Friday, March 26, 2010

Macarons: Tasty To A Tea

Assorted Macarons from Pix Patisserie

I am officially cheating on my red velvet cupcakes, and I blame it on my daily tea fix.

Being a bona fide tea enthusiast, having a sweet treat only adds to the enjoyment of tea time. But baking cupcakes results in an amount that tends to outnumber the times I sip daily, which leads to far too many chances of overconsumption. In essence, cupcakes are good to me, but not necessarily good for me.

On this sixth day after the Parisian Jour du Macaron*, the gracious folks of Pix Patisserie shipped their Chartreuse Gift Box of 14 assorted macarons for review.



Upon its arrival, I prepared spots of tea for me and my mom with my Ruben Toledo for Nordstrom teapot.



Let me just say life is like a box of macarons; you never know what taste you'll get!

Unwrapping the box, it displayed Easter egg hues that included Chocolate Chip, Pistachio, Passion Fruit and Cassis Violet flavors. I immediately went for the mint-colored Meka Leka Hi Meka Hiney Ho, while my mom chose Rose. The explosion of trillium absinthe butter cream flavor in my mouth let me know my wish had been granted. And I began to claim the other flavors I saw my mom eyeing...

"Mmmm", was her reaction. "Nice, not too sweet; but I can't quite put my finger on the underlying taste."

Almond
is what I told her, for so many confuse the French pastry for coconut-flavored macaroons.

So are macarons the new cupcakes? It depends on your taste. And discretion. A batch of cupcakes in one flavor makes more sense to me than an assortment. For macarons, I would rather buy an assortment versus trying my hand at making them myself. I also like the portion control of a macaron. But let's be realistic; like Lays chips, I seriously doubt you'll eat just one...

Overall, Pix Patisserie's assortment of macarons was an enjoyable experience. They ship overnight from Portland, Oregon to ensure freshness, which means an Easter delivery is a delectable gift for someone who won't be coming home for the holidays. The Chartreuse Gift Box makes a great Mother's Day gift, too. Consider ordering a gift tube of seven assorted macarons to introduce someone into the world of macarons.

I adore my red velvet cupcakes (I really do), but the experience of macarons with my tea is like a flavored dream resting between two pillows of confectionery bliss. And right now, I don't want to wake up.

*Jour du Macaron is the annual fĂȘte founded by Pastry Chef Pierre HermĂ© with members of the Association Relais Desserts, to raise money and awareness for the charity Federation des Maladies Orphelines.

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