french chefs from le cordon bleu paris, husband & Wife Anthony & yami.
authentic French macaron recipe with ganache filling (no butter).
characteristic flavor crunchy on the outside / chewy on the inside. fresh shipping to your door.
price is fair $2.20 vs $2.10 considering they are the only macaroons handcrafted by French chefs.
free shipping over $69. $9.90 standard shipping and options to expedite.
great variety of sets: gift boxes, 12, 24, 48, favor boxes for company gifts, etc.
feature “build your own set” in the macaroni menu. “order now, ship later” feature for events.
Unidentified bakers. recipe too buttery. “American” flavors. mostly chewy texture.
all macarons were wet when opened: macarons will most likely be shipped frozen and will thaw during transit.
ma-ka-rohn full review
price is slightly higher than average at $2.25 vs. $2.10.
free shipping on orders over $69 with usps. no overnight shipping or rush options.
there is no event function to send later. customization available to choose each flavor.
only set available is 12. does not include macaroon gift box or favor box.
based in seattle, washington. Americanized recipe with buttercream.
macarons are shipped frozen (traces of water on the blister, thawing test).
lady yum macarons full review
the macarons are reasonably priced. the online ordering process is seamless.
shipping is overpriced ($18) with no economy or express options.
macarons delivered 6 days after the order.
baker based in new york. recipe with buttercream (too buttery). good texture.
macarons will most likely be shipped frozen. Macarons slightly moist when opened due to the thawing process during transit.
full review of dana’s bakery
expensive ($2.75>$2.10) and the quality is average.
expensive standard shipping at $18 for 2-day shipping. no free shipping. the order arrived 5 days later.
only for sets of 12, no “create your own set” feature.
customizable for companies with printing function.
baker not identified on website, but legit location in dallas, texas.
recipe too buttery and macarons were soggy (probably shipped frozen and thawed during transit).
flavors difficult to distinguish due to the amount of butter used.
chelles macarons full review
fair price ($2.25 > $2.10).
The only shipping option is $7.99 for 2-3 business day delivery. no free shipping, no option to expedite.
can be customized, but the website is not easy to navigate.
There is no function to order now and send later for an event.
Head of the company well identified as Nathan Sivitz. very poor quality macaron – each macaron was hollow, weak and inedible.
I don’t recommend shopping at this bakery.
macaron bar full reviews with photos
price includes shipping: $3.25 per macaron, which is fair.
free shipping with usps.
fast transit (received in two days).
the macarons were not shipped correctly: each macaron arrived damaged.
finia, the experienced iranian baker, is featured in cnbc’s earnings. 5 out of 10 macarons melted due to too buttery filling. 3 out of 10 broken.
amateur box look. I recommend pickup instead of shipping.
full review and unboxing of macaron queen
price is higher than average ($2.70 > $2.20).
free shipping over $75. standard just $7.99 fedex 2 day and $17 overnight shipping.
it is not possible to customize it to create your own set. difficult website to navigate.
nice story, but neither the chef nor the names are mentioned. It is not owned or operated by French chefs. there is no way to know who bakes your candy.
5 of 9 macarons arrived damaged. overall quality is fine.
full review and unboxing of woops bakery.
very expensive. $4.33 per macaron vs. $2.20 average in this study. most expensive i have ever seen (even more than ladurée at les champs elysées paris).
increases 2-day shipping to $9.95. $52.58 next day air.
easy to navigate website and smooth ordering process.
After reviews of ma-ka-rohn, dana’s bakery, lady yum, chelles macarons, macaron bar, macaron queen, and woops macarons, let’s find out which are the best macarons to buy online.
I will do an unpacking and quality test for each macaroon delivery service. I won’t comment too much on pastreez, but will post what others say about us.
oh, and below is a quick video on what a macaron should taste like. These are the details I look at when doing the quality test.
table of contents
- pasteez
- makarohn
- dana’s bakery
- lady yum
- chelles macarons
- macaron bar
- macaron queen
- woops macarons
- best macaron delivery services: overview
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cake
pastreez are the best macarons you can find online because… let’s stop here.
