Tag Archives: macarons

Tempting treats at Ma Mére Maison

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Olive oil and roasted almond nougat, honey & vanilla bean mashmallows coated in roasted coconut, soft white chocolate and stem ginger fudge…

These are only some of the amazing  things you will be able to sink your teeth into at French style confectioner, Ma Mére Maison.  Hidden away in the Salt Circle Arcade in Salt River, to me it seemed like this just has to be of Cape Town’s best kept secrets. 

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Their home borders Woodstock and is not too far away from the Old Biscuit Mill. Salt Circle Arcade is on the opposite side of the road and very close to the big traffic circle that takes you into Salt river.  If you enter from Albert Rd, you pass through a little alleyway of shops, then a courtyard and into the next building’s foyer which is filled with a pretty fountain, some greenery & some water features.

Then look to your left and you’ve arrived:

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I was already very very excited at this point…

Ma Mére Maison in French mean’s “my mother’s kitchen” and you certainly feel that welcoming, cosy feel of a family kitchen as you step into their workshop.

Owner, Lexi Bechet & partner, Di Spicer, are both passionate about crafting beautiful handmade treats and Lexi spends a lot of time in that kitchen coming up with wonderful new creations.

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Heaven… I’m in heaven… (good luck with getting that song outta your heads now)

I got so sample some of their hottest sellers.  First up their Parisian macarons:

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How beautiful is that selection? And I can tell you, they taste equally good. And at only R6 per macaron if you buy a box of six (even less if you buy large quantities), it’s an absolute steal.  These totally matched up to my favourite babies from Cassis, and that’s never happened before…

Next was their signature salted macadamia nut brittle:

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Brittle. Is. So. Addictive.

And their salted macadamia nut, sea salt & honey nougat:

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Mmmmm… love at first bite…

That whole salty & sweet thing has become huge hasn’t it?  And for good reason.  It’s absolutely delicious.  I made the mistake of telling the boyfriend about my loot… and my brittle & nougat mysteriously disappeaded…  but luckily he only got to it after I had already managed to basically inhale those macarons. :)

Oh and get this, they also do red velvet cake pops.  I love cake pops and I love red velvet, so to me this just sounded too good to be true.  Sadly they didn’t have any for sampling as they do them on special request.  But they were nice enough to send me this piccie to drool over:

Red Velvet Cake Pops

I’m feeling a little Valentine’s day gift from me to me coming on (OK not so little, I’m thinking about 2 dosen should be enough. hehe).

You can purchase Ma Mére Maison’s exquisite goodies directly from their shop or from a variety of wine farms and delis around the Western Cape.  But most of their time is spent working on orders for weddings and special events.  I mean just imagine how happy your guests will be with a little Ma Mere Maison party box, or even better, a tower of macarons!  But before you go and call them up for an order, please also make sure I’m on the guest list… pretty please. ;)

Find Ma Mére Maison at:

  • Unit G3, Salt Circle Arcade, 19 Kent Road, Salt River (opposite the Old Biscuit Mill)

Or contact them on:

  • info@mamere.co.za  / 082 445 2091

Also show them some love by giving them a “Like”on their Facebook page or following them on Twitter (@_mamere).

Here’s to sweet Ma Mére Maison dreams for everyone… 

xxx

Emporio Leone amps up their macaron offering

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I got a tip off from someone that Emporio Leone in the V&A Waterfront got a new macaron* provider.  Last time I tried them was in July of last year (you can read about it over here) and I really wasn’t that impressed.  I gave their macarons a Miss K Kiss-o-Meter rating of only 

The problem was that they were very flat, hard & dry and the only yummy part was the filling which was beautifully creamy.  Also they only had 3 flavours at the time: lemon, pistachio & chocolate orange.

So news of a macaron revamp was quite exciting.  Firstly their range of macarons has grown quite a lot:

Aren’t they pretty?  Turns out they now make them in-house.

They also look much better, not the pancakey types they had before.  It’s like they’re all puffed out and proud now. ;)

I wasn’t blown away by the “standard” flavours like the chocolate orange & pistachio.  But their strenght for me was definitely in their more exotic flavours.  Like the chocolate coconut, OMG!  And the Madagascan vanilla bean… and Dulce de leche… mmmmm.

My new rating for the Emporio Leone macarons is: 

So if you’re in the V&A, do give them a try.  Thank you to Louise van der Hoven who left this awesome little tip on my blog a few weeks back.  This was a great find. :) They come close to my favourite Cassis babies.

xxx

* If you were like, wait, isn’t it called a macaroon and not a macaron?  Turns out no.  I battled with it for a while.  But this article here should clear it up.  A lot of people refer to them as macaroons.  But technically it’s not correct.  I still say “macaroon”, cause macaron sounds funny.  I’m not gonna get all weird about it.  We all know what we’re actually referring to.  Just put it in your mouth and enjoy…

Cassis expands

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Just a quick one to tell you that my favourite French Patisserie & Boulangerie (and makers of the best macarons in Cape Town), Cassis, has expanded their offering in the Gardens Shopping Centre.

