarating gluten-free gift basket does not have to be complicated. You will be amazed at tons of options that are available to you. You can find gluten-free pre-packaged baked goods, such as Macarons. You can also find gluten-free snacks baskets, fresh fruits, and more.
When selecting a gluten-free basket, you must ensure that the content of the basket is gluten-free for real. Some unexpected items pack gluten, so you should pay attention to the labels.
You should avoid products that contain wheat, rye, barley, oats, malt, and Brewer’s yeast because they contain gluten. Products that contain milk, soy, and nuts should also be avoided to ensure you get a 100% gluten free gift basket for your friends.
What are the Top 5 Gluten-free Gift Baskets Ideas?
So, now that we have identified how to choose a gluten free gift basket, let us see some top choices that you can consider when making your purchase.
French Macarons are naturally gluten-free and are the favorite desserts of many. They are fun and fancy, so you can be sure that the recipient of your gift would love the gift basket. Macarons gift baskets from Pastreez are on a new health level.
By the way, there are 7 macarons Free today Only. Redeem below!
These macarons are made with certified gluten-free ingredients with exciting flavors that will delight your taste.
Whether you are choosing the Macaron gift baskets for a birthday gift, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, you can be sure that your family would love every bite of the pleasant delicacy.
Check this list of most popular macaron flavors to see what's currently on the menu.
Fruits are not only delightful, but they’re also super nutritious and the best part is that you never have to worry about any gluten hiding in a single bite. You can opt for a fruit gift basket that is filled with deliciously ripe fruits that are100% gluten-free.
These baskets can contain pears, pomegranates, and various other dried fruits that would be a great treat for your gift recipient. There are numerous package options that you can explore and you can be sure to find the perfect basket that suits just anyone.
Everyone loves cookies but they are often loaded with gluten, and this is why gluten intolerant people generally avoid them. So, what if you can get a gluten-free cookies gift basket for your loved one that is on a gluten-free diet? Would that not be delightful?
Well, you can actually get a cookies basket that is filled with nut-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free cookies that are softly baked and beautifully packaged to delight your sight and taste bud.
Many of these gluten-free cookies gift baskets come with a mix of oatmeal raisin, chocolate chips, chocolate chip brownies, cranberry orange oatmeal bars, and snicker-doodle cookies, among others. You can be sure that your loved one will love and take pleasure in every single bite.
We all love mouthwatering soups. They are lip-smacking and pack high nutrients that gladden the body system. So, why not gift your loved ones a creatively packaged gluten-free soup gift basket? You will find an impressive package that contains various soup choices that will make you happy.
You can choose gluten-free soups that come with other gluten-free items, such as gluten-free vegan cookies, gluten-free vegan dinner rolls, and other gluten-free favorites. You do not have to spend a fortune to get all these together.
Here is an example.
So, what if you want to give a personal touch to your gift basket? If you are a great fan of DIY, you can create your personalized gluten-free edible arrangement gift basket that your gift recipient would love. So, instead of buying a packaged gift basket, you can choose what you want to be in the basket by creating your special package.
This is mostly recommended if you have a limited budget and you have the luxury of time to do it. Some items you can have in your gift basket include plain canned fruits and vegetables, applesauce, canned lentils and beans, cranberry sauce, gluten-free pasta, corn tortillas, organic packaged foods, and more.
Here is an example of Edible Arrangements Gluten Free gift Basket.
Gift baskets are some of the most popular gift items during the holidays. You can find them in almost any store. However, if your recipient is on a gluten-free diet, you must be extra careful about your choice. Thankfully, you can get gluten-free gift baskets for them.
This post has shared the top 5 gluten-free gift baskets ideas that you can consider during this holiday. The best part is that you do not have to dent a hole in your wallet to give someone any of these gifts.
]]>Are you a teenager looking for the perfect gift for that particular person in your life? You will also find the perfect gift from our list.
Who doesn’t love a beautiful and comfy PJ? When it symbolizes love, it is all the more attractive and appreciated.
A rainbow heart Pajamas is not only beautiful but thoughtful. It symbolizes an unshaken love in all circumstances and at all times. It is undoubtedly one of the best gifts that you can get for your teenage daughter this Valentines.
Teenagers are known for wearing their hearts on their sleeves but there is no better way to wear the heart than around their necks.
The silver heart locket is a special jewelry piece that your teenage daughter would love.
It features a stunning silver-tone chain and pinkish heart that is all girly to the core. You can explore different designs that will appeal to your daughter.
Whatever design of silver heart locket you choose, you can be sure that your daughter will love having and wearing it.
If you have ever had a bite of macarons, you already know how delicious they are. So, what if you can get your teen a gift basket of Valentines Macarons?
