A Truly Scrumptious Sweet Obsession: C'est le Macaron

What are your favorite sweets?

To the eternal chagrin of my waistline, blood sugar and primary care physician, my list is rather long.

Pecan pie, chocolate cake, many other varieties of cake and pie, cookies, cupcakes, donuts, muffins, candy bars, chocolate in general, ice cream, Hostess fruit pies, etc., etc., etc.

In fact, it would probably be quicker to list desserts I don't savor: basically anything with a coffee flavor or custard filling, so no tiramisu, eclairs or the like. Otherwise, if it's sweet and sugary, well, you are what you eat ;-)

Certainly, like most people I imagine, I prefer certain desserts on certain occasions, and of course try (real hard) to abide by the adage of "all things in moderation." But I can also become rather obsessive about a certain type of confection.

Like, a couple years ago, I became somewhat addicted to cupcakes, and wrote this article which still ranks as one of the best read on Seth Saith (guess I must not be the only gluttonous slob out there).

And last year I went through a fruit pie phase (not Hostess, but rather Bakers Square and assorted diners).

But lately, there is nothing I'm liking more than the macaron.

Not the coconut-based macaroon, which I also enjoy and which Jews often eat at Passover. A rather large version of one of these, from the Bent Fork Bakery in Highwood, IL, is shown at right.

According to Wikipedia, "The English word macaroon and French macaron come from the Italian maccarone or maccherone. This word is itself derived from ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, used here in reference to the almond paste which is the principal ingredient."

So although the macaroon and macaron (essentially "mac-a-roan" with a bit of French inflection) have related origins, they look and taste quite different.

I've enjoyed macaroons since childhood--though only more recently came to know of examples that didn't come in a can--but although Wikipedia dates the French macaron all the way back to the 16th century, I've only come to know and love it over the past few years.

Since I keep referencing Wikipedia, it's probably apt that I share their definition:

A macaron (French pronunciation:[makaˈʁɔ̃]) is a sweet meringue-based confectionery made with egg whites, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food coloring. The macaron is commonly filled with ganache, buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. 

It's possible that I had a macaron when I first went to Paris in 1993 or again in 2000, or perhaps at Paris Las Vegas. But anything representing an acute ancestry to what's lately become an obsession with the macaron begins with the Bouchon Bakery within the Shops at Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Center in New York City.

I've been to Manhattan many times since the Time Warner Center opened in 2003 and on several occasions have made a point of visiting the Bouchon Bakery, which was created by famed chef Thomas Keller of Napa, CA's The French Laundry, New York's Per Se and a restaurant called Bouchon with multiple locations.

The Bouchon Bakery is quite simply phenomenal and I've tried many of its pastries, including at some undefined point, the macaron.

I didn't instantly become ravenously smitten, in terms of seeking out the macaron near my suburban Chicago home, but being one of the best looking and tasting pastries I've ever consumed, it prompted some kind of gastronomic recall when I next encountered one.

Which I believe was at the Labriola Bakery Cafe in Oak Brook, IL. In 2009, Labriola--a longtime commercial baking outfit--got hailed in the Chicago Tribune for having the area's best cheeseburger at its restaurant location. So although I live relatively far from DuPage County these days, I had to check it out.

The cheeseburger is fantastic, as are the steak sliders and not surprisingly, their baked goods. Of these, my favorite is the raspberry macaron, which I most recently had just last week but initially served as my first known devouring beyond Bouchon. Labriola also has vanilla, chocolate and pistachio macarons, which are $1.25 each and tend to be of a larger circumference than I've gotten elsewhere in the Chicago area.

Now, while I can't recall whether I ingested any macarons on my first two visits to Paris, I know that on the morning of November 30, 2011, I had a raspberry (framboise) macaron--along with a jambon et fromage (ham and cheese) baguette and Coca-Cola Light--while sitting along the Champs-Élysées approaching the Arc de Triomphe.

