By JT
Hi readers, it’s JT, back again with some more Upper West Side grub. This week I went to Silver Moon Bakery at the corner of West 105th Street and Broadway. Opened in November of 2000, Silver Moon offers birthday cakes, tarts, breads, croissants, and more.
Before I get into this week’s grub, I want to tell you a little bit more about me. Born and raised on the Upper West Side, I attended Le Cordon Bleu London and graduated with a Diplome de Patisserie. Yes, I love pastry so much that I literally have a degree in it.
One of my favorite things to make and eat is macarons.
So, without further ado, here’s the grub.
I ordered a box of assorted macarons, which included, from left to right, a raspberry, chocolate, lavender, birthday cake, pistachio, lemon, passion fruit, and strawberry. The staff was lovely and I was in and out in no time.
Fun fact about macarons: the cookies have no flavoring themselves. They contain just three ingredients: whipped egg whites, powdered sugar, and almond flour.
How hard can it be to make them if they only have three ingredients?
Well, very hard, actually. Macarons are considered one of the most challenging things to make in the pastry world. The traditional way of making them includes carefully folding the dry ingredients into the perfectly whipped egg whites. If you underfold or overfold, even a little bit, your cookies will not come out right. You will not see the little foot, as it is called, on the bottom, which is the sign of the macaron.
Because the cookie has no flavoring, you should add the filling at least 24 hours before serving, so the flavor can seep into the cookie for the taste and color.
Macarons: $3.75 each/$32 for a box of eight
- Raspberry – A simple, sweet raspberry jam filling.
- Chocolate – A rich, creamy, dark chocolate ganache. Classic as classic gets.
- Lavender – A very strong lavender flavor. I am slightly allergic to lavender and still returned for a second bite. If you like more exotic floral flavors, this is for you.
- Birthday Cake – Perfect for someone with a sweet tooth. A vanilla flavor with some sprinkles on top to add a nice extra crunch.
- Pistachio – Classic nutty pistachio flavor. A good option for someone who wants a treat but isn’t a huge fan of sweets.
- Lemon – Light and refreshing. This macaron leans more sweet than tart, giving you a more lemonade taste.
- Passion fruit – A great bold flavor with a nice tang to balance the cookie’s sweetness.
- Strawberry – Another classic jam filling.
JT’s Grubby Conclusion
This was a classic box of French macarons. The price might be high, but it is still within a normal range for macarons, especially considering they are among the most difficult baked goods to make.
And Silver Moon Bakery makes them right.
The cookies all have a slight crunch from the outer shell encasing a beautifully soft inside. The fillings were also delicious, with a good cookie-to-filling ratio.
I am on a mission to find the best macarons on the UWS. Please let me know in the comments where your favorite macarons are on the Upper West Side, so I can try them next!
P.S. I asked my teaching chef if it is pronounced “macaron” or “macaroon,” and he said, “Either way is fine.” I’m sorry if that’s not the answer you were seeking. The world may never know.
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This makes me sad that I never went to the macron place that was on like 87th and Columbus. I gotta head a little uptown then
Macaroons and macrons are two different foods!
Wonderful new info on Silver Moon – thanks for that.
I have no expertise in baking, but I would think that the cookie must have a fourth ingredient. I don’t see how the filling alone can provide the coloring, unless the powdered sugar is tinted. Do you know how the cookie gets its color?
Yes, macarons have food coloring in the batter if you want them colored (they can be made without added color). You just have to be careful to use the gel type food coloring, not the liquid or you will ruin the batter. But food coloring is not usually deemed an “ingredient.” They may not be as good a fresh bakery macarons but you can find pretty good frozen ones at half the price charged by bakeries at the Morton Williams near Carnegie Hall.
Do yourself a favor and try Delices Macarons at 75th and Amsterdam…
Laduree in The Shops at Columbus Circle (Time Warner Center)
Ladure is the famous French pastry shop known for its macarons. It opened shops at Columbus Circle and on Madison Avenue. I went there in on my first trip to Paris in 1970 and it’s still a favorite memory. The pastry shop was featured by NBC during its Olympic coverage. If you want the authentic French macaron, this is the place to start. Hopefully, it’s as good as the original in Paris.
Yes, they are just as good as in Paris. 🙂
$3.75 each/$32 for box of eight–$4 each??
If I die with minimal money in my account but an abundance of macarons in my apartment, I will die happy.
I’ve always thought that “macaron” is the French pronunciation, and “macaroon” the English. Which to use depends on how well you can speak the French “r”.
Macaroons are cookies composed of mounds of shredded coconut mixed with sugar and egg white and baked. Traditional Passover treats because they don’t contain flour or leavening. But delicious year round. Completely different from macarons, though I suspect the name was derived from the French pastry.
They are different cookies. Macarons are NOT macaroons.
The colors of these macarons turns me off. If you’re going to pay ridiculous pastry prices (in my opinion) you might as well get elegant pastries. These look like kiddie treats.
To me a “macaroon” is the coconut thingy, so I would pronounce these as “macarown”. Thanks for the very detailed post, and love Silver Moon!
For anyone interested in clarity Martha Stewart has an article titled: Macaroons and Macarons Are Not the Same—Learn the Difference Between These Popular Cookies
The UWS is a vegan desert – such a disappointment. That’s my first comment – a prelude to my macaron-relevant comment which is that the VERY best macarons are on the LES at Confectionery! I’ve tried many non-vegan macarons and none hold a candle to these. The fruity ones are particularly amazing. Worth the trip! And someone please, please open more vegan restaurants and bakeries on the UWS or I will have to relocate!!!
The world may not know but the French absolutely do. It’s macaron, rythmes with Macron.
It’s a bit of a travesty to add blue coloring to what is supposed to be French food… There’s no more hallmark of American sweets than blue treats.