Macarons from Itzy Bitzy Patisserie
There's a new macaron in town and it's damn fine. They're being hailed by Robyn of Serious Eat, Kathy of A Passion for Food, and Tina of A Wandering Eater. They're like the three macaron musketeers or something. Between the three of them, they probably know the New York macaron scene inside and out. And this past weekend, the Itzy Bitzy Patisserie macaron that's been roundly hailed as one of the best in the city finally went on sale at the Brooklyn Flea.
Mitzy is the mad genius behind the macarons at the Itzy Bitzy Patisserie. Right now you can only get it via pick up or limited delivery in the Manhattan area. This past Sunday though, her macarons were sold in the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene.
Although the Itzy Bitzy Patisserie is the new upstart, the quality of the macarons are already being produced at an expert level. You can see the execellent craftswomanship involved with the smooth and crisp outter crust of the macarons. The flavors are on a monthly rotation and they all pack a strong punch. I've tried the passion fruit, chocolate caramel pecan, coffee, pumpkin and pistachio. Each macaron has a generous amount of filling in the middle and the filling provides intense flavors.
I know that macarons are supposed to contain almond powder in its list of ingredients. The super flavorful ganache in the middle of these macarons overshadow any possible hints of almond. This could be good or bad depending on your view point. If you're a novice macaron taster like myself, it might not make a huge difference. Are you supposed to taste any almondness?
Right now, a single macaron is $2.50 and a box of six runs you $12 dollars. When you buy in bulk, this represents some of the more cost effective macarons you can find in the city. I must caution though, try to eat these macarons as soon as you get them. I tried two macarons the day of purchase and the outer crust was shatteringly crispy. On the second day, some of the crispness had escaped. This all might have been due to the weird temperature zones in my fridge from the 70s. But when things are tasty, why wait before you devour them? If you get a chance to go buy some of Mitzy's macarons, I highly suggest it.
Itzy Bitzy Patisserie at the Brooklyn Flea
Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School .
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Thanks for coming by on Sunday, Danny - it was good to see you again! :) I'm glad you liked the macarons...we're keeping the same flavours this weekend, and then changing to a whole new six in December. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend! ^_^
Kathy
November 25, 2008 11:57 am
I'm going to affirm that her macarons are freaking amazing.
Gordon
November 25, 2008 1:40 pm
I have to second Mitzy's macarons are the best I could get in the city.
As for your question about macaron tasting any almonds, that's a definite NO.
I have to ask, when you saved your macarons for the day after ingestion, did you wait like 10-15 minutes to let it sit in room temp? If you haven't, that's why it's sort of mushy/chewy in texture...
Tina
November 25, 2008 1:50 pm
@Kathy,
Ohhh I might have to pay a visit in December too then :P
@Gordon,
mm... macarons...
@Tina,
Well I took them out of the fridge and they sat in room temp for like.. 8 hrs :P
Danny
November 25, 2008 2:23 pm
I've never had a macaron... how much do I have to bribe you with so you'll pick these up and deliver them to my office? lol
Yvo
November 25, 2008 2:33 pm
Thank you so much for coming to our booth Danny, it was nice to meet you! I'm glad that you enjoyed the macarons.
As Tina said, to fully enjoy them, it's better to let them sit at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes, but definitely no longer than 1 hour :-) Otherwise, it will be denser (if not at room temperature) or too soft (if more than 1 hour).
I hope to see you again, happy Thanksgiving!
Mitzy
November 25, 2008 3:25 pm
They're not too itsy bitsy, are they? Either way, they look amazing, and the flavors sound great.
talida
November 26, 2008 11:56 am
@Yvo,
hahaha, I don't do deliveries. They are worth it though if you ever plan a trip to the Ft. Greene area.
@Mitzy,
Ooooh ok, see I didn't know you couldn't chill it past one hour. Next time I'll just eat it right away! It'll be simple that way.
@Talida,
They are a good size for sure. A tiny macaron at La Maison du Chocolate is $2.50. This one is like... 3x the size. The diameter is close to the length of my thumb. Next time I'll do a ruler comparison or something to give you a better idea. Sorry about that!
Danny
November 26, 2008 12:10 pm