New York: Child’s Play
The Big Apple has a reputation for giving the little ones a cold shoulder, but lately things have...
New York’s Sweet Side
The macaron, a longtime French favorite, has entranced the Big Apple with bite-sized delight.
New Yorkers’ latest sugary craze is for the colorful French confection, the macaron. Not to be confused with macaroons (the chewy coconut clusters), macarons are lighter-than-air cookies made of blanched, ground almonds, egg white and sugar, with a filling of ganache, buttercream or jam.
The newly opened Ladurée, on Madison Avenue, is the first U.S. branch of the elegant French pastry shop dating from 1862. Some of its best-selling macarons are chocolate, caramel with sea salt, raspberry and pistachio. There’s no in-store dining, but you can buy a small box ($20 for six) and head up two blocks to eat them in leafy Central Park.
Other nearby shops include Macaron Café, which has a wide range of unique flavors such as honey lavender and rhubarb in addition to classics like dark chocolate, Nutella and vanilla. At FC Chocolate Bar in the Plaza Hotel, famed French baker Francois Payard crafts delectable macarons that include raspberry, coffee, passion fruit and vanilla.
Downtown, on the Lower East Side’s Stanton Street, you’ll find the minimalist shop Bisous, Ciao Macarons selling a mix of fruit-flavored versions (lemon, cherry, grapefruit/ginger) along with nut-and-bean varieties like hazelnut with milk chocolate, pistachio and espresso. And while SoHo doesn’t have any parks, there are a few outdoor benches at the corner of Thompson and Spring where you can sit and enjoy your sweet treats.
More information
Laduree
www.laduree.fr
Macaron café
www.macaroncafe.com
FC Chocolate Bar
www.payard.com
Bisous, Ciao Macarons
www.bisousciao.com
Related
-
-
Cusco, My Sweet
The classic attractions of the ancient Inca capital are sweetened by two delicious new treats....