I would really love to promote our company in this way! but to be fair in this review, I won’t. instead I will share data and reviews from previous clients:
- pastreez’s average google rating is 4.6 with over 200 reviews
- le cordon bleu paris said pastreez is “the most authentic french macarons in the united states”
I will not comment further on the comparison between pastreez and other bakeries. I just know that my wife and I left everything in France in 2017 to build pastreez in the US.
our mission was to answer the question where to find macarons near me in the united states. Since most authentic French pastries are hard to find, we provide a delivery service that is available to anyone, anywhere.
Redeem your 7 free macarons today and let us know how your experience was!
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authenticity
Each of the pastreez macaroons is entirely handcrafted by French chefs in California. my wife and i are french chefs from le cordon bleu paris.
We use the authentic recipe that we have learned and practiced for years. the macarons are the classic Parisian size, about 1.7 inches in diameter.
Recipe contains no butter, for a smoother flavor and better texture. we prefer ganache over buttercream, because it doesn’t alter the flavor, it’s less fast, and it doesn’t melt in transit.
check out our full list of macaroon flavors to see what’s currently on the menu.
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unpacking
pastreez includes a card in each shipment with tips for a better experience and a menu card on the back with photos.
We also include air cushions to protect your treats during transit. Macarons are securely packed inside an insulated bubble bag.
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quality & taste test
I won’t comment on our macarons either 🙂 instead, let’s see what other customers are saying on google.
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makarohn
who is ma-ka-rohn? This online bakery was founded in 2015. Not much information is available about its founders or bakers. no names, no photos.
Personally, I like to know who is behind the food I buy, especially when it’s online.
I’ve ordered from makarohn and tried their macarons. I’ll detail it in a full review and go over its quality, taste, and more!
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unpacking
makarohn ships your packages USPS Priority Mail. the shipping fee is $9.99 and free shipping over $69. the 10 macarons I bought cost $22.50, which is fair. it costs $2.25 each, slightly above the industry average of $2.10.
I ordered on August 1st. 21, shipped on August 2. 24, and delivered Aug. 26 the timeline is great.
The package is made correctly, although there is no mark outside the box. the stickers help to identify that it is a perishable package.
Inside, I found two cards, an insulated bag with the macarons, and a bag of ice. the cards were tips for better consumption and also a menu card.
The macarons were packaged in a blister pack, which was shrink wrapped. the first look is fine, although I did notice right away that some macarons were wet, melted and/or broken.
When I opened the shrink paper, I noticed the characteristic smell of defrosting. Makarohn will most likely ship your macaroons frozen and they will thaw during transit. not good for freshness.
the melty look of makarohn’s macaroons comes from the fact that they use buttercream for their ganache. they probably use too much butter.
creates two problems: it alters the flavor of the macaron and it melts easily in transit.
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quality and taste test
Do you know the quality of a good quality macaron? the texture should be crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. this balance is achieved by the filling being spread into hard shells, creating the characteristic flavor of a macaron.
Here at makarohn, the texture is a bit weird. probably due to thawing, the outer layers lost their crunch. the result is a chewy sensation, closer to a cake than a real macaron.
the filling is too buttery. therefore, most of the flavors melted away and few macarons tasted the same.
Not that the legs and shells of the macarons were of good quality. what we call “hollow” macarons happens when air bubbles get trapped in the macaron batter. This didn’t happen here, which means the bakers at Makarohn are experienced in baking macarons.
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conclusion
makarohn is quite popular online with a strong presence in paid social media ads. the shells were of good quality, but the choice of buttery filling really spoiled the flavor.
Also, your choice to ship frozen and let the macarons thaw during transit is a turn off to me. there is a distinctive smell and feel when it comes to eating defrosted produce.
there is no way of knowing when the macarons were made (it can be months). When you buy expensive cakes online, you expect a fresh product.
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dana’s bakery
Dana’s Bakery is a famous bakery in New York. They have a pop up store at Dylan’s Candy Bar, but their warehouse is located in New Jersey.
dana loia is identified and very present on the net. She likes to share photos of her and her family through the bakery’s social networks.
I like to have a well-identified company manager and a baker who inspire confidence.
Please note that Dana’s Bakery also sells other pastries such as cookies. but are the macarons at dana’s bakery any good? let’s find out.
I ordered from your website and documented every step.
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unpacking
The ordering process was quite easy on the website. macarons are overpriced compared to the industry average.