This was from a patisserie called Paul, locations of which have existed since 1889. But other than being convenient at a time I was hungry, I chose Paul because that evening I would see Paul McCartney in concert and it seems apropos. (You can read my Paris recap here.)

The macaron from Paul, to eat on-site (they charge less for take-with items) was 3.70 euro, which today converts to about $4.86. Considering that I haven't had any macarons around Chicago for more than $2.00 each, that's pretty steep. But I do remember it being quite good.

According to Wikipedia, again, McDonald's in Paris serve macarons at their McCafes, but I don't remember having any there. There are probably hundreds of other places in Paris where you can get macarons and, if one looks, plenty in the U.S., but I'll note that there are some Paul franchises in the Miami and Washington, DC areas, as well as one I also ate at within the Louvre museum.

But what exactly is a macaron?

Diagram found on noobletpatissier.blogspot.com

I realize that I've told you where you can get macarons--and will list some more Chicago purveyors below--and provided the Wikipedia definition, but I haven't really explained why I like them so much.

Although a macaron is undoubtedly rather caloric--I prefer not to know specifics--there is something weightless about a great one. There is no sweet treat I can readily recall that provides such melt-in-your-mouth bliss.

Shaped somewhat akin to a hamburger on a bun, I've seen macarons referenced as crunchy on the outside and soft in the center, but for me, on a first-rate macaron the bun part isn't so much crunchy as flaky. And while I'm not big on things that are overtly gooey--such as s'mores--the texture is surprisingly firm, while feeling airy at the same time.

But the best way for you to know what I'm talking about is to have one. Which brings me back to citing some places around Chicagoland where you can get macarons.

At some point a few months ago, after a visit to Labriola Bakery Cafe, where I brought some macarons back to Skokie for my mom and sister, I decided to see if I could find these delectable treats closer to home.

Thanks to a great new invention called Google, I discovered that in 2010 Chicago magazine hailed Bennison's Bakery in Evanston (1000 Davis St.) as having "the best we've found around so far."

Years ago I worked around the corner from Bennison's and they're only about 15 minutes from where I live, so I was happy to pay them a visit to see if their macarons were très magnifique.

I've now done so on multiple occasions.

I don't mean for this article to be a ranking of the best macarons, a la my cupcake piece, but I haven't had any clearly better than Bennison's. Even their fruit flavors, such as strawberry and lemon, have a melt-in-your-mouth creaminess that is truly truly scrumptious. Bennison's macarons cost $1.17 each and are available in many flavors, including chocolate, salted caramel, rose, mocha, passion fruit and more.

But while Bennison's should suffice to feed my macaron fix, in order to write this article, I felt a little additional research was in order. Not just Google research, but the arduous task of actually driving to some other bakeries where macarons are sold and then eating a few (not that I recommend over-binging on macarons).

While this was not an exhaustive nor comparative survey of places in and around Chicago where you can get macarons--besides Labriola and Bennison's--hopefully some will appreciate my dedication to public service in citing the following: 

Delightful Pastries - 3 Chicago locations including within the French Market at the Oglivie Transportation Center. When I visited their location at 1710 N. Wells they had six flavors: Raspberry Almond, Chocolate, Marzipan Almond, Caramel, Pistachio and Passion Fruit. Rather than a set per unit price, the macarons here are sold by weight. Four cost only $3.42 including tax, and they were not noticeably smaller or thinner than at Bennison's, if not quite as creamy or savory.

Vanille Pastisserie - 2229 N. Clybourn, Chicago and also within the French Market. They easily have the most unique array of flavors I've encountered, including Strawberry Lemongrass, White Chocolate Leche, Chocolate Banana, Sesame, Green Tea, Earl Grey and more common ones like Raspberry, Caramel, Lemon and Pistachio. Macarons here are $1.50 each.

