I make my own. I'm a pretty good baker, and it took me 3 tries to get it right, but now that I know what to do, it's pretty good every time. I like being able to control the fillings. IMO, the macaron is relatively flavorless, and what you put in the middle makes a huge amount of difference. Often, you find that the filling is too sweet and lacking in flavor.

Tout de sweet in Bethesda are the best I’ve had in the area. The very large ones from Paul are also surprisingly good. I also just recently had some in Paris and they were awful (granted just from a random no name bakery). I’ve been very disappointed by most of them. Some are just completely tasteless and stale.

I love their texture, so delicately crunchy! And some fragrances and flavors are very good. Unfortunately, most places make them too sweet, so I don't get them often.

When I get a hankering for macarons, I buy a box of chocolate and vanilla from Trader Joe's.

Anonymous wrote:My wife and I left all in Paris to build our online macaron store (Pastreez) in the US, back in 2017. Our goal is to provide handcrafted macarons shipped fresh to your doorstep, wherever you are in the US.
Today, our macarons are "the most authentic macarons in the US" according to Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Give us a try this holiday season

www.pastreez.com

Weird flex to post on a thread about how meh macarons are.

My wife and I left all in Paris to build our online macaron store (Pastreez) in the US, back in 2017. Our goal is to provide handcrafted macarons shipped fresh to your doorstep, wherever you are in the US.
Today, our macarons are "the most authentic macarons in the US" according to Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Give us a try this holiday season

www.pastreez.com

I had some from a Laduree in London that were delicious. So fresh and delicate. Tried them here in DC and they were ok but not worth the money.

PP makes many good points. Macarons are time sensitive, and there are good ones and terrible ones. Many of the ones you find in the US are previously frozen, not made on-site, etc. and it shows. In Paris, I'd say Laudree is bottom tier (agree with PP Piere Hermes are amazing). However, in the US, Laudree is probably top tier. Bakeshop makes very nice (albeit some non-traditional) macarons as well. Pretty much everywhere else, they 1) aren't worth the price and 2) subjectively aren't tasty/satisfying independent of price

Macarons are incredibly hard to make properly. Most macarons you buy, even from a fancy bakery that supposedly specializes in them, are either too moist (no exterior crisp that cracks when you bite in, and mushy insides) or too dry (just crumble apart in your hands).

Another issue with macarons is that many places that sell them display them prominently because yes, they are very pretty. But unless the case they are displayed in is carefully calibrated to keep them from either getting mushy or drying out, then even if they are made perfectly, they might not be that good texturally when you eat them. This is especially a problem with boxed macarons that people give as a gift -- quite often they are not fresh and therefore don't taste good. If you are going to give them as a gift, you need to buy them fresh on the way to give them away.

Also, many places sacrifice flavor for looks, but in a proper macaron they should be perfectly complimentary. Often the flavors simply don't come through or the cookie part will be too flavorless while the filling is overpoweringly sweet or tart. They will look beautiful but there is more to baking than getting a good finish and proper color.

The best macarons I've ever had were (1) made at home and eaten within an hour or two of being baked and assembled, or (2) from Pierre Hermé in Paris. I find Laduree quality can vary quite a bit from location to location and often their macarons sit out too long.

Macarons are not my favorite sweet treat but they can be a special little experience when done right. Unfortunately, in the age of Instagram they are too often made to look photographable without enough attention paid to what it's like to eat them. So most are disappointing these days.

I don't like stuff like fruit curd, ganache or buttercream (unless its icing on a cake) so I've never actually tried them. Maybe I'm making that up, but it seems like that's the filling to me and it does not appeal. I did just buy a box of them from Ladurée to give to a friend as a gift. I hope she likes them, they were $$$$$!

What I like about them is that they're well portioned for when you want a small treat. They're also an easy gluten free option when hosting. Otherwise, they're usually just "fine," flavor wise.

Anonymous wrote:When they’re well made the flavors are divine.

This. There are lots of meh macarons out there.

When they’re well made the flavors are divine.

I don’t either. I’d eat them obviously but they’re not OMG so good. Not my favorite texture and the flavors are too prob delicate for my fat American palate. And they’re so expensive!

Why do I not love macarons? They are so pretty and look like they would taste so good but I've had them a few times, keep giving it one more try, but no. What am I missing?

There's a macaron place at Tysons Corner mall that has been there a while, I'm surprised it made it through the pandemic.

I want to try. But so expensive!