Chicago bakeries crank out French macarons

July 28, 2010 (WLS) — Look out cupcakes, there’s a new sweet treat in town. It’s called a macaron, and our Hungry Hound says, not only are they showing up as party favors, they’re also inspiring entrepreneurs.

For the past year or so, French macarons have been hitting the party circuit, showing up in gift bags at weddings. But they’ve also been inspiring pastry chefs, who’ve made the pilgrimage to Paris, and now want to recreate the delicate combination of flavors and textures back home. In Chicago, there are now two companies spending most of their day just making macaron.

The Logan Square Kitchen is an incubator of sorts, a place where small food artisans can create, without the hassle of overhead. Beth Jacob uses the space for her company, which focuses on just one thing.

“The name of my business is Macaron Chicago. I make macaron which are French — traditional French cookies made with meringue-based shells and fillings of caramel, butter cream, jam or ganache,” said Jacob.

Jacob makes everything herself, from the delicate merengue shells, to the sweet fillings. She then sells them at farmer’s markets and through wholesale accounts.

Same principle in West Town, at Kitchen Chicago, a similar concept where you rent space. For friends Katherine and Lauren, the Panna Dolce brand was born here. Their specialty? French macarons, of course.

They begin by sifting almond flour; then, in a stand mixer, they combine egg whites and sugar, whipping it fiercely, until it begins to get frothy. Food coloring is added to create a unique color palette. That sifted almond flour is added, which will give the macaron shell some lift. At this point, ratios are crucial.

“It’s definitely about the right ratio for the meringue and how much sugar you use, the temperature you cook at, the time that you bake at, the weather outside; really there is more chemistry to it than making just your regular batch of cookies,” said Panna Dolce co-owner Lauren Robin.

Fillings also have to be calibrated, depending on which type of shell you’re using. The partners say as much as macarons are loved on the East and West coasts, they’re not quite sure if Chicago has fully embraced this latest dessert craze.

“I don’t think that they are there yet in Chicago, definitely on the coast, but I think they’re going to be the new cupcake,” said Robin.

Notice we didn’t say “macaroon.” Those would be the golf ball-sized, toasted coconut and sugar balls — a far cry from a French macaron.

www.macaronchicago.com

www.pannadolce.com

(Copyright ©2010 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Source: Chicago bakeries crank out French macarons

To our Chicago natives: check out ABC 7 Chicago for Steve’s segment on macarons featuring yours truly. Tune in at 11:20 AM for all the macaron goodness!

Look out cupcakes, macarons aren’t too far behind

Did you hear the news? Beverly Hills’ favorite cupcake spot – Sprinkles – just opened up in the Gold Coast. It’s so big, Bill and Giuliana Rancic were at the opening! (OMG) Honestly, after Sugar Bliss, More, The Cupcake Counter, Molly’s and Swirlz (and the constantly mobile Flirty Cupcake van), even I’m getting a little cupcake weary. All of the cupcake chatter is like frosting from a Jewel birthday cake – it makes my mouth pucker with too much sugar. I would suggest you opt instead for the next wave of sweet supremacy in Chicago: the humble macaron. Now notice I didn’t say “macaroon.” That, my friend, would be the sickly-sweet golfball-sized mound of toasted coconut and sugar they make us eat at Passover. A macaron, on the other hand, is something more delicate, more refined. It requires a ridiculously precise recipe that must constantly change, depending on the ambient temperature. It requires delicate egg whites, beaten to a pulp (or rather, soft peaks). It requires some food coloring, but most important, it requires a command of the not-too-sweet gooey fillings that must echo the shell’s crisp exterior, providing a burst of flavor in each of the limited bites.

You can find mind-blowing macarons in London and Paris, at the world-famous Ladurée stores; Pierre Hermé is another solid pastry shop in Paris with some of the best macarons I’ve ever had. But in America, its taken awhile to get here. While macarons have been the defacto wedding favor on the East and West Coasts for some time now, they are finally making inroads here. There are macarons aplenty these days, especially if you happen to shop at Bittersweet, Pierrot Gourmet or Vanille Patisserie. There are even two local businesses that focus primarily on these little treats: Panna Dolce and Macaron Chicago.

Panna Dolce’s macarons are available at the Goddess and Grocer, and through their website; Macaron Chicago has a stand at the Logan Square Farmer’s Market every other Sunday; you can also just contact them on their website. Some of the flavors have moved well past the traditional rose petal or chocolate. There was a fantastic salted caramel I picked up this past Sunday from the Macaron Chicago booth in Logan Square. Wish I could have savored it a tad longer.

Source: Steve Dolinsky – Adventures in Urban Eating

Online shopping success

Simi Valley business went from bedroom to boardrooms

By Stephanie Hoops

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Kevin Sproles was a 16-year-old student at Royal High School in Simi Valley when he started building custom websites in his bedroom and created Volusion Inc. in 1999.

Today, the 27-year-old is CEO of the multimillion-dollar business.