Fritz Pastry - 1408 W. Diversey, Chicago - Just $1.00 each, macaron flavors include Blood Orange, Pineapple, Blueberry, Raspberry, Passion Fruit, Hazel Nut, Chocolate and Vanilla. (They also had some interesting looking donuts, including a Trix Cereal donut and Pineapple Coconut.) I was told by the clerk that macarons have become increasingly popular to serve at events; being compact and colorful, they present well.

Bittersweet - 1114 W. Belmont, Chicago - They seem to have just three standard flavors--Salted Caramel, Strawberry Rhubarb and Passion Fruit--for $1.75 each, but I was told that others such as Green Tea, Raspberry and Pistachio sometimes rotate in. 

Besides the above, all of which I've personally visited and whose macarons I've tasted, some additional area venues I found online include:

Pierrot Gourmet - within the Peninsula Hotel, 108 E. Superior, Chicago

Alliance Bakery - 1736 W. Division, Chicago

La Boulangerie - 2569 N. Milwaukee, Chicago

Bonjour Cafe Bakery - 1550 E 55th, Chicago

Even these listings are not comprehensive and not intended to be comparative in their selection. For even more macaron purveyors--and I read that there's also a macaron food truck--you may want to see the Yelp page for macarons in Chicago. And if you sell or come across wonderful macarons elsewhere, by all means, leave a comment.

I'm also curious how macarons are made. Not so much the actual recipe, though I imagine others may be interested, but the trick to getting the consistency right. I asked at a couple places I visited and even put in some phone calls, but understandably the baker's hands were full. So if someone wishes to comment on that as well, please do.

Finally, for readers not in Chicagoland and even some who are, I have found a number of bakeries that will ship macarons across the U.S.

One of these is the Manhattan based:

Macaron Cafe - They sure seem to have some interesting flavors--including Apricot, Creme Brulee, Honey Lavender, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Passion Fruit and Dulce de Leche--so Bouchon might have some competition next time I'm in New York. But you can get boxes shipped in various quantities starting at $16.00 plus shipping. Ordering a box of 12 macarons for $31.00 plus shipping might seem rather opulent, but remember, they were about $5.00 apiece in Paris and this would save you an international airfare.

Yes indeed, I'm always happy to provide an important public service.

Viva le macaron!

Today's Weighty Topic: The Best Cupcakes in Chicago

According to Wikipedia, cupcakes date back to at least 1796. So in one shape or another, I imagine that gourmet cupcake emporiums have been around for ages. But I have only been aware of trendy little cupcake cafés popping up around Chicago for about the last 2-3 years.

For the preservation of my arteries, the relative recency of the cupcake craze is probably a good thing. Because in the category of "Sweet treats that I shouldn't eat but sometimes still do," cupcakes have surpassed Eli's cheesecake, Portillo's chocolate cake, Krispy Kreme donuts (are they still around anymore?), pecan pie from Baker's Square and pretty much everything else as my gluttonous fix of choice.

Unlike the aforementioned sweets, for which I have a very specific favored purveyor (not that I refuse chocolate cake, pecan pie, donuts or cheesecake from most elsewhere), having a cupcake--and where from--is a choice predominantly based on convenience. For although there seem to be several more cupcake joints around town than there were five years ago, most bakeries have just one location and if I am in the neighborhood of any at a time that I can justify--er, rationalize--the cost and calories, I typically find the experience truly scrumptious, whether it's one place or another.

That said, there are three cupcake shops that so far rank as my favorites in the Chicagoland area. This shouldn't be taken as a comprehensive survey, as I haven't been to all that many places and at least one that I liked has already come and gone. But rather than embark on a comprehensive cupcake gorging expedition, let's consider these the best of what I've found so far--of shops visited at least twice, so as to sample a variety of flavors--and I'll be sure to update you if I discover anywhere else that truly "takes the cake."

