O’Macaron sweets are delicious, captivating
Leaving your hometown is bittersweet.
Luckily, I have one more Out to Lunch column before I go, to end on a sweet note.
Looking back, I’ve had many captivating desserts across Midland – from the various ice cream establishments to bakeries.
Downtown Midland is chock-full of sugary delights, with just a couple located in “Midland’s French Corner” on Townsend Street.
While Crepe Et Amis offers savory and sweet crepes, O’Macaron, located at 128 Townsend St., focuses on treats. Their menu changes every so often to offer seasonal flavors alongside favorite versions.
During my latest visit, their display case featured holiday-themed macarons in addition to hot chocolate bombs.
Instead of visions of sugarplums, I’ve dreamt of those macarons on Christmas Eve.
Macarons may seem little, but they take great care and patience to make. The wafers themselves are meringue-based, with some additional flavoring and food coloring. The filling is a generous layer of buttercream icing. For those poor souls who haven’t had the pleasure of trying a macaron, think of them as Oreos that have gotten an upgrade.
The best thing about O’Macaron’s treats is that they pack plenty of flavor but are not overpowering. However, they are very sweet, so tread carefully when giving them to children.
I took a quick, though thorough perusal at the lines of macarons stacked together, picking out the best flavor combination. After a couple minutes, I settled on getting a three-pack of the little confections: hot cocoa, crème brulé and peppermint.
The hot cocoa featured a chocolate macaron topped with mini marshmallows as an accent. The macaron’s rich chocolate flavor was balanced by the light texture. I could still taste a hint of cocoa moments after I had swallowed my last bite.
The opportunities to have a real crème brulé are far and few between, but I enjoy every chance I get; this just happened to take the form of a cookie. Whoever decided to fuse together two great French desserts, I take my beret off to you.
I was impressed by just the appearance of the crème brulé macron. I could even smell the caramelized sugar on top. Biting into the macaron was just as satisfying as diving into its namesake custard. No joke, my eyes widened at the hint of smokiness paired with the light and sugary tones in the wafer and buttercream. It was, dare I say, on par if not better than a true crème brulé (which are also available at O’Macaron). That same afternoon, I returned to O’Macaron to buy a small package for my friends to share. The woman at the counter must’ve thought I was crazy, but still was happy to serve me.
The peppermint was a perfect palate cleanser, making me reminisce about the Christmas nougats I used to receive at the Midland Santa House. The cookie’s wafer was swirled with red and white, just like the namesake candy. The mint flavor was strong, but not overpowering, leaving a fresh taste in my mouth.
With all these holiday flavors to savor and the cold winter wind blowing outside, I couldn’t help recalling the warm days of summer. I felt I had to balance the flavors a bit, so I ordered a lemonade for later, flavored with my favorite berries: strawberry, raspberry and blackberry. It was a nice, refreshing drink. I could almost feel the summer breeze calling to me from afar.
Soon the winter wind will send me eastward to upstate New York to start a new chapter of my life.
I am so fortunate to have explored the Midland area’s culinary scene, make new friends and reconnect with old friends. Food has a way of bringing people together across distances, dissolving differences and highlight commonalities.
It’s been a joy to join you at the table.
Thank you for the meals. Cheers!
link