They now also have a cafe upstairs where you can enjoy a warm cuppa, some brekkie or a light lunch:

I stopped by the other day and enjoyed this awesome breakfast pot (I think it was around R50):

Oh yeah, all the good things in one pot. What could be better than that…

But of course, DO NOT leave there without some macarons for the road…  Well I say “road”, but we all know they probably won’t even make it to the parking garage. :)

xxx

A High Tea treat at Myatt

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On Wed eve, Leila and myself headed over to the V&A Waterfront to be spoilt with High Tea at Myatt Cafe.

I’ve mentioned this place in one of my blog posts before.  It’s truly stunning.  Just check it out:

We met up with total sweetheart, Leozette, from Greater Than PR.  Myatt is one of the clients she looks after and she was awesome enough to put together this little dessert extravaganza for us.  Thanks again babe! ;)

That’s Leozette in the middle

Now Myatt’s High Tea spread is normally served from 3:30pm to 6:30pm.  It costs R150 per person and you get the following:

  • Tea or coffee of you choice
  • 3 x macarons
  • 1 x scone with strawberry preserve & cream
  • 2 x types of finger sandwiches of your choice
  • 2 x mini croissants of your choice
  • 2 x pastries of your choice

Just look at our “tower of indulgence”:

Totally worth the kilojoules!

That tart right at the top, next to the macarons was this seriously amazing banana fridge tart type thing.  It rocked my world!  I basically at the whole thing myself… barely giving poor Leozette & Leila a taste. Mwhahahahahaha…

There was so much to sample, we were totally stuffed by the end of it and there was still some things left over!  Leila took a little doggy bag home for her man.  I could never do something like that, it would be demolished in the car on the way home.  I’m a bad girlfriend.  But I’ve come to terms with that shortcoming. hehe.

One thing that really stands out about Myatt is their incredible attention to detail.  From the beautiful imported china, to the interesting black chandeliers hanging above.  Everything has been carefully thought out.   Even the water is an experience:

Naturally flavoured with strawberries, oranges & mint… so yum!

Now look at all the tempting treats they have in their glass display unit – so cruel:

Eat us Karisa… eat us!!!

Once again I had a vision of people serving these to me while running on the treadmill. I must still try that out to see if it works. :)

We popped over to the inside of the shop as well and it turns out it’s just as impressive as the outside dining area:

This is where you’ll find their insane chocolate collection.  They are called Mary Chocolates and are imported from Belgium and crafted especially for Myatt.  They have 38 variants to choose from… yes, that’s right 38!!!

But be warned:  These babies don’t come cheap.  At R22 per piece, you really have to savor them slowly.  But standing in front of the chocolate display, you quickly seem to forget about the price tag…

Seriously, if I worked here, I would be the size of a house!

I tried the “Astrid” – Orange zest marzipan in dark chocolate.  It was deliciously bitter yet sweet at the same time.  I know marzipan’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but I love it.  I think a few of these would make a really nice gift for someone with a serious sweet tooth.

By the end of the evening I had what I’m calling a “High Tea Boep”  – thank goodness I was wearing a dress.  I think I would have been bulging over my pants otherwise…

This was such a decadent experience.  I would highly recommend their High Tea for an afternoon with your girls or maybe even to spoil your mom, she did bring you into the world after all.  I think she’s proved that she deserves this. ;)

xxx

Dessert tasting – it’s a very serious job

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So my partner in crime, Leigh, organised a dessert tasting at La Mouette on Sunday afternoon.  Because she knows that I’m a major sugar addict, she invited me along for the ride. :)

For those who haven’t heard of La Mouette, it’s a beautiful restaurant at the end of Regent Road in Sea Point.  It has a little open air courtyard with an outside dining area:

And then inside you’ll find lots of interesting different spaces, from formal dining rooms to a cosy bar and and a bright & modern chill area:

Chef and owner, Henry Vigar, keeps things interesting by creating a special 6 course tasting menu each month which you can enjoy for only R120pp.  I actually experienced one of these amazing “food journeys” about a year ago and was blown away.