$33 for 12 macarons and a minimum shipping fee of $18. no free shipping. for twelve macarons, the total is $51. even more expensive than the iconic ladurée. ouch!
dana’s bakery ships your packages with ups 2nd day air. I ordered on Sunday in August. 22 and I received the package on Friday in August. 27, which is 5 days.
I expected it 2 days early, considering the high shipping rate and what was advertised on their website.
Inside the box, there was a bag that was not insulated or protected. the insulated bags have a layer of metal, which was not the case here.
the dana’s bakery blister is quite resistant and the packaging is good. It also includes two menu cards with the macaron flavor menu and the macaron of the month.
immediately noticed a problem: as makarohn, the filling melted and the macaroni shells were wet.
As you can see in those photos, the shells were very wet. caused the outer layer to break and peel off. I have to admit it’s not attractive.
the shells were sticky to my fingers and the filling melted into the blister. sadly this is a common problem for bakeries that use too much butter in their filling. there is an easy alternative that we talked about earlier in this review: ganache.
The ganache uses white chocolate instead of butter. it doesn’t alter the flavor, has less fat, and ships much better. for example, when you go to the supermarket, the butter is in the refrigerated section. the chocolate is in the dry section. that says it all.
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quality and taste test
let’s take a look at the intrinsic quality and flavor of dana’s bakery macarons.
Do you know what a hollow macaron is? It happens when air bubbles get trapped in the macaroni dough. When you bake shells with air bubbles, air spaces are created within the shells, creating weak macarons that crack easily.
That’s sadly what happened here. do you see the air gap between the base of the top cover and its top? there is a large air gap which was probably caused by air bubbles.
Now there’s an easy way to prevent that. tap the baking sheets several times on the table, right after you’ve placed the macaron batter (to learn how to make macarons with French chefs, check out our virtual macaron class schedule).
this shows that the macarons I received from dana’s did not meet the basic quality requirements for a macaron. This hollow macaron problem is very common in the industry. experienced bakers know how to avoid hollow macarons.
We also talked earlier about “wet” shells. When the macarons are packaged and sealed, as was the case with dana’s bakery packaging, the water can only come out from the inside.
I think dana’s bakery ships frozen macaroons, like makarohn. From a business perspective, I understand why they do that: mass produce, freeze the products, and ship when there’s an order.
but from a customer’s perspective, you’re not getting the freshest produce. plus, you also get moist macarons due to the thawing process during transit.
note that each shell was perfectly round and the feet of their macarons were fine. while most of the flavors I ordered are too buttery, some like the smores and mocha were good.
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my conclusion
Dana’s bakery is clearly overrated compared to the macaron industry. even more iconic bakeries like ladurée are less expensive.
shipping is also excessive. considering the price, I would expect a flawless experience.
Not only were the macarons average, they were shipped frozen. dunking and melting macarons at this cost is not acceptable to me.
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rich lady
lady yum is located in seattle, washington.
the owner is well identified on the website. classic story: he quit his full-time job to pursue his passion for baking. good for her!
but are lady yum’s macaroons worth it? let’s find out.
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unpacking
The corrugated box was slightly customized, which is great.
Inside the box, there was an insulated bag with the macarons and a bag of ice.
You know what I think about ice packs: they’re useless. they only last 12 hours tops and don’t make any difference.
since lady yum uses buttercream as a filling, it is very temperature sensitive (butter melts easily, compared to white chocolate).
In pastreez, we prefer the ganache filling. It is tastier, less greasy and transits perfectly through the United States.
there’s also a menu card for macaroons. nice design and sturdy card. overall, lady yum packs a lot of punch.
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quality and taste test
but here’s the thing, the packaging is supposed to emphasize the actual product, not camouflage its flavor.
sadly, just like makarohn and dana’s bakery, all flavors tasted the same.
This is mainly due to the buttercream used…why use so much butter? some were better than others, like the vanilla macaron, but it’s really disappointing.
Also, the macaron looked nice but was ruined due to the thawing process.
The shells became waterlogged, destroying the flavor signature a macaron should have.
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my conclusion
same old experience. the packaging is great, the story is great, but the quality and taste of the macarons is not worth it.
