A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

While most everyone else in Boston was heading down to the Red Sox Parade, we headed over to Olives and Grace to attend the Moochie’s Macarons tasting. I had been over to Olives and Grace earlier in the week with a Macaron craving – Sofi was out of them, but mentioned that there was a tasting this coming weekend.

It was a beautiful November day, it almost felt like summer it was so warm and sunny. We were able to meet Nina, the creator of these amazing treats, and sample some of her other flavors – although I never doubted that every macaron would be as tasty as the hazelnut and pistachio ones I had tried before. We picked up two bags, one assorted, and one with ALL pistachio (YUM!!)

I couldn’t wait to get home to try these. I ended up having more will power than I anticipated and ended up breaking them out on Sunday instead. Sunday was cold and rainy, so what better way to brighten up your day with a nice cup of tea and a macaron (or 4 – don’t judge!)

I have to admit, I didn’t think I was going to live the lavender honey flavor, but it was actually quite delicious – the honey comes from a local apiary, Buzz N Bee. There is a lovely light crunch on the outer part of the macaron and as you finish your bite, the macaron is like a soft cookie. The lavender flavor is actually quite pleasing, the flavor is mild (you don’t feel like you’ve just eaten a sachet) and the macaron has a really nice finish that lingers on your tongue. The chocolate ganache was both light in terms of texture and bold in terms of flavor. Coconut, not one of my favorite flavors in general, but I actually enjoyed the macaron because the flavor, like the lavender, was mild. With flavors that are naturally bold, like lavender and coconut, you have to be careful with how intense you make the flavor…too much can be overpowering, and in this case, it was just right. The pumpkin flavor had such a nice warm spice to it, it might be my new favorite.

Follow Nina on Facebook to see when her next tasting will be and be sure to check out her website! With the holidays coming up, a gift box of macarons makes a wonderful gift, whether it be for co-workers, for a housewarming gift or even pass them out as favors at your holiday party!

Tags: dessert