Alexander's Patisserie - Chocolate and Caramel Macarons - Jan. 9, 2018

Chocolate of the Day: 

Alexander's Patisserie
1.) Chocolate Macaron
2.) Caramel (fleur de sel) Macaron
Good +
Weight: unknown
Calories: unknown calories in 2 pieces
Cost: $11.25 for a box of 5 macarons
Purchased from: Alexander's Patisserie, Mountain View, CA

Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Caramel Theme Week.

Today's Chocolate and Caramel Macarons were from Alexander's Patisserie (Mountain View, CA).

These attractively packaged, flavorful macarons were sweet and light with creamy centers, and were displayed in a macaron case containing a variety of colors and flavors.

Other flavors sampled included: Earl Grey, Lemon Poppyseed and Raspberry.

Miette - Chocolate Lavender Macaron - July 1, 2015

Chocolate of the Day:

Miette Cakes LLC
Chocolate Lavender Macaron
Good ++ - Very Good
Weight: .9 oz. (25.47 g.) (estimate) in 1 macaron
Calories: 100 calories (estimate) in 1 macaron
Cost: $1.85 for 1 macaron
Purchased from: Miette, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA

Today was Day #8 of Chocolate and Botanical Theme Week.

It's impossible to do justice to the huge range of plant-based edibles that pair well with chocolate in one week -- even if I am adding a few extra days to this "week."

I featured a lavender item a few days ago. But, it's a flavor that bears repeating. Lavender buds can stand up to the rich flavor of chocolate. And Miette does a nice job of infusing bold botanical flavors (like lavender, or rose geranium) into delicate (gluten free) macarons.

Four of today's Chocolate Lavender Macarons were carefully extracted from a glass jar, by staff in Miette's Oakland location. The two flavors co-existed very nicely in this little round, creamy and chewy, sandwich confection.

One macaron was eaten immediately, a second was shared with a friend, and two made it home. If you like your macaron crunchier rather than chewier, let it sit in a car for two days in a brown paper bag. Surprisingly, I liked this "crunchy" version too; although some of the fresh lavender flavor dissipates over a day or two. (Don't try leaving a chocolate bar in this bag; you'll end up with chocolate fondue.)

Chantal Guillon - 3 more macarons - Oct. 10, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chantal Guillon
1.) Dark Chocolate macaron - Good - Good+
2.) Earl Grey macaron - Good+
3.) Black Sesame macaron - Good - Good +
Weight: .9 oz. (25.47 g.) (estimate) for 3 macarons; 1.8 oz. (51 g.) (estimate) for box of 6
Calories: 135 calories (estimate) for 3 macarons
Cost: $5.50 for (3 macarons)/ $11.00 for total box of 6 macarons
Purchased from: Chantal Guillon (shop), in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #10 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookie Theme Week.

I finished a box of 6 macarons from Chantal Guillon (San Francisco and Palo Alto, CA) with today's trio of Dark Chocolate, Earl Grey and Black Sesame macarons.

When it comes to macarons, savory and floral flavors (ingredients that help balance out the sugar) tend to be my favorites. The Dark Chocolate, also slightly less sweet, did not disappoint. The Earl Grey macaron had a wonderful orange bergamot, slightly citrus flavor. This paired nicely with the dark chocolate macaron. I also enjoyed the black sesame flavor.

Chantal Guillon - 3 Macarons - Oct. 9, 2014

Chocolate of the Day: 

Chantal Guillon
1.) Tiramisu macaron - Good
2.) Salted Caramel macaron - Good
3.) Red Velvet - Good
Weight: .9 oz. (25.47 g.) (estimate) for 3 macarons
Calories: 135 calories (estimate) in 3 macarons
Cost: $5.50 for 1/2 box ($11.00 for 6-piece box)
Purchased from: Chantal Guillon (shop), in Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #9 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookie Theme Week.

These colorful, round gluten-free cookies came from Chantal Guillon's macaron and tea shop in downtown Palo Alto, in northern California. Rows of macarons were displayed in glass cases inside a chic, white interior.

