Let me just preface this by admitting that I am a diehard candy lover. I beeline for pure chocolate, not cookies and pastries. However, there’s an art to the perfect French macaron that’s impossible to resist. Delicately crispy and sugary with a soft, slightly chewy delectable center — what’s not to love?
Let’s also get this out of the way right off the bat: we’re not talking about macaroons here. Not the chewy coconut cookies typically found in the U.S. French macarons are delicate sandwich cookies made with almond flour, egg whites, and sugar and filled with various fillings. (Curious to give it a shot yourself? Check out this recipe.)
As far as I can remember, the first macaron I tasted came from the famed Ladurée (the queen of macarons) in Paris. These little cookies are notoriously difficult to make — delicate and requiring a precise technique — and they’re not extremely common in the U.S. I made a batch for French class once, which turned out quite tasty (if I do say so myself) but, unsurprisingly, not nearly as pretty as those at Ladurée. All this said, I couldn’t help wondering: where can one find the best macarons in Kansas City? Can KC’s baking best compete with Paris’s patisseries? Since I’m obsessed with all things French (if you don’t know this yet, it’ll become obvious very quickly) and love research that requires sugary material, a KC macaron quest was clearly in order.
I sought out all the macarons I could find in KC (not counting frozen or pre-made varieties, of course) and came up with six contenders. For the general good, obviously, I rigorously tested all the possibilities. The results? Read on to find out.
(Oh, and in case you’re wondering about the “part I” in the title — stay tuned. Let’s just say part 2 might involve questing for macarons in the true macaron Mecca: the City of Lights …)
*Ranked #6 to #1 — though I should note that all are perfectly tasty options if you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth (it’s hard to go truly wrong with macarons, after all)*
A sweet-tooth staple in Kansas City, it’s hard to find anything this Swiss confectionery doesn’t do well. That said, I (shockingly) wasn’t blown away by their macarons. The flavors here go the classic route — chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, lemon, strawberry. The cookies themselves were tasty, but they were a little too crunchy, not delicate as a masterful macaron should be, and there was a little too much filling. While I was looking for a pillowy, gently sweet interior, the filling in André’s macarons was almost custardy. If you’re craving a mouthwatering chocolate cake or quiche, André’s has you covered; for macarons, I would go elsewhere.
If you’re looking for candy heaven, look no further than Lolli & Pops. This mint green wonderland is stuffed with every type of candy you could imagine. While I would consider it more of a candy store than a bakery, they do have macarons also, which I obviously had to try. These get the award for prettiest (or at least most colorful) macarons — the glass case is lined with rows of swirling blues, vibrant pinks, sprinkles, glitter, you name it. They also get points for inventive flavors, including s’mores, blueberry French toast, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate hazelnut, lychee raspberry rose, cotton candy, and more. When it comes to macarons, though, their candy focus shows through. I tried the s’mores and chocolate hazelnut, both of which were quite tasty — just not very macaron-y. They weren’t delicate as a macaron should be, and the fillings were more like a candy bar than the light, sugary taste of a macaron. Bottom line: Lolli & Pops knows its candy, but perfect macarons aren’t candy.
Since Our Daily Nada (where I work) sells Bloom cakes and macarons, I can vouch for the artistry of this bakery. For this search, though, I went straight to the source. With flavors such as crème brûlée, white chocolate raspberry, vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, and salted caramel, Bloom toes the line between classic and creative. The tastes certainly don’t disappoint, flavorful yet subtle. However, the cookies themselves were too chewy, almost hard, not the feathery sweet and lightly chewy of a top-notch macaron. Overall, a good option (it’s not as if I didn’t eat them all, of course!), but not the award for best macarons in Kansas City.
Whole Foods
I know, I know — Whole Foods is heaven for overpriced granola-crunchy yummies, but fine pastries? Hear me out. I wouldn’t have expected WF to hold a candle to other bakeries in the macaron department, but these cookies were actually what launched my KC macaron quest in the first place. Like I said, I’m usually more of a chocolate than a cookie person, and I hadn’t had a macaron in years when I bought a couple on a whim at Whole Foods recently. But seriously, these macarons are delicious — nay, scrumptious. Daintily crispy outside, pillowy and chewy inside, with just the right amount of sugary filling. They’re not overwhelmingly sweet or rich, but the flavors are noticeable (and yummy). With pistachio, salted caramel, chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, and red velvet flavors, the red velvet with cream cheese icing — though not a traditional macaron flavor — was my favorite. Talk about the perfect end to your next grocery trip.
If you want to feel like you’ve stepped into a French country village, head to Annedore’s. Nestled in a quaint cluster of shops in Westwood Hills, this charming confectionery deals in exquisite chocolates, gelato, and of course, delectable macarons. I had heard rave reviews about these cookies, and I wasn’t disappointed. Not only are they beautiful, they’re also the perfect amount of subtle sweetness. Even better, you can actually taste the flavors — the pistachio truly tastes like pistachios, the coffee like coffee, and so on — rather than simple sugary-ness. With chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, lemon, raspberry, caramel, lavender, coffee, champagne, cookies & cream, and birthday cake varieties, the caramel and pistachio led the pack, in my humble opinion. The only downside: they were a tad too chewy, not quite melt-in-your-mouth delicate. That said, they were still delicious and some of the best macarons I’ve ever tasted.
And the grand winner! Au Bon Macaron is a bit like the magical (macaron) rainfall. Or pot of gold? Anyway, chef Barbara Shaw is serious about her macarons. First of all, they come in about every flavor you could ever think of — over 50 varieties, from traditional vanilla and pistachio to inventive options like sesame praline, banoffee, mint chocolate chip, strawberry hibiscus, bourbon pecan, and lavender honey. You get the idea. Second of all, they’re insanely delicious. Though the lavender honey reminded me a bit of soap, the toffee nut was caramelly and delicious, crisp on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside, with bits of toffee crunch in the middle. Because two definitely wasn’t enough, I also tried the maple bourbon caramel, peanut butter, and sesame praline. All were melt-in-your-mouth delicate and scrumptious. The maple bourbon took the cake (er, cookie), though — with a gooey center, subtle caramel taste, and festive confetti stars (full disclosure: it got a little squished on the way home, but that didn’t make it any less delicious!). Au Bon doesn’t have a storefront, though you can order online; I found them at Banksia bakehouse in downtown KC and Made in KC marketplace on the Country Club Plaza. For both flawlessly constructed macarons and creative flavors, Au Bon Macaron comes out on top in Kansas City’s macaron arena. Consider your macaron dreams fulfilled.
