REVIEW | CONTESSA FRENCH MACARONS | EDMONTON

I have a love-hate relationship with macarons. Basically, I love to eat them, but I hate to make them (emphasis on the hate, clearly).

Since they're so delicate, they're super finicky to make, relying on precise measurements, skilled technique, and a whole lot of patience. Thankfully, there are more talented people out there who have perfected the art of macaron making, and all I have to do is open my mouth and enjoy them.  

Contessa French Macarons is a home business run by a local Edmontonian, Angelina Contini. Her macarons are available by order, for pickup at her west Edmonton residence.

When I found out she was going to be selling her goodies at the Santa's Little Helpers Market at River Cree Resort & Casino, I jumped at the chance to go. The event was held on November 15 from 10am to 5pm. Over 140 vendors were spread across two ballrooms, offering a selection of homemade art, clothing, jewelry, crafts, etc. For me, the main draw was definitely the food. Admission to get in was $2.00, with half of the proceeds going to the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton. 

Angelina had a selection of 12 different flavours on hand that day: pumpkin spice latte, London fog, pistachio, french toast, cinnamon bun, coconut cream, captain crunch, eggnog, caramel apple pie, chai tea, pear & pecan crumble, and bubble gum. She's constantly coming up with new flavours and rotating them in her repertoire! 

Macarons were $2.00 each, so a half dozen was $12.00 and a full dozen was $24.00. I ended up picking 6, which was a difficult task since all of the flavours sounded amazing.

Caramel apple pie

Chai tea

Pear & pecan crumble

Cinnamon bun

Captain crunch

Pumpkin spice latte

None of the macarons were overly sweet, which I appreciated. The shells were more delicate than the ones at Duchess, exhibiting a softer crunch and a more crumbly interior. I actually prefer these shells since they're not as chewy or stick-to-your-teeth like the ones at Duchess.

All of the flavours were also pretty spot on, with the Captain Crunch and caramel apple pie being my favourites of the bunch!

If you wish to make an order, you can check Angelina's Facebook and Instagram for more details, and email inquiries/orders at contessamacarons@gmail.com. She is such a sweet and amazingly talented lady who deserves your business!

- CT