Macaroon Madness in Charleston, SC

Recently I heard someone declare the macaroon as the new cupcake.

Personally I think that there is  plenty of room for both macaroons and cupcakes at the tippy top of my personal food pyramid.

First let’s talk about the spelling. There’s the French, macaron, and the English, macaroon. The two major ingredients found in most all versions are ground or powdered almonds and whipped egg whites. Macaroons from various countries are often covered or dipped in chocolate, or combined or topped with coconut.

These meringue- like cookies and cakes from various parts of the world are considered fairly light as far as dessert fare goes. A notable exception, the French macaron, traditionally has a sweet buttercream filling, sandwiched between two cookies. God Bless the French.

This version française comes in a variety of flavors such as chocolate and raspberry, as well as those to suit more exotic tastes, such as truffle, tea and pistachio.

So when I was in Charleston, SC, last week I was thrilled to discover something unique and new on the bakery scene.  Macaroon Boutique located on John Street opened in April.  Even though it was one of the hottest days of the summer so far, I still needed something to satisfy my mid-afternoon sweet tooth.

Macaroon Boutique is owned by chef, Fabrice Rizzo and his wife, Fabienne. For the macaroons, Fabrice uses a 165 year old starter recipe using almost all local ingredients. The exceptions? Chocolate imported from Madagascar and sea salt harvested from the west coast of France. I don’t know – but I think knowing the chocolate is imported from Madagascar makes it taste even better.

Fabienne said these raspberry tartes would travel well, so I brought some home

With counter only service, the bakery also offers breakfast pastries, crusty breads, and croissants, all made in French style.

Do you think four hours round trip is too far to drive for breakfast?

For more posts from those who happily become food obsessed each Wednesday please visit Wanderfood Wednesday

Margo is the founder and editor of The Travel Belles. She believes nothing comes close to getting out of town ever now and then, as a means to fully appreciate and engage with the amazing world we live in. She lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in Myrtle Beach, SC. She can be found on Twitter: @travelbelles or @gomarwrites.

Margo Millure

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