Macaron Day 2014

Sugar crash is a very real and very brutal thing, my friends.

Today is the first day of spring and today is Macaron Day NYC 2014!  You couldn't have asked for more perfect weather for the annual macaron scavenger hunt, organized by Chef Francois Payard and inspired by Jour du Macaron in Paris.  Bakeries, patisseries, macaron-eries all across the city participate in handing out complimentary macarons, with the added charitable aspect that a portion of any macaron purchases during the day will be donated to City Harvest.

Behold, my macarons (which I think are some of the food porn-iest things to photograph, for some reason.  Those feet!  That bulge!  Such colors!  Ooh la la):

Francois Payard Bakery / Francois Payard Patisserie

 orange blossom

 passionfruit

 avec CHEF FRANCOIS PAYARD!

Mille-Feuille Bakery

all the goodies

salted caramel

Sugar & Plumm

 raspberry

Bisous Ciao

passionfruit, blood orange, and blackberry

passionfruit

Spot Dessert Bar

 green tea

Epicerie Boulud

 vanilla hazelnut

See you next year!

Sidebar ~ Chef Payard introduced New York City to Macaron Day in 2010.  Since then, I've consumed my fair share of free macarons.  Before, the cheap college student in me would clamor for free food.  This year, I did purchase a separate box of macarons to gift to someone.  It's about time I start giving back.  The fun and decadence of today's event was, for me, darkened by a more serious reality check: when I was walking around the Upper West Side looking for the next bakery, I saw quite a few homeless people begging on the sidewalks.  It was heartbreaking, and I really hope that City Harvest's efforts will reach those individuals, and the many more hungry folks in the city.