We’re headed back for more macarons! Ready?
We’re on our way to that lovely spot where you can get house-made ice cream, mimosas at 9AM, frangipane, and more — Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in the France Pavilion of Disney World’s Epcot.
This spot underwent an enormous expansion a while back. And while there are things that we miss about the old bakery, on the whole it’s been a terrific success!
Not only do we have the amazing new L’Artisan des Glaces to tempt us, but the expanded bakery and pastry outlet means that you can enjoy a full meal.
Or you can continue to stop by for a treat between meals. 🙂
Box of Deliciousness
And that’s what we’re doing today as I finally get to sample a treat that’s part pastry and part art.
The Macarons Collection
On my recent visit to Walt Disney World, I knew I had to carve out some time to visit Les Halles for one reason: I had to try The Macarons Collection for myself.
They come packaged in this awesome little box — perfect for taking and enjoying one or two while strolling around World Showcase, and saving the rest for later. The packaging also makes for a great take home treat for you or a loved one — if you can stay out of them on the plane ride/car trip home. (Good luck with that.)
The Macarons Collection from Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie
Open the lid, and you see the assortment of beautiful colors that make up your gift box of goodies.
Under the Lid
And I’m not kidding about these sweet little treats being as much fine art as culinary art. Just look at them!
Now, here’s where we need to talk. Because some of you out there may be tempted to dismiss macarons as frivolous, tasteless, silly little things.
All the Pretty Flavors!
That would be a mistake. Yes, several of them are beautifully dyed to suggest the flavors that hide inside. But they’re still delicious.
Let’s take a closer look at the Chocolate Macaron. The “cookie” portion of the little sandwich is just what you would want it to be — a chewy, slightly moist mixture of egg whites, sugar, nuts, and in this case, chocolate. Basically, it’s a baked nut meringue, if you’re looking for a way to wrap your mind around the picture.
Chocolate Macaron — Up Close
But the inside is where the poetry is. That little disk of flavor right there is like a stiff ganache. So you basically have a truffle married with a cookie. This one just melts in your mouth.
Macaron — A Peek at the Filling
Chewy and rich, macarons always surprise me with just how wonderful they are. I mean, they just look like little sandwich cookies! But somehow, they are so much more than the sum of their parts.
Chocolate Macaron — Cross Section
And I don’t even like meringue! How do they accomplish this? Ah, the French and their magical culinary ways. 🙂
The pricetag on this one is a little steep — the box of 6 will set you back just over $10, and the macarons themselves are fairly small — but they’re made fresh in house, and they’re honestly outstanding. So if you’re a macaron lover and you don’t want to roll up your sleeves and make some yourself (and really, making 6 different kinds would take a LOT of time), give them a try. It’s the perfect treat to nosh on while you enjoy this little corner of France, tucked into Disney.
Don’t Miss Out on the Best Snacks in Epcot!
Epcot is a snack lovers dream! Where else can you find delicious dishes from all four corners of the world, all gathered in one spot for your snacking pleasure?
But with so many choices, deciding what to spend your dollars, calories, and snack credits on can become challenging.
And that is precisely why we came up with The DFB Guide to Epcot Snacks e-Book, 2014 Edition!
With over 290 pages of information and advice on over 200 delicious snacks, you can see at a glance all the best that Epcot has to offer. And with our convenient PDF format, there’s no waiting — download your copy right now and start planning!
We’ve updated our detailed snack guide to help you find the best eats (and treats!) in Walt Disney World’s Epcot. You’ll see some of your old favorites as well as some snacks that you might have missed. We’ve kept most of the snacks in the $1-5 range, but there are a few big spenders in there. (Yep, that turkey leg or frozen mojito is gonna cost you!)
Don’t forget — for easy access in the parks, put the guide on your smartphone or iPad! Don’t forget to use code Epcot14 for a discount!
Will you be trying the Macarons Collection the next time you stroll through the France Pavilion? Let us know if you enjoy these gem-like treats!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
What are all the flavors?
One of my wife’s favorite treats in all of Disney. Gluten-free and delicious. Les Halles is the place to get the absolute best macarons in the parks.
I agree that macarons are very pretty and a visually appealing dessert. An important note, however, for anyone who hasn’t tried these treats before, is that a traditional ingredient in macarons is almond flour, which for my taste buds, always gives them a very odd, off-putting flavor.
What are the other flavors besides chocolate?
Other flavors are Lemon, Raspberry, Pistachio (yum!), Vanilla, and I think the blue one is Blackberry.
I’m gluten-free, so macarons are always a must for me. The best one you can get here, though, is the larger raspberry one. It is a raspberry macarons, with fresh raspberries and lemon cream in the middle. The only downside is that you couldn’t use a smack credit on them. I must have eaten 3 or 4 of them the last year!!!
I seriously need to do more exploring at this spot… one word caught my eye ‘mimosas’ and available at 9 am… where have I been?!?! Thank you always for the awesome tips and info!
Does the almond flour give them an almond flavoring? We love anything with an almond flavor and, yes, these would make an excellent gift to take home to my Mom who loves meringue. I already have this on my gift list for her for my 2015 trip; thanks for the great idea. I always enjoy picking out gifts for her! They look beautiful and delicious….a perfect present.
I’ve always been very hesitant to try Macarons because they look like the consistency would be similar to a crunchy cookie, which isn’t my favorite, but after this review I think i’ll give them a try 🙂
Last summer we went to les Halles to check out our evening treat for our snack credit on the DDP. Everything was so beautiful ! I chose the macaroons. At this time we did not see any of the signs for the DDP snack credits. I even ordered for everyone in French. Imagine my surprise when I was told $11 for the macaroons ! I ate them and they were so delicious! But the $11 really made me cringe
That is a fairly standard price for a box of 6 macarons. I was surprised that they didn’t cost more. If getting the box of 6 is too much, try the ice cream sandwich macaron next door!
Take from my wife and I, they are wonderful. Highly recommended.
I was in Whole Foods today and they had macaroons in the pastry case. They were $1.99 each and not as big as these at Epcot. So Gaylin is right. They are not price gouging. In fact, they are quite competitive. To say nothing of wonderful. 🙂
I think the yellow one is banana not lemon
So I didn’t know going in that macaroons are made with almond flour, and I have a disastrous allergy to nuts that wasn’t a good day at Epcot. So a word of warning macaroons contain tree nuts.
Do they have plenty of the macarons collection or do they run out into the evening?
How can I order these online as a gift
Deborah — I’m not sure that you can, but give the Merchandise Guest Services Line a call at 877 560 6477 to check.
I got caught paying for some treats for my husband’s birthday celebration and I forgot my daughter’s ears that she asked me for. How can I purchase some ratatouille ears? Thank you!