Before my three medalists, let me give a shout out to three other cupcake bakers. Mrs. A's Cupcakes & Cookies at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie doesn't really create the same type of beautifully-decorated gourmet cupcakes as the top three, but does an excellent job with the basics, including chocolate fudge and red velvet varieties. Foiled Cupcakes is a delivery only cupcake bakery in Naperville, so you can't just stop in, but their creations were provided at a Meetup I attended and the two cupcakes I had were phenomenal. Their delivery reach is pretty extensive and the proprietor does a great job of promotion via Twitter, so keep them in mind for your next event. Although Sweety Pies Bakery is in my hometown of Skokie, I have yet to visit, but they have gotten some good reviews on Yelp and if their home page photo (above) is to be believed, they make the most beautiful decorated cupcakes I've ever seen.

But now that I've whet your appetite, and mine, here are my choices for "The Best Cupcake Places in Chicago," in reverse order (to be clear, I'm ranking establishments, not specific flavors of cupcakes):

#3. Molly's Cupcakes - 2536 N. Clark, Chicago
This popular Lincoln Park café certainly fills the bill in making delicious cupcakes in a variety of flavors. But with nearby parking often hard to find, popping in for a cupcake isn't always all that practical except for those who live in the neighborhood. And compared to my top two choices, Molly's cupcakes are somewhat small and pricey, not particularly original and on at least one visit, not exceptionally moist.

So although it's pretty hard to make a truly bad cupcake and Molly's certainly doesn't, I've had cupcakes just as good at the now-gone Chicago Cupcakes (on Briar Place, near Broadway) and would expect to find similar quality or better at other cupcake bakeries, including Phoebe's (3327 N. Broadway), which I think may be run by the same proprietors as Chicago Cupcakes. What I do really like about Molly's is that it's a comfortable place to sit for awhile and they have sprinkle-shakers with which to adorn your cupcake. And I most recently had a cookie dough cupcake that was pretty awesome.

#2. More Cupcakes - 1 E. Delaware Place, Chicago
Chicago Magazine gave this Gold Coast emporium a couple of citations, including noting their launch of a cupcakemobile, a good idea if I've ever heard one. Helped by a "15 minute loading zone" in front of the shop, which has scant or no seating (I can't recall), I've stopped in a few times now. I would have to say that More takes the cake in terms of originality, combining sleekly designed cupcakes like the red velvet at left, with unique flavors such as "salted caramel" and over-the-top extravaganzas like their version of cookies & cream, one of many varieties that feature a creamy filling.

More is clearly the most gourmet of the cupcake places I've visited, with the industrial design of their single-serve cupcake boxes rivaling the ingenuity of Apple (I've been tempted to tell the clerk, "just throw it in a bag; it'll be gone in about 37 seconds"). But despite the prevailing wisdom that it's impossible to be too rich or too pretty, I've occasionally found both to be somewhat true at More. While beautiful, the red velvet cupcake in particular wasn't quite as heavenly or unique as I was expecting (although it was certainly more than adequate). So while this bakery is excellent and well worth several More visits, at least in my humble opinion, their cupcakes can be topped.

#1. Sensational Bites - 3751 N. Southport, Chicago
Located up the block from the Music Box Theatre, this accurately-named "dessert cafe"--two of my friends rave about their chocolate caramel brownie--has benefited from my relatively newfound affinity for world cinema and I've enjoyed sampling a new cupcake (or sometimes two) on each visit.

While neither their flavors or designs are as unique or elegant as More's, they have a good assortment of cupcakes both basic and fancy, including a few with fillings. I've had their red velvet, cookies & cream, marble (at left), orange dreamsicle and a couple of others and have never been disappointed. Especially as their cupcake prices range from $2.50-$2.75, about dollar less than anything at More and most choices at Molly's. I've occasionally found their counter help to be a bit gruff, but nothing to keep me from coming back and enjoying Sensational Bites again and again (in moderation, of course).

If there are any places I haven't yet tried (or just didn't include) and should particularly know about, by all means don't keep your favorite cupcakes under wraps. As time and my blood sugar levels will allow, I'll be happy this investigation open. Preferably with a glass of milk.