Macarons are airy and sweet, generally gluten-free confection cookies with a creamy filling sandwiched between two rounds. Popular in France and elsewhere in Europe, they've also been easier to find in the U.S. in recent years.

I tried three Chantal Guillon flavors: 1.) Tiramisu (the flavor of the month for September 2014, dusted with cocoa powder); 2.) Salted Caramel (a best seller); and Red Velvet (red and white, with a hint of cocoa powder).

Macarons are a bit sweet for everyday consumption, but these cheery (polka dot) confections were well executed and attractively colored; and I did enjoy exploring the different flavors.

The Salted Caramel was my favorite of the three, followed by the Tiramisu. A bit of salt and butter often helps balance the sweetness. The Tiramisu was lighter in texture and flavor with a hint of mocha flavor which also helped amp down the sugar.

ChocolateBet: October 24, 2012

Chocolate of the Day: 

Pamplemousse Patisserie et Cafe
1.) Mexican Chocolate macaron - Good - Good +
2.) Pumpkin macaron - Good - Good +
3.) Pistachio macaron - Good - Good +
4.) Salted Caramel macaron - Good
5.) Pamplemousse macaron - Good
Weight: 2.2 oz. total (estimate)
Calories: not known
Cost: $1.95 per macaron x 5
Purchased from: Pamplemousse Patisserie et Cafe, Redwood City, CA

Today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Pumpkin Theme Week, and I enjoyed a selection of autumn-colored macarons at the Pamplemousse Patisserie et Cafe (Redwood City, CA), where they also serve a variety of cakes, pastries, coffee, tea and savory dishes.

We arrived at the Cafe early. It was nice and quiet, and we were able to take a leisurely look at the rows of colorful macarons in the large, glass display case.

I sampled these a few at a time. My favorite pairing: Mexican Chocolate and Pumpkin. The other macaron flavors were interesting as well, including the cafe namesake, Pamplemousse, a yellow macaron with a slight bittersweet grapefruit taste.

This was a lot of sugar for breakfast, but it was worth it.

ChocolateBet: June 25, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:

Karin Johnson Specialty Cakes and Pastries
1.) 1 Chocolate Almond Macaron - Good +
2.) 1 Cardamom Almond Macaroon - Good +
Weight: 1.7 oz. (48 g.) (estimate for 2 different cookies)
Calories: Information not available (estimate: 200 calories)
Cost: $4.00 for 6 cookies (shared rest with others)
Purchased from: Karin Johnson booth/table, at Palo Alto Farmer's Market, in downtown Palo Alto, CA

Today was Day #4 of Chocolate and Gluten Free Cookie Theme Week. European style macarons have become a very popular choice for those in the San Francisco Bay Area with a sweet tooth who can't have wheat/gluten.

Karin Johnson (and her mother) were offering at least three different gluten free cookies at the Palo Alto Farmer's Market this morning, and I tried two: 1.) a light meringue sandwich-style macaron with a chocolate filling, and 2.) an almond macaroon, flavored with cardamom and topped with a whole, blanched almond. These are sweet cookies by nature, but I enjoyed trying both of these. The cardamom was a nice addition to the latter, but not everyone I shared these cookies with could taste the cardamom, so I may have gotten lucky and had a heavier distribution of the spice in my cookie. It's always nice to have more fresh gluten free cookie choices, especially in one's own backyard farmer's market. Karin Johnson Specialty Cakes and Pastries does not appear to have their own website at this time, but this family-run business does participate in other farmers markets in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Note: According to Wikipedia, Macaron stem from the Italian word "maccarone" which apparently means "paste." Macaron and macaroon are sometimes used interchangeably, which can be confusing. Many envision a macaroon as being a sweet cookie made from shredded coconut. Both styles of cookie lack a gluten-based flour base batter, so their initial consistency may be more paste-like.

ChocolateBet: March 1, 2011

Chocolate of the Day:
3 macarons
Cookie Momster
Mint with chocolate filling
Very Good
Weight: 2 oz. (56 g.) total package of 3
Calories: 150 calories
Cost: $3.49
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

Wheee! Sugar rush. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten all three Paris Wheel French Macarons from Cookie Momster. But, they were good. I enjoyed the mint macarons with fudgey chocolate filling down to the last pink and green crumbs.