You can bet that they will love it! The Valentine Macarons gift box contains 48 freshly-baked vegan macarons with different flavors.
Since they are specially created for Valentine’s Day, they come in heart-shaped designs, making them the perfect gift idea for this special day.
You can choose from different flavors, including Heart red velvet, Coconut & Raspberry, and Rose & Heart Hazelnut.
To customize the gift, you can choose to add a gift note to send a thoughtful message to your teen.
Today's deal is 7 macarons free for orders over $42/. Redeem your macarons below.
Who doesn’t love a pair of leggings?
Your teenage kids would surely love to have a pair. They can rock it with their favorite t-shirt or wear it under a dress. The heart design of the leggings makes them perfect for the big occasion.
You can be certain that your teenage daughter would love them.
You can find beautifully designed printed heart leggings in different colors and sizes. So, all you have to do is choose your child’s favorite colors to make them more appealing.
All year round, your child can wear a Snoopy or Peanuts. They have always been a trend and your teen would definitely love to have a pair.
Even if they have one already, getting a stylish Snoopy & Woodstock Hug Tee as a Valentine’s Day gift will put smiles on their faces.
The best part is that it is not gender-restrictive, so whether your teenage child is a girl or a boy, they can rock their Snoopy with pride.
Every teen can do with a pair of sunglasses. Apart from being a trend, they are also stylish and teen-centric.
So, why not buy a pair of comfy and stylish sunglasses for your teenage child?
It doesn’t matter their gender, your kid will rock stylish sunglasses anywhere. You are sure to find a durable and affordable brand to buy as a gift.
If your teenage daughter likes spending time in the kitchen, you may want to give her something she will fall in love with right away.
A customized cookie baking book will make her day. She will be so delighted to try out new recipes and feel proud of her creations.
If you want a gift that is both comfortable and stylish for your teen, a pair of comfy slippers will be a great choice.
They can slip into it to keep warm as they walk and lounge around the house. You can find numerous designs and colors that you can explore when shopping for a pair.
A super comfy cotton robe will make your daughter’s day and when she gets this as her Valentine’s Day gift, you can be sure to get a big hug and a kiss.
With the monogram, you can give the gift a personal touch to make your child feel extra loved on this special occasion.
These are 9 Valentine's gifts ideas for teens in 2023 that you can consider for your beloved teen.
It is almost February, so start shopping so you can have the item delivered to your doorstep or your child on February 14. So, which of these gifts will you get your teen?
]]>Mother’s Day is not only for celebrating your biological or adopted mother. It is also a perfect time to show appreciation to people that have played a motherly role in your life, including your sister.
Whether your sister is already a mom or fills up the role of one in your life, celebrating her on Mother’s Day is a great idea.
You can also celebrate your sister-in-law or a best friend that has always been there for you.
In this post, we look at 5 unique Mother’s Day gifts that you can present to your sister this year. Let us get into the exciting details already!
Can you remember those evenings you spend with your sister in the kitchen cooking delicacies and enjoying a close-knitted relationship like none other?
Well, Mother’s Day is a good time to revive the memory. The only difference is that now, she can prepare healthier versions of her favorite foods, including fries, with less fat.
Get her an Electric air fryer + oven cooker. It is sizeable enough to prepare a meal for her friends or family. It is easy to clean and easy to use and your sister will fall in love with this Mother’s Day gift.
Moon lamps are now the trend, thanks to their uniqueness. It is a stunning home décor piece that will make a special gift for your beautiful sister.
It is designed with 3D print to replicate the feel and texture of the moon. It also comes with exquisite divots and curves on the exterior to make a perfect moon shape.
The colors and brightness of the Moon Lamp can be adjusted to create the perfect ambiance for lounging or reading. Give your sister this beautiful gift to make her day.
She will definitely be grateful to you for such a functional and stylish gift. The best thing about this gift is that it is budget-friendly.
Ladies take pleasure in the look and feel of their skin. It is no wonder that they are always seeking new skincare products to add to their skincare routine.
If your sister is particular about maintaining the suppleness and health of her skin, you may want to give her a set of TULA skincare routine products on Mother’s Day.
You can be sure to find the perfect choice among the bestsellers in the market. The perfect skincare products would include a cleanser, moisturizer, toner, and skin salve, among others.
Having these in her beauty pack would surely delight your sister. So, make the day special by gifting her with this thoughtful gift idea.
So, what if your sister is a sweet tooth? Mother’s Day Macarons gift box is a perfect choice.
You are sure to bring a smile and joy to her with such a gift box. Featuring a gift box filled with hand-crafted macarons and lots of options (such as vegan), these are some of the best gifts you can give to your sister.
The macarons come in different flavors, including Raspberry Lychee, Caramel Hazelnut, and Chery Blossom Tea, and much more depending on the season.
