One time, in the midst of the macaron craze, I decided to make my own macarons. My mom and I went to the store to buy everything we needed. Confectioner’s sugar, almond flour and vanilla extract; we were good to go. Little did we know, that making macarons from scratch was not the easiest thing to do and that it would take up an entire day to make the ugliest macarons in the world.
From that day forward, my mom and I decided never again to make macarons from scratch. Instead, we would buy them, not from Ladurée but from Trader Joe’s.
1. Salted Caramel
Salted caramel is the best flavor in the whole wide world, and that is a fact. With a salted caramel filling sandwiched between two caramel flavored cookie shells, the world is complete the minute you get your hands on one of these macarons.
2. Coconut
Part of the twelve pack of macarons sold in the freezer aisle, the coconut macarons are light and flaky without the hassle of shredded coconut. With the rich coconut flavoring, hitting your local Trader Joe’s is almost like relaxing on a tropical island. Almost.
3. Molten Chocolate
#SpoonTip: Don’t microwave these bad boys like the box says, just leave them outside of the freezer to thaw. Only two macarons come in this box because they are gigantic, no lie.
4. Pumpkin
Flavored with pumpkin pie spices, turmeric and beet juice, these macarons are literally Autumn in the freezer aisle. The two pumpkin cookies are held together with a pumpkin custard filling that is sure to rival your aunt’s homemade pumpkin pie.
5. Mango
Made in France and using real mango puree, these macarons are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The sweet and tart mango ganache that holds together the two cookies would go perfectly with an iced coffee or vanilla ice cream on a warm July day.
6. Fig
These macarons are made with a fig jam sandwiched between two almond meringue cookies. To make that even better, there are real fig seeds. Step aside, Fig Newtons.
7. Apricot
Not a flavor that you see everyday, the apricot macarons are made with an apricot marmalade. This chewy and unique filling is complimented only by the hard and crunchy cookie exterior.
8. Lemon
Just like a lemon curd or a lemon meringue pie, these macarons are bright and zesty. Perfect for summer. When life gives you lemons, get lemon macarons.
9. Pistachio
Complete with actual pieces of pistachio, these macarons are the perfect combination of sweet and savory. So yeah, go ahead and get that pistachio ice cream, we’re going all out.
10. Chocolate
Chocolate macarons from Trader Joe’s have chocolate ganache in them. End of story, that’s all you ned to know.
11. Molten Salted Butterscotch
Again, don’t heat these up in the microwave as you run the risk of getting soggy macarons. Instead, let the macarons thaw outside of the freezer to get that perfect molten caramel and perfect crunchy cookie crust. Also, keep in mind they are huge cookies.
12. Vanilla
The vanilla macaron is sweet without being overly indulgent. With a perfect amount of filling, vanilla macarons from Trader Joe’s are sure to please everyone.
Making macarons is hard. Don’t make my mistake. Grab your best beret and head to your closest Trader Joe’s. You won’t regret it.