You may or may not know that I L-O-V-E french macarons. {For proof of this said love read this, this, and this.} When I heard that Trader Joe's recently released a 12-piece box of these fancy delights in their freezer section, I motored up Winnie Cooper and zoomed off to the nearest TJ's I could find.
The box of 12 (6 vanilla & 6 chocolate) were {to my delight} surprisingly good. Sure, they're not as rich and complex as Pierre Hermé or have the flavor variety of Paulette, but for their $4.99 price point they ain't too shabby. Be sure to let them fully defrost, otherwise they'll seem too hard and crispy. When room temperature, the exterior is chewy and filling flavors are creamy. Although I'm a chocoholic, the vanilla's textures and flavors are better than the chocolate one.
Final thoughts...just say mais oui! While not as good as a fresh macaron, they surely do satisfy a hankering for this French sweet treat. A great option if you don't live in Paris or have a French patisserie near you to get the freshly baked real thing. 4 out of 5 Happy Ladies.
{photo by Oh Joy. bunny vase from J.Mendicino & cocktail napkins by Dwellstudio.}
I think I've consumed every snack Trader Joe's offers...except for these. French macarons here I come.
Posted by: whorange | 12/09/2009 at 03:57 PM
Hopefully they have these here in the east coast.
Posted by: Shao | 12/09/2009 at 05:28 PM
I just tried those on Saturday as well. And I agree - the vanilla texture was much better than the chocolate. I actually didn't like the flavor of the chocolate much either (surprise!), but they definitely killed the craving, so that much made me happy!
Posted by: mariel | 12/09/2009 at 05:56 PM
im on my way to the store for these
Posted by: mariam | 12/09/2009 at 08:51 PM
I just tried these this week, and they really were surprisingly good for frozen, mass produced macarons! The vanilla's custard filling is just so much better too.
Posted by: Ann | 12/09/2009 at 09:27 PM
hmm....I'm skeptical, but I'll have to give these a try
Posted by: Sam | 12/09/2009 at 10:10 PM
Heads up- Starbucks Macarons!!! http://www.yumsugar.com/6611559
Posted by: Janice | 12/10/2009 at 02:58 PM
Can't wait to find these at Trader Joe's!!!
Posted by: sk | 12/13/2009 at 10:25 PM
I just discovered these there today! Planning to try them soon...great price point!
Posted by: Confectionate | 12/31/2009 at 03:50 PM