If your sister is a vegan, you can also choose one of the vegan flavors, including Coconut and Raspberry.
To make the gift more personalized and unique, you can add a gift note to share your deep thoughts and appreciation for everything your sister has done for you. She would love to read the note and enjoy the lip-smacking freshly-made macarons.
If you need more details on ordering macarons online, read this full macaron comparison review. I ordered from 6 of the best online bakeries that delivers macarons in the United States (including pictures, quality thoughts, etc.).
Sisters are more than siblings. They are friends who grew up with you from the cradle. They know your best and worst moments. They know and understand your secret fears. Your sister has been there for you all the years, walking and cheering you on through your good and bad moments. Sisters are undoubtedly the BFF for life.
So, what better way can you celebrate your long-lasting friendship than with a pair of friendship necklaces? The best part is that you can have a matching pair for both of you. Unlike the bracelets you both had as children, the friendship necklaces are stylish.
They are the perfect symbol of a sister’s bond and everlasting friendship. What's more, you do not have to spend a fortune to get matching pieces.
There are versions of this neckless for anniversary as well (check our 5 anniversary gift baskets ideas for more ideas).
You do not have to spend a lot to celebrate your sister on Mother’s Day. All that you need is a thoughtful gift that connects with your sister. We have looked at five unique gift ideas that you can consider.
So, among electric Air Fryer + Oven Cooker, Moon Lamps, Skin Care Routine Products, Mother’s Day Macarons Gift Box, and Friendship Necklace, which would you get for your sister? Whichever option you choose, you can be sure that your sister will love it.
]]>Children love cartoons and having them in cookies will bring smiles to any child’s face.
So, is your child celebrating their birthday? Do you want to do something special to add more fun and excitement to the day?
Cartoon cookies and cakes are great options. Of course, you can also get them cartoon cookies for other special occasions.
By the way, Easter is on the way, and having these delicious snacks will make your kids’ day.
To help you get your creative juice flowing as to cookies and cake ideas to explore in 2023, we have curated 10 different stunning options. Let us get started with the fun cookies and cake ideas!
You cannot but love these cute and delicious baby shark cookies. Baked in the shape of baby sharks and beautified in colorful icing, every bite of these baby shark theme sugar cookies will delight your taste bud.
Each cookie is hand-rolled, hand-cut, and hand-decorated with edible images and colorful royal icing.
You can customize them for special events and choose your preferred color. What better way to add colors and fun to your child’s event?
Of course, these baby shark cookies will make a world of difference.
Give a child a toy and you have made their day! Every child loves toys and when you make a set of toy story cookies a part of their parties, you are sure to take the excitement a notch higher.
These toy story cookies are a perfect addition to your child’s party. A set comes with a dozen cookies featuring different designs.
They include Toy Story logo, Buzz outfit, Woody outfit, Pizza Planet rocket, Mr. Potato head, Slinky, Alien, Age for number, and Personalized Etch a Sketch.
You can choose from the variety of flavors available, including confetti, lemon, chocolate, chocolate chip, almond, marble, and classic vanilla.
You can also customize it with the name and age of your child to make it more personalized.
Being a vegan does not mean you cannot have delicious delicacies on your special day and the same goes for your child.
This Among Us cake is an absolute vegan piece and every bite is a taste of heaven.
It is baked based on order, which means you can choose the flavor, filling, topper, and edible message.
The available flavors include chocolate, vanilla, confetti, red velvet, and carrot. The filling options available include chocolate, guava, chocolate & cream, raspberry preserves, strawberry preserves, vanilla, and lemon pie.
Is your family made up of Fortnite gamers? Then the perfect fun addition to your next family event is the Fortnite cake & cookies.
These lip-smacking cookies are perfect for any event – birthday, family reunion, Easter, Christmas, or even Thanksgiving! Whatever party you are planning, Fortnite cookies would make it more fun and exciting.
A set of cookies includes a dozen sugar cookies with Fortnite images topping. You can choose your flavor and filling.
You can also request that the cookies and cake be customized to your preference. You can be sure that your loved ones, especially your kids, will love this gift.
Imagine a chocolate cake surrounded by delicious homemade buttercream and cookies and then topped with more cookies and dark chocolate drip? Heavenly! That is what you get with this Cookie Monster Cake.
Delicious in and out with buttery fillings that will make you keep going back for more cuts.
You can choose your preferred colors and size of cake. Your party guests will surely want a bite of this special cookie monster cake.
Pink has always been associated with girls and blue for boys. You do not have to change the status quo for your child’s party.
There is enough color pink and blue to go round! So, is your child a team pinky or team blue?
Whatever is the gender, these Team Girl & Team Boy Macarons would be a delicious addition to their birthday or any special occasion in your family.
