Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Macaroons in Seattle?


Recommended Posts

I've just returned from my first ever Paris trip and am wondering if there is anywhere in Seattle to buy (French) macaroons. I'm not real hopeful-I don't think I've ever seen them here, and there is definately a dearth of good bakeries-but I thought I'd ask.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw some at Essential last week. Speaking of Essential, they seem to have stopped making cannele. But don't ask the staff at the counter why. They don't know, and they never seem know any answer to any question you have about their products, ever.

"Save Donald Duck and Fuck Wolfgang Puck."

-- State Senator John Burton, joking about

how the bill to ban production of foie gras in

California was summarized for signing by

Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Metropolitan Market (Admiral Thriftway) has been making a big deal about their carrying French Macaroons now, but frankly the two I tried (chocolate, raspberry) I didn't care for. I don't know what they are supposed to taste like, but they were dry and crumbly, and fragmented into all kinds of bits of pieces when I would take a bite. or impossible to cut or break one half to share. Is this normal?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies, I'll try Le Panier and Essential. I did bring a bunch home with me (from Hevin) but they won't last long.

They shouldn't be dry and crumbly-fragile, yes, but moist and share-able.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Metropolitan Market near Childrens Orthopedic Hospital has them in several flavors and I was told that they were made by Essential Baking. I haven't tried them so don't know the quality.

Fred Rowe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Le Panier macaron report:

The chocolate were quite good. The rasperry were kind of tasty but they were dry and crumbly with overly chewy centers. The coffee didn't have any flavor and also had a very chewy sticky center. They were 75 each for the little size which seems a bit much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doesn't Dahlia Bakery make them?

"Save Donald Duck and Fuck Wolfgang Puck."

-- State Senator John Burton, joking about

how the bill to ban production of foie gras in

California was summarized for signing by

Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Le Panier macaron report:

The chocolate were quite good. The rasperry were kind of tasty but they were dry and crumbly with overly chewy centers. The coffee didn't have any flavor and also had a very chewy sticky center. They were 75 each for the little size which seems a bit much.

Must depend on the day - yesterday the coffee had substantial flavor. Not sticky at all. The raspberry was a little drier, but not crumbly. I agree that they seem a bit pricey, but there is a fair amount of labor invovled in them, I'd guess. Probably a good cookie to learn to bake, like biscotti.

I seem to recall a single flavor at Dahlia too. But only the other macaroon - coconut, appears on the web-site.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Grateful Bread in Wedgewood has the best macaroons I've ever eaten. Dunno if they're French, though. Is a French one different from a "regular" one? (Should I already know this?  )

I never knew what they were until my recent trip. Its a sandwich cookie made from egg whites and almond flour (kind of a meringue) with a creamy light filling.

macarons.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I finally tried the macarons at Essential. They are beautiful and quite reasonably priced, and the flavor was good, but the texture was all wrong. I don't know if they weren't fresh or what, but all five flavors had brittle, crackly, dry exteriors and dense, chewy, sticky fillings.

*sigh*

Edited by kiliki (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finally tried the macarons at Essential. They are beautiful and quite reasonably priced,

Do you remember how much? They raised all of their prices in late April (but beware of what the label in the display says compared to what they actually charge you--it's often different).

"Save Donald Duck and Fuck Wolfgang Puck."

-- State Senator John Burton, joking about

how the bill to ban production of foie gras in

California was summarized for signing by

Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I finally tried the macarons at Essential. They are beautiful and quite reasonably priced, and the flavor was good, but the texture was all wrong. I don't know if they weren't fresh or what, but all five flavors had brittle, crackly, dry exteriors and dense, chewy, sticky fillings.

*sigh*

This was exactly my experience with the 2 macaroons I bought at Admiral Metropolitan market awhile back, and why I wasn't impressed nor would buy them again. Like you remarked, they didn't taste fresh and they were dried out, crackly, crumbly, with a dense chewy sticky filling. Blech.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They were $1 each for a decent sized cookie-a much better price than Le Panier, which now charges $1 for the petit macaron. Maybe I will try to find out what day they are made...maybe if I get a really fresh one it will be good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

Oh my - the best of TasteWashington (well, my sampling was very small) were the macaroons crafted by pastry chef, Christina Longo, at Barking Frog. She made them in flavors such as Lavender, Lime-Basil, Meyer Lemon, Cherry something, Pernod Chocolate, and ? Beautiful, crisp exterior, light cookie, silky fillings. No retail shop, but on their dessert menu - I guess as Italian Meringue Kisses?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh my - the best of TasteWashington (well, my sampling was very small) were the macaroons crafted by pastry chef, Christina Longo, at Barking Frog. She made them in flavors such as Lavender, Lime-Basil, Meyer Lemon, Cherry something, Pernod Chocolate, and ? Beautiful, crisp exterior, light cookie, silky fillings. No retail shop, but on their dessert menu - I guess as Italian Meringue Kisses?

I saw those when we first walked in and made a mental note to come back to them. Unfortunately by the time I did, they were gone. They sound fantastic. Too bad Barking Frog is so far away.

Practice Random Acts of Toasting

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...