I think making macarons and selling them directly to your store is a very different business than shipping them.
and most bakeries, to expand their activities, sell online.
but they may have minimized the work required to: adapt the recipe, ship fresh instead of frozen, a quality and affordable shipping method, and much more.
if you’re in seattle, it might be worth a try. but for ordering macarons online from lady yum and shipping, I wouldn’t recommend it.
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chelles macarons
who is chelles macarons? It’s a Dallas based bakery that sells macarons. While I couldn’t find any names or pictures of the bakers on their website, the place is legit with pick up locations in Texas.
chelles recently expanded its offer to the macaroni delivery service. I ordered directly from their website. I detail my experience throughout the process, and will proceed to the unboxing, taste testing and quality testing of the chelles macarons.
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chelles macarons unboxing
first, your website is not really optimized for online ordering. focused more on picking and information on how to pick, rather than ordering macarons online.
The ordering process was fine, but it wasn’t easy. for example, I couldn’t see what the flavors I chose looked like. that can be a problem if I want to choose specific colors for an event.
There was only one shipping option at $7.99 for 2-3 business day delivery, which is fair. but there is no free shipping over a certain amount.
let’s see my order schedule: ordered 8/22, shipped 8/23, received 8/27. I received my order in 5 days, which is longer than the 2-3 days advertised on your website.
Now let’s take a look at the package I received from chelles macarons.
The package was shipped using USPS Priority Mail.
was not identified or marked. there was no label that said “perishable” or “refrigerated”. that’s a problem, because there’s no way to see from the outside that this package should be treated differently upon delivery.
The first thing you see when you open the box is the box of chelles macaroons. it is sturdy and well made. but without insulated bag: macarons should be transported in an insulated bag or anything that helps against temperature variation.
the bag of ice is of no use to me (you know why if you’ve read my macaron reviews :). especially when used without an insulated bag and placed in the bottom of the cardboard box like it was here.
I realized from these details that chelles macarons is new to the shipment. I always mention in my reviews that selling macarons through a physical store is a different business than a macaron delivery service.
The gift box is sturdy and includes a blister to protect the macarons. After taking a closer look at the macarons, I found the same problems as the bakeries mentioned above: wet and melted.
here it is even easier to parse. do you see those drops of water? comes from thawing. which means the macarons were shipped frozen and not fresh.
You can also see that some shells were wet from the water released by thawing.
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chelles macarons quality & taste test
about half of the macarons were moist, which alters the texture.
the colors of the macarons were great. each was easily identifiable with the menu of macaron flavors. I didn’t find any hollow macarons either. this means that the baker is experienced.
You know, I’m not a fan of buttercream. I don’t quite understand why almost every bakery I review uses so much butter in their filling. it can easily melt in transit, is greasy, and most of all spoils the flavor of the macaron.
taste test was better than dana and makarohn’s bakery. texture balance was handled better and some flavors were really good, like raspberry rose and chocolate macaroon.
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my conclusion
chelles macarons looks like a decent bakery. I would still recommend picking up in dallas, texas instead of ordering like a nationwide macaroon delivery service. I think their macarons are great if they don’t ship.
sadly, chelles followed the majority in the industry that ships frozen macaroons with too much of a buttery filling. the result: soggy shells and melted stuffing. It doesn’t have to be this way.
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macaroni bar
who’s the macaroon bar? It’s a macaroni bakery that was created by Nathan Sivitz. their records are legit and there are pickup locations in ohio.
just like chelles, macaron bar is fairly new to the macaron delivery service. they were focused on selling at pick-up places and also teaching macaroni classes.
As I did with previous bakeries, I ordered the macaron bar and proceeded with the unboxing, quality testing, and taste testing. the idea is to give you my opinion, so you can decide if the macaron bar is right for you.
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unpacking
The ordering process is fine. I noticed that the website is geared as a storefront and collection, like chelles.
Selecting the flavors of your macarons is a bit tricky and you can’t see what you choose, which can be a pain if you just need specific colors for an event.
