Review: Cacao macarons at Puccinos

The next stop on my search for the perfect Salted Caramel macaron was Puccinos on Bourke Street. They sell the full range of Cacao macarons (as well as the yummy cakes from Le Petit Gateau).

Cacao call their version a ‘Salty Caramel’ macaron and it was nice to finally eat one that tasted good.  

Cacao's Salty Caramel macaron

The outer shell of the macaron had a great sheen to it, with a nice crunch and the right amount of chewiness.

When it came to the ganache, there was no mistaking that this is a Salty Caramel macaron. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I’d rather a strong flavour than none at all. But it does border on being a little bit too much.

Do I crown this the best Salted Caramel macaron in Melbourne? It is pretty good, but the slight flavour imbalance puts the title just out of reach for Cacao.

Address: 188 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Hours: Mon-Sun: 7am - 9pm

Review: Laurent macarons

 
I have been warned by many people that Laurent’s macarons are not very good. I always felt that was a little weird, seeing as they are meant to be a French bakery and all.

So I tried one today to finally confirm this for myself.

I had a look at their selection and I was surprised to see that they don’t offer a Salted Caramel macaron (though apparently it is on its way). So I tried a Vanilla one instead.

Oh lordy. It was indeed terrible.

As soon as the macarons were brought to the table, I knew they would be bad. The outer shell didn’t look crispy at all and it was missing the usual ‘sheen’ that macarons are supposed to have. I took a bite and found that it was like eating almond meal cake with some cream in the middle. It also lacked vanilla flavouring.

Laurent's vanilla macaron - notice the lackluster shell?

Laurent's vanilla macaron - the shell was very cakey and not very nice

This macaron didn't taste good at all and turned me off wanting to try their future Salted Caramel macaron. I now agree that Laurent macarons should definitely be avoided...

Address: 304-306 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Hours: Mon-Sat: 8am - 6pm
          Sun: 9am - 5pm

Review : Famish’d macarons

Salted Caramel and Macadamia macaron

I recently had lunch with a friend at Famish’d and noticed that they do a selection of macarons. Yum.

I thought their Salted Caramel and Macadamia macaron would be the perfect antidote to combat my after lunch food coma.

I have to say I was excited to try this macaron. I really like macadamia nuts and was hoping this would be a marriage made in heaven.

The first thing I noticed was how small it was... No matter, as long as it tasted amazing to make up for the size. I bit into it and found that the outer shell was crispy and chewy, just as it should be. However, the ganache inside was pretty much non-existing. There were no real favours beside the ‘almond-y’ taste of the outer shell. I was really disappointed because I assumed it would be a lot better based on the price I paid for such a small macaron.
 
Oh well. I will stick to the huge and tasty baked potatoes the next time I am at Famish'd.

Address: 130 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Hours: Monday - Friday: 7am to 4pm

Review: Little Feat

Little Feat is the latest venture to jump onboard the macaron bandwagon. Last month, they launched their partnership with Guava Bean Espresso Bar on Russell St in Melbourne’s CBD, where the handmade macarons are exclusively sold.

Pretty packaging from Little Feat

They celebrated their union by giving away free macarons for three days at the end of November, one per person per day and limited to the Blue Currant and Tim Tam Tease flavours. I, of course, unashamedly took advantage of this generosity and ventured down each day, work colleges in tow. 

Little Feat's Blue Currant macaron

The first flavour I tried was the Blue Currant, which is described as “fine mouth watering black currant with a blueberry pearl”. I have to say that it was quite delicious. The texture of the macaron was quite dense - slightly crunchy outside with a heavy, chewy inside. It was almost at the point of being a little too chewy but I kinda like my macarons like that so I’m not complaining. The flavour of the ganache was really nice, very fruity and not too sweet.

Little Feat's Tim Tam Tease macaron

The Tim Tam Tease definitely captures the tim tam flavour. It too had a dense texture and while the taste was spot on, it didn’t have the same kick as the Blue Currant one.

I’ve yet to try their Caramel Craving macaron (their version of Salted Caramel) but I promise I will try it in the New Year and update this post with my thoughts.

However, if you like a chewy, fruit flavoured macaron, Little Feat is the place for you.

Address: 114 Russell St, Melboure
Hours: Mon - Fri: 7am - 6pm
           Sat: 10am - 4pm

***Update 07/01/12*** I tried the Caramel Craving from Little Feat the other day. Same chewy texture with a salty caramel taste, but again.... No kick to it. Slightly underwhelming.

Review: La Belle Miette

Without a doubt, Salted Caramel macarons are one of my most favourite things in the world. Ever since I had my first one over a year ago, I have been on a mission to find the best Salted Caramel macaron in Melbourne.

My latest taste test was La Belle Miette in Hardware Lane in the CBD.

The store is truly exquisite looking. It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon enjoying tea and a macaron or two (or more!).

La Belle Miette

La Belle Miette’s flavours are quite interesting too - Olive Oil & Vanilla, Cherry Blossom & Sake and Bastille (Moet et Chandon & Blackcurrant) are some of the more… unusual ones.

I went for the Salted Caramel but also got the Strawberry & Vanilla and Pimm’s & Pomegranate. 

 Let me start off by saying that I admire anyone who makes macarons. They seem like they are really hard to make and get right.

These macarons weren’t the worst I’ve ever had, but also weren’t the best. The Salted Caramel filling was a bit overpowering and the texture of the outer shell was a little dry and not chewy enough. The flavours of the other two weren’t really present either and didn’t really make much of an impression on me.

It was a bit of a shame because I love the look of the store and the customer service was really good.

The search continues...