The holidays are upon us and this time of year is the perfect rationale to share and indulge in sweets! Macarons (pronounced like macaroni without the “i”) are a popular food trend. These colorful treats grace food shows and the pages of magazines in styled parties.
However, they’re not commonly found in bakeries. So, where can we find them? There are a few local establishments here in Chula Vista and National City, hidden gems, where you can acquire this French confection.
So, what are macarons, exactly?
Macarons, sometimes referred to as ‘macs’ are small sandwich cookies. The shells are meringue-like, made of almond flour, egg whites and sugar. They’re crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. The shells are usually flavored with extracts and the filling in the center is made of ganache, different flavored creams or jams that complement the flavor of the shell. Note that macarons are very different from macaroons, which are a coconut-based haystack-like cookie.
Macarons are typically round and vibrant in color. However, they can also be made into fun custom shapes. At SD Boba Tea (1105 E. Plaza Blvd., National City), macarons can be found in 12 to 17 unique and festive flavors and shapes depending on the day and season — minty cookies and cream unicorns, lychee snowflakes, French toast, Santa bellies and eggnog snowmen.
Wow! Macarons bakes in-house at the SD Boba Tea kitchen and provides the store with its stock, which is the largest selection of macs here in the South Bay. Large and custom orders can be made for Wow! Macarons at this location. Ice cream macs are made and offered here as well, which are large macaron shells that sandwich ice cream.
MJ’s Yogurt Time and Deli (1550 East H St., Chula Vista) also has large ice cream macs as part of their offerings.
Two other local spots for macs are VaniTea Café (525 Telegraph Canyon Road, Chula Vista), which offers a variety of macarons and ice cream macs; and Sweet Sisters Bakery (357 Third Ave., Chula Vista) in the heart of downtown offers a small assortment of macs made in-house for your indulgence.
Now that you know where macarons can be found locally, enjoy these trendy confections any time — or give them a try if you haven’t experienced them already.
Happy holidays!
Macarons …
Where to find them
SD Boba Tea & Wow! Macarons
1105 E. Plaza Blvd.
National City, CA 91950
MJ’s Yogurt Time and Deli
1550 East H St.
Chula Vista, CA 91913
VaniTea Café
525 Telegraph Canyon Road
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Sweet Sisters Bakery
357 Third Ave.
Chula Vista, CA 91910