These are genuine French macarons built to match your party theme.
You can customize them to include your child’s favorite flavor. By the way, if you want a combination of colors, you can be sure to get your preferred colors.
All macarons are freshly baked, so freshness is guaranteed in every bite. Pink macarons and blue macarons are both available on our store. It ships fresh in the entire United States.
These baby shower cake ideas are also an option.
Undoubtedly, there are hundreds of cartoon characters already developed and Bluey is one of the exciting ones among children.
If your child is celebrating their birthday or having their friends over, you may want to add their favorite Bluey cartoon in the menu plan.
With these Bluey Cookies, your kids and their friends will have a field day of fun and happiness. Each cookie comes individually to retain the freshness.
The minimum order is one dozen and you can customize the colors based on your preference. You can also request that the name and age should be customized to give a personalized feel to it.
Wondering about a cute and unique birthday cake to have on your child’s birthday? Baby Yoda Cake is a good choice you may want to consider.
It comes in different sizes, which means you can have it as big or as small as you want.
You can also choose from various flavors, including carrot cake, chocolate chip cookie dough, gluten-free vanilla, gluten-free chocolate, megafetti, plain jane, and more. You can also choose a preferred color and customize it with text.
Remember the all-time favorite SpongeBob SquarePants? Well, you can have them in cookies! Your kids are going to love the taste and the experience.
Whatever is the event, the SpongeBob cookies will fit in perfectly. Of course, there are many DIY tutorials online with a guide on how to make it from scratch.
However, you can save yourself the stress by simply ordering a set online. You are guaranteed the freshest and mouthwatering cookies that connect with your kids and even adults on a special level.
Are you planning your child’s birthday? Consider adding these cookies as part of the treats for the day. Your kid and their friends are sure to love every delicious bite!
Last but not least, these wizard-themed Harry Potter cookies are on our list of cartoon cookies and cake ideas in 2023.
These are undoubtedly a delight for all Harry Potter fans. Is your child a huge fan of Harry Potter? Then you may want to surprise them with this set of cookies.
Made with delicious chocolate with a taste like a freshly baked fudge brownie, you can bet that your party guests will love to have a taste.
Each cookie is hand-rolled, baked, and hand-decorated with Almond flavored royal icing.
They are also airbrushed to create an antiqued shadow effect.
A set contains a dozen of cookies and you can order more dozens, depending on the size of your guests.
There you have our list of top ten cartoon cookies and cake ideas in 2023. So, which of these are you considering for your child’s next birthday?
Whichever option you go for, you can be sure that it will be fun and your child and their party guests would love it.
]]>A quick definition to know what is gluten. According to Harvard, gluten is a natural protein that can be found in many cereals such as wheat, rye, etc.
The main purpose of gluten is structural: It maintains the shape of the grain itself.
Gluten is not harmful according to this article. But as everything, it is the excess of gluten that is dangerous.
What is a macaron? I wrote an entire post on it, but to summarize it's a traditional French "cookie" composed of two shells and a filling in the middle.
Since my wife and I are both French chef from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, we learned and practiced this authentic macaron recipe for years.
Our recipe contains:
Ingredients | Gluten Free? | Dairy Free? |
Macaron shells | - | - |
Almond flour | yes | yes |
Powdered sugar | yes | yes |
Egg white | yes | yes (eggs are not dairy) |
Food coloring | yes (at Pastreez) | yes (at Pastreez) |
Macaron filling | - | - |
White chocolate | yes | no |
Fruit purée | yes | yes |
Egg white | yes | yes |
In short, Yes Traditional macarons are gluten free, but not necessarily dairy free.
But beware! Even if traditional French bakeries like Pastreez stick to the authentic recipe, most bakers in the US don't.
You might be surprised with what you find in recipes sometimes.
In my quest to find the best macaron delivery services in the US, I found that some bakers add conservatives that might contain gluten.
A dairy free macaron is a specific recipe, since the filling almost always dairy. For example, our vegan macarons are gluten free, and dairy free as well.
The only way to know for sure: Ask the baker prior to buy.
Cross contamination is the contamination of a product by another one, simply because they are handled in the same kitchen.
Even if authentic macarons are gluten free, ask yourself if the bakery process other items that contain gluten.
For example, if a bakery primarily makes cookies, cupcakes, and then macarons, you'll have cross contamination with gluten.
As explained earlier, authentic macarons are gluten free. You need to ask your bakery if:
At Pastreez, we sell traditional macarons and crêpes. Our macarons are gluten free, but crêpes aren't (all purpose flour used).
But we use to separate areas to process. So there is no risk of cross contamination.
We've had plenty of celiac customers during the past years, and they were always happy.
All that said, we advise you to always try carefully first to avoid any allergic reaction.
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