I can quit anytime...

On the Cupcake Ride Saturday, we ended up at Bobbette & Belle, where (along with cupcakes and other yummy treats), they have macarons. Freshly baked macarons. I was on a bit of a sugar high after the cupcakes and hot chocolate, so I had to wait to try them. It was hard, but I did it.

They packed them in this cute box, but I was concerned that they might not survive the journey home intact.

Result? When I opened the box, one side had crumbled off each of the pistachio and raspberry macarons. About the flavours: the vanilla didn't taste like anything at all. It was much too bland, while the chocolate ganache was too intense and heavy for the texture. The raspberry was too delicate; I actually couldn't tell if it was raspberry or strawberry. The cassis was also delicate, but in a good way; it was a bit crunchy, though, which makes me wonder how fresh it, the raspberry, and pistachio macarons were. The pistachio, despite having lost some of the cookie texture, was nearly perfect. The hazelnut and chocolate had hazelnut meringues and chocolate ganache; it was the perfect intensity for the lightness of the cookie. And the salted caramel was just perfect. Mmmm.

I'm coming to realize that when it comes to macarons, I usually like anything with nuts and flowers (mmmm, rose petal). And salted caramel; it has to be salted because caramel by itself is too sweet. Chocolate and coffee flavours are fine as long as they're only in either the meringue or the filling; both on the same macaron is too intense. Delicate is fine for fruit flavours, but they can't be too delicate.

Holy cow, I'm picky.

Of course, I'm not so picky that I won't eat just about any macaron you put in front of me and think it's one of the best things ever.