You can select a “ship by” date for later delivery, which is great.
prices are fair, $39 for 12 macarons, including shipping. Note that if you order two sets of 12 macarons, the cost per macaron remains the same, and since shipping is already included, it looks like you’ll pay double for shipping.
example: $39 for 12 macarons, including shipping, is average compared to the industry. but not $78 for 24 macarons. at pastreez, 24 macarons are $49 + $9.90 shipping, total $58.90. that’s a difference of $20.
the carrier they use is usps. I received my package two days after ordering, which is great.
the first appearance of the outer box: it was poorly made. the cardboard box used is the free one that usps gives away at the post office. since it’s a usps brand box, it looks cheap and without the macaron bar branding.
then, I noticed that the shipping label wasn’t actually a label. a single sheet of paper not even cut straight. there was also no “perishable” or “refrigerated” label to help me identify the package.
It really looked very unprofessional. that confirms the lack of experience of him in the delivery service and delivery of macarons.
inside the box, the same feeling. Instead of the air cushions used by many in the industry for their shock absorption function, here the macaroni bar used “peanuts” starch packaging material. the same ones you use when you move out of your apartment. again, it doesn’t look professional.
The macarons were simply wrapped in bubble wrap and there was a bag of ice in the bottom of the carton. the macarons weren’t even in an insulated bag, so ice packs are even more useless than usual, and my treats suffered from temperature fluctuations during transit, which is never a good sign.
There are two cards inside: one is a gift note and the other is the macaroon flavor menu.
The first look at the blister pack of macarons is a disaster. If this wasn’t for a review, I would have asked for a refund right away.
I really wanted to like these but sadly it all went wrong with the macaroon bar. let’s take a closer look at those macarons.
I have some things to analyze. each macaron was damaged. and this is due to two main reasons: poor packaging and weak macaron shells.
I mentioned earlier that I felt the packaging was poorly done. my instinct was right on this one. the packaging materials used and the way it was made meant that the macarons hardly broke upon delivery.
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quality & taste test
Also, the macaron shells were weak and hollow. an experienced baker would not send hollow macarons to their customers.
Since it’s a very common problem with a simple solution, I’m really disappointed that macaron bar sent them to me.
okay, all my macarons were damaged. but unfortunately it is not that. few were also melted. another common problem: too much butter used in your stuffing recipe.
I’ll be honest, it was hard for me to try them because I didn’t fancy them at all. but I did it for the sake of this review!
some macarons were dry and others were melted. remember, an authentic macaron texture is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Of all these macarons, few had a “good” flavor, like red velvet or coconut. I had a hard time knowing which is which because the menu of macaroni flavors wasn’t accurate.
the colors of the macarons were good, and the roundness too. I couldn’t really check the feet of the macaron due to their condition.
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my conclusion
I really wanted to say good things about the macaroni bar. spreading the love for this authentic French patisserie is great. but sadly my opinion is clear: avoid the macaroni bar as a macaroni delivery service for now.
I can’t comment on the pickup option. but their lack of shipping experience and the weakness of macaron covers will probably be a problem for a while.
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the macaroon queen
Who is the queen of macarons? This bakery was created by Finia Jahangard and was featured on the CNBC show The Profit of Marcus Lemonis.
The place is legit and located in Atlanta, Georgia. the company turned around after the show and focused on wholesale instead of selling directly to customers.
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unpacking
As always in my macaroon reviews, I ordered the same way you would through the bakery’s website.
The website is good and you can choose from over 90 different macaroni games. Please note that you cannot choose a specific flavor and create your own set.
I also noticed a “store locator” where retailers sell macaron queen macaroons. this way, you can find “retailers” all over the country.
From a business perspective, that’s a great point, but as a customer, it means you’ll get fewer fresh macarons if you order from one of their retailers.
I highly recommend that you always order directly from the source for the freshest macarons.
macaron queen macarons are priced slightly above the industry average: $2.70 each macaron compared to $2.10.
shipping cost is excellent with $7.99 fedex 2 day delivery or $17 overnight. there is also free shipping over $75.
We received the macarons three days after I ordered them, which is an excellent delivery time.
my first contact with the package is mixed. looks a bit buff. Unlike pastreez, dana’s bakery, and makarohn, macaron queen doesn’t have a lot of experience shipping their products.
I could tell right away, because the shipping label was a simple piece of paper taped to the box and the absence of the mark.
the presence of the big “refrigerate” and “fragile” stickers is a big point.