Oh yes, there was also an orange macaron with vanilla filling -- poor thing; no chocolate, no respect.

These macarons were airy but sweetly substantial creations made from almonds, sugar, egg whites, dark chocolate, cream, butter, orange peel, mint and other natural flavorings. The bright, festive colors were achieved with a little help from artificial coloring.

There was no evil wheat/gluten in these. I say "evil" because I can't have wheat, and this limits my chocolate universe by several thousand items. However, I would like to make the point that, after eating 1,600+ different (almost all wheat-free) chocolates in the past 4 1/2 years, this gluten prohibition has not exactly left me deprived.

And to prove this point, today was Day #1 of Chocolate and Gluten-Free Cookie Theme Week.

ChocolateBet: November 6, 2009

Chocolate of the Day:

3 macarons

Masse's Pastries

1.) Hazelnut - Good +

2.) Orange Chocolate - Good - Good +

3.) Chocolate - Very Good

Weight: 3.25 oz. (92 g.)

Calories: 300? calories (estimate) for 3 macarons

Cost: $5 for 4 (Yuzu flavor eaten early)

Purchased from: Masse's Pastries, in Berkeley, CA

Macarons. There are so many great flavors available now. Masse's is located in Berkeley, on Shattuck Ave., next door to Saul's Deli. Masse's chocolate macaron was great -- almost brownie-like in flavor and texture. I was less impressed with the orange macaron. I could see the orange color, but couldn't taste any orange flavor. The hazelnut was nice, although I would have loved an even stronger hazelnut flavor. (I like stronger flavors.) Note: I also bought a Yuzu flavored macaron and ate this the day before; it was chocolate-free, but had an excellent flavor.

ChocolateBet: August 7, 2009

Chocolate(s) of the Day:

2 macarons
Bouchon Bakery
1 Caramel macaron - Yum (fresh)
1 Chocolate macaron (small) - VG+ (pre-packaged as part of an assortment)
Weight: 1 oz. (28.3 grams) (estimate)
Calories: 160 calories (guesstimate)
Cost: $4.75 (estimate) for both macarons
Purchased from: Bouchon Bakery, in New York City, New York

The Caramel macaron was excellent, and tasted light and fresh. The Chocolate macaron was also very nice; however, it was part of a pre-packaged assortment of different flavors (and perhaps a few hours older than the fresh Caramel batch). I shouldn't quibble; these really were great, especially after a long day and walk around New York City. I ate these macarons as an appetizer before dinner. Sorry I don't have a picture of them; all I have is the bag they came in (above).

After dinner, we walked down Broadway to Times Square. Adult-oriented businesses from a few decades ago have been replaced by lots of big, splashy video screens and some large candy stores. We visited M and M's World (Mars), which is across the street from the Hershey's store (appropriate given the rivalry between the two companies). And they seemed to inspire each other to new Las-Vegas-strip-style heights, with large product-related decorative pieces inside and out, and lively interiors. M and M's World was stocked with unique flavors and colors of M and M's in long vertical, clear plastic tubes that stretched up into the M and M ether in this three-story World. I bought and tried a few coconut peanut M and M's, making this my second chocolate for the day. See below for information.

5 pieces

M and M's (Mars)

Coconut M and M's

Good + - Very Good

Weight: .25 oz. (7.1 grams) (estimate)

Calories: 37.5 calories (estimate)

Cost: $5.88 total for .40 lb. (includes NYC sales tax)

Purchased from: M and M's World, Times Square, New York City, New York

Last, but not least, thank you to RK Chin, the creator of the New York City Chocolate Guide (Manhattan). This map was very helpful in planning chocolate-related stops for this weekend trip to New York. One or two chocolate stores may have closed since the last version of this guide/map was updated, but it provided a helpful look-at-a-glance for different places that make or sell chocolates.

Note: Because of certain limitations, I was unable to use the ampersand symbol on this site. So, I spelled out the Mar's candy name: M and M's.