But the challenge this time around was to taste some desserts…  so let’s get down to business. ;)

My dessert was their chocolate macaron with homemade hazelnut ice cream:

Beautiful right?  This baby is available on their a la carte menu all year round.  Lucky for you, because it was deliciously evil.  The macarons were bursting with flavour, but I have to say the real star of the show was that ice cream.  It was the best ice cream I’ve had in yonks.  Made me smile from ear to ear.
My Miss K Kiss-o-Meter score for my dessert would be: 

Leila went for the peanut butter macaron with coconut ice cream:

Leila absolutely loved her dessert as well.  I am just gonna have to take her word on how awesome it was, because I can’t confirm it… you see (I think I’ve mentioned this before) I hate anything peanut butter flavoured.  Just the thought of it has my brain going into an endless loop: “WRONG, WRONG, WRONG…”  I really don’t know why, because I actually really like peanut butter on its own.  I’m special, I acknowledge that. :)

Sadly this option is no longer available.  It was part of their September tasting menu and had to make way for a tempting strawberry cheese cake I hear.

So seeing as it’s a new month, I was wondering, what exactly is on offer on their October 6 course taster menu then… Just check this out:

Onion bhaji and potato samoosa

yogurt and spiced tomato chutney

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Butternut squash soup

coriander lavoche, mushroom and pecorino foam

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Roasted line fish Niçoise 

confit potatoes, green beans, tomato and sauce verge

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Confit lamb shoulder

potato gnocchi, spiced yogurt, aubergine puree, mint and peas

or

Beef sirloin (R35 supplement)

smoked short ribs, mash, wilted kale and  red onion marmelade

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Sunny side up

guava, coconut espuma and chilli

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‘Strawberry cheese cake’

shortbread, marshmallow and crème fraiche sorbet

Sounds amazing right!  I definitely think I need to make a plan to come and try it out.  And then in November, they will be launcing their Summer tapas menu. Here are some of the yummy things you’ll find on there:

Truffle and cheese croquetas
basil and tomato dressing

Pan-fried calamari
chorizo, tomato and rocket

Duck spring rolls
pickled cucumber, honey and soy dressing

Moroccan spiced lamb and chick pea fritter
tomato harissa and yogurt

Crispy Thai beef salad
noodles and tamarind sauce

Sweet.  I really love tapas.  There’s just something so cool about being able to taste a whole bunch of things instead of committing to just one big meal.  Yes yes, it’s true… I have commitment issues. hehe.

Anyways, this dessert tasting thing was really fun.  I would make a habit of it, but then I’d probably end up being the size of a bloody house.   Maybe I could be served desserts while running on a treadmill?  Hmmm…

xxx

The macaron war revival

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Right, so I’ve sampled macarons from a couple of places in Cape Town now and Cassis keeps coming out tops.  Mmmmm.  ♥

But people have been insisting that I still needed to try one more place -  Daniela’s – shop 040, The Square, Cape Quarter.  I figured ah what the hell, I better give it a bash to see if I can finally put this epic battle to rest. ;)

Daniela’s is quite a pretty little shop with lots of decadent treats to choose from (dieters BEWARE!).  The cakes especially looked really really good…

I had to be strong… I was there for the macaroons… nothing more!  This was serious.

They had 7 macaroon flavours on offer, including a very unique champagne flavour  (actually, I had heard quite a lot of hype about that one).  I decided to try all of them except the peanut butter flavour.  I love peanut butter on its own, but for some reason a peanut butter flavour in anything else is just seems seriously wrong… blegh.

Anyways, these babies come at quite a hefty price – R10 each!  Yes, that’s right.  For only 6 I had to fork out R60!!  Ouch.

At least the beautiful packaging somewhat softens the blow:

Almost looks too good to eat… I said almost… hehe

My favourite one was the coconut (pale green) – it was soooo yum!   The champagne flavour (beige)  was a disappointment because to me it just tasted like plain ol’ caramel.  The chocolate was boring.  And the other ones, although great in texture  (slightly crispy outer, soft centre, creamy filling), you couldn’t really tell what the flavour was!  I’m assuming the yellow one was some kind of citrus flavour and the two pink ones were supposed to be some kind of berry variant.  But they all tasted the bloody same.  I mean, that’s the whole fun about macaroons!  Trying different flavours! This did not make me happy at all… :(

Now before I give you my Miss K Kiss-o-Meter score – just to recap, here are my ratings for my other macaroon finds so far:

  • Emporio Leone (V&A Waterfront): 
  • Myatt (V&A Waterfront): 
  • Cassis (Gardens & Newlands): 

So what about Daniela’s then?   I’m gonna have to give them: 

As I said, the texture was spot on and they get bonus points for that coconut flavoured gem, but the R10 price tag and lack of distinguishable flavours let them down in the end.