The box contained two cards, an invoice, an ice pack and a “tempguard” cushion. this is a great option but I would have added an air cushion and also an insulated sealed bag for the macarons.
The macaroons were very well packaged and sealed with shrink wrap, like makarohn.
Sadly, 5 out of 10 macarons were melted and soggy. you know the drill: stuffing too buttery. the butter “sweats” from the filling and sticks to the blister.
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quality test and taste test
Also, some macarons were cracked and damaged.
The weakness of macarons usually comes with hollow shells. the air bubbles in the dough remain there until they are baked and create air spaces in the shell. however, only 3 macarons were hollow, but worth mentioning.
the texture of macarons queen macarons was good. the top cover was slightly flimsy, thin, and broke too easily.
the colors were also good. the same with the roundness of the shells. in my experience these were mass produced with a macaroni depositor machine. this is the only way to get macarons in exactly the same way.
the feet of the macarons were also good. the size is slightly larger than the average authentic Parisian macaron.
butter filling altered flavors – most macarons tasted very similar. the lemon and cappuccino were great and stand out.
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woops macarons review
this is a 2022 update. woops bakery has been in business since 2012, but is fairly new to online and new to domestic shipping.
Like these other online bakeries, I ordered woops macarons for a full unboxing and reviews.
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unpacking
The package was slightly damaged when I received it. I’m not sure if it was a carrier issue or the carton wasn’t strong enough, but it’s worth mentioning.
Inside the box, there are four bubble wraps, a discount card, a menu card, and an insulated bag which is great.
however, it would be necessary to have more bubble wrap to prevent the bag from moving around inside, as macarons are very fragile.
The insulated bag is great (we also use this method in pastreez). preserves freshness and prevents macarons from getting too hot.
Inside the bag is the woops gift box. the box is sturdy and has a nice ribbon. it is made of good quality.
In the box are the macarons. the first impression is very disappointing: 5 out of 9 macarons were damaged.
macarons are fragile. but the shells are supposed to be simple, not hollow. Hollow macarons is a common mistake bakers make.
this happens when air is trapped in the mass of shells before the oven. an easy way to avoid this is to tap the pans before baking them in the oven and release air bubbles.
hollow macarons are more brittle than well-made macarons, and I suspect that’s why these woops macarons went bad.
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woops macarons taste/quality test
now it’s time to try these woops macarons.
I cut each flavor in half so you can also see what’s inside.
An important thing to mention here, there are two schools when it comes to macaroni fillings. either buttercream or ganache.
a buttercream is made with butter as the main ingredient. a ganache is made with white chocolate as the main ingredient.
Personally, I prefer ganache, for many reasons: less fat, smoother texture, stays fresh longer and transits better.
woops macarons are made with buttercream. This is an important note because shipping is tricky for butter items.
The flavors I ordered were: Honey Lavender, Pink Champagne, Cookies & Cream, Vanilla, Blueberry Cheesecake, Pistachio, Caramel, Nutella, and Mint.
Overall, it was good (not great). the reason being that most of the flavors were too buttery for my liking.
but few flavors tried were better than others, such as blueberry cheesecake and caramel. perhaps because butter pairs better with creamy flavors.
a special note about the pistachio macaron, I was a bit disappointed.
the website says they made their “own pistachio paste”, but I couldn’t feel the pistachio crumbs in the ganache.
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my conclusion
woops has good flavors, but is clearly overpriced. at $4.33 per macaron, you’ll get average macarons.
not sure why they decided to be so expensive, even more than parisian ladurée shop, pierre hermé or pastreez authentic handmade macarons.
macarons are most likely factory-made rather than handmade, and 5 out of 9 macarons were damaged.
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Best Macaroni Delivery Service: Summary
ordered and reviewed pastreez, makarohn, dana’s bakery, chelles macarons, macaron bar, and macaron queen.
I can divide bakeries into two categories: those that have experience delivering macarons and those that don’t.
Except for pastreez, almost every bakery I reviewed uses too much butter in their filling, causing the macarons to melt in transit and alter the flavor.
Also, most bakeries ship frozen macarons that thaw during transit. when you pay a high price for macarons, I would recommend asking for quality and freshness.
hope it helps you find the best macaroon delivery service!
Today only, we have 7 free macarons for any order over $42. don’t wait and redeem below!
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