“I used my allowance money and all I needed was a computer and my time,” he said. “The only other expense was to advertise, and this was pre-Google days, so it was just a couple cents to get visitors to your website, so I was lucky.”

Sproles graduated from high school in 2001, but rather than going to college, he chose to invest all of his time in Volusion.

No one in Sproles’ family was in the computer business, but he was inspired by the work ethic of his grandfather, who owned a furniture store, and his father, who runs a concrete pumping operation.

“I learned I have to work hard 24/7,” he said of running your own business. “It’s not a job where you can go home at the end of the day. It’s a part of you.”

His original concept of building one website at a time wasn’t feasible, however, and Sproles eventually realized he’d do better if he designed software he could resell thousands of times. His idea: software that would enable websites to have shopping carts.

With no investors, he used credit cards to fund the company’s growth.

“For some reason, I got a $10,000 credit card given to me even though I was a kid,” he said. “That helped a lot. I ended up $30,000 in debt, but the company was growing, and I knew I was going to pay that off, and sure enough I did.”

Eventually he hired four employees, and they all worked out of his bedroom. It got cramped, so they moved into his brother’s bedroom before finding real office space in Simi Valley.

Sproles and one of his clients, Clay Olivier, teamed up in 2004 after discussing ways to build the business. Olivier invested in the company and purchased 20 percent of it, then took on sales and marketing responsibilities in a second office he opened in Austin, Texas.

The software provides a fully integrated online store with a shopping cart, built-in inventory management and marketing tools, multiple design templates, and the ability to securely process credit card orders and print shipping labels. It also integrates with the popular QuickBooks accounting software.

Today, Volusion has more than 150 employees divided equally between the two offices in Simi Valley and Austin. Its 2009 revenues were $22.4 million, up nearly 43 percent from 2008, having grown steadily since 2006.

Its clients include National Geographic and Disney.

Chicago-based Panna Dolce launched its online bakery in 2009. Co-owner Justin Greis said he looked at other shopping-cart software but chose Volusion’s system because it didn’t require a lot of technical skill to maintain.

“What it enables us to do is really focus on running the business as opposed to maintaining a website,” he said.

The price was also attractive, Greis said.

“Our products start at $24.99 a month and there’s no contract, so it’s just month to month,” Sproles said. “The most popular plan is $99 a month, and really everybody gets pretty much all the features of the software and benefits.

“The difference between the plans is the number of products you have. Some people have a small inventory and small catalog. Others have 100,000 products.”

Volusion’s software now powers about 20,000 online stores.

Last year, it processed more than $2 billion worth of online sales, accounting for 1 percent of all U.S. Internet transactions, Sproles said.

It took six years of hard work before Sproles could finally take weekends off, he said. As his income rose, one of the luxuries he allowed himself was a Lamborghini.

He recently bought a home in Newbury Park and got engaged a few weeks ago.

On the Net:

http://www.volusion.com

We showed Steve all most of the secrets of making our fantastic French Macarons and even prepared a custom ABC 7 Chicago French Macaron gift for him.

Stay tuned for the details of when the segment will air on ABC 7 Chicago!

It was a wonderful experience and very gratifying to confirm that our proprietary recipe and technique is spot-on. Our Panna Dolce flavors, texture and visual appeal are so so similar, you’d swear you’re walking along the Champs-Élysées…or, er…in Harrod’s! Check out our photos below!

Some have been chewy, others crispy. Some filled with light mousse or buttercream, while others have been filled with preserves or a mixture of gele + creme. Some as delicate as the most fragile tissue paper while others as tough as a todler’s toy. Perhaps some of the most interesting flavors have been Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil, Tequila, Mojito and Butter (that’s right….just butter). How’s that for flavoriffic inspiration?!?!?

We love seeing the macaron trend continue around the world; it warms our hearts and makes for very tasty photos! Check out some of our choice snaps below! Keep on macaroning!

PS – Next stop: London… We are making a special trip to Laduree and will document every morsel of our adventure.

Don Julio ultra-premium tequila? DailyCandy treats? Let the fiesta begin.

What: A free cocktail party to experience the sublime and subtle flavors of Don Julio, the world’s first ultra-premium tequila.

Why: After just one taste, you’ll know that its surprising complexity doesn’t come from a machine. Historically handcrafted through the passionate process of 100 percent blue agave plant cultivation and artfully practiced barreling, the five varieties prove exceptional to connoisseurs and newcomers alike. Plus, enjoy DailyCandy gifts to sweeten up the evening even more.

When: Saturday, 8-10 p.m.

Where: The LaSalle Power Co., 500 North LaSalle Boulevard (312-661-1122 or lasallepowerco.com).

Discover more online at donjulio.com. Find Don Julio drink specials at English, 444 North LaSalle Boulevard; Bull & Bear, 431 North Wells Street; Market, 1113 West Randolph Street; and Gibsons’s seven Chicago-area locations.

Source: Daily Candy

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