I’m definitely gonna stick to my darling Cassis – where for R60 I can go home with a full dozen! Oh yeah baby, now that’s what I’m talkin’ about…

xxx

Macaron wars & cupcake face off

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OK, so a while back I did a blog entry about these amazing macarons I bought at Cassis in the Gardens Shopping centre.  In that post, I claimed that they are by far, the best macarons in town…

But then, my friend Dani challenged me on that and said that I needed to also try the macarons at Emporio Leone in the V&A Waterfront.  So on Friday evening I ended up meeting up with Dani and another bestie, Joe,  for some dinner & a catch up.   After dinner, we needed something sweet, so we figured this was the perfect opportunity to go check out those macarons.

Emporio Leone is a relatively new spot and they specialise in all things sweet and evil.   Just look at the goodies on offer at this place:

Hold me back people…

And then there was this baby:

No, no! Get that away from me!

Oh and these:

Seriously!?! You are killing me here…

And finally, we found the little macaron beauties:

There they are!!!

The price is a bit steep at R8.50 each! (Cassis is only R5 a piece)  And they only had 3 flavours on offer:  Lemon, Pistachio & Chocolate orange.  A bit limiting…  Dani actually got me one of each flavour, cause she was so sure that they would blow me away.  Such a sweetheart! Mwah.   But sadly, they were quite hard and dry.  Maybe it was just a bad batch…  The only saving grace was the creamy filling.

I also got a deliciously evil-looking chocolate cupcake before exiting the shop… but more about that later. :)

After the disappointing macaron tasting at Emporio Leone… Joe, suggested that to make this a proper “best of” macaron review, we needed to head over to Myatt.  Myatt is a stunning coffee shop on the upper level at the V&A, on the Woolies side.

Can this place possibly be any prettier?

Their menu consists of sandwiches, wraps, salads and light meals, as well as an array of sweet treats.  One thing to note though is that these people take “attention to detail” to the next level, just look at the sugar cube bowl for example:

Sugar cubes just don’t taste the same unless they’re served in a golden cup!

And isn’t this the most beautiful cappuccino you’ve ever seen!?!

The cappuccino “hearts” me!

But on to the real reason we were there… the macarons!  The prices here weren’t too much better.  You can get 3 macaroons for R25.  But just look at their flavour selection:

BAM!!!

I went for the Vanilla (according to the waitress, that’s their top-selling one), the Pistachio and the Honey & Saffron.  The presentation again was top notch:

Oh so pretty…

However… the filling in these babies were seriously weird.  They had a strange margarine taste to them.  It was quite off-putting to be honest.  A total bummer though as the meringue parts were great…

So after getting to taste some of the supposed best macarons on offer in Cape Town, here are my final Miss K Kiss-o-Meter ratings to put an end to this war:

  • Emporio Leone: 
  • Myatt: 
  • Cassis: 

Cassis still wins by far!!! Woohoo!  Told you guys…

Now, back to that decadent chocolate cupcake I purchased at Emporio Leone.  Joe bought a vanilla cupcake at Myatt as well, so we decided to do a bit of a cupcake “face off” while we were at it.

In the left corner we had the Myatt Vanilla cupcake with chocolate shavings:

Contender nr 1

In the right corner we had the double choc, dressed up in gold dust cupcake from Emporio Leone:

Contender nr 2

While the Myatt cupcake won on looks 100%, the cake part was way too dense.  The Emporio Leone chocolate dream on the other hand was just yum!  But again, I have to give you my official Miss K Kiss-o-Meter ratings:

  • Myatt Vanilla cupcake:
  • Emporio Leone Chocolate cupcake: 

So there you go guys.  Hope you’re all craving sweet things just as much as I am now!  Gotta still try and work off all that sugar in the gym…  aargghh.  Does it count btw if you eat a cupcake while on the treadmill? haha.

xxx

Macaron heaven…

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So…. I actually came back from my Italian holiday 1kg lighter than when I left Cape Town!  How awesome is that?  The whole time I was stressing about coming back the size of a house with all that eating I was doing…  I think it must have been all the walking and stair climbing that helped me out. :)

To reward myself, I decided to get something a little extra special… some macarons!  And where do you go in Cape Town for only the best?  Cassis of course!  They have two stores in Cape Town – one in the Gardens Shopping Centre (that’s where I go) and then another one in Newlands.

They do cost R5 a pop – so you have to pick carefully and really savour them.

Hello babies!!!

I went for the following flavours:

  • Strawberry (pink)
  • Citron (yellow)
  • Pistachio (green)
  • Passion Frui (purple)
  • Coconut (white)
  • Chocolate (brown)
  • Orange with dark chocolate (orange)

Which one was my favourite?  I can’t pick just one!  That would be like cheating on the others… haha.  I had promised myself that I would eat them slowly, maybe even one a day… but then I was like “who am I kidding!” – I ate them all in one go. :)

Now I have to get my ass back into the gym…

Chat soon. xxx