You know you deserve a little self-care this month — perhaps a small sweet treat, a cup of steeped coffee, or a mug of chef-inspired hot chocolate or cider just for you.
Macarons from Le Macaron French Pastries
Lisa and Dave Amundsen just passed their first anniversary as the proprietors of Le Macaron French Pastries at North Point Mall. They celebrated by opening an outdoor kiosk at Avalon this month. They offer not just macarons, but truly decadent pastries, such as eclairs, napoleons, tarts and cakes, and they rotate through 16 flavors of gelato and sorbet. The macarons, however, are their namesake product. They come in almost two dozen flavors, ranging from sophisticated (violet cassis and Madagascar black vanilla) to fun (bubble gum and peanut butter), as well as holiday flavors. While some holiday treats are excessive, these three-bite macarons are just the right size. And, they’re perfectly made, so the crunch of the shell contrasts with the moist exterior and creamy filling. They truly melt in your mouth.
$15 for a six-macaron gift box, $30 for a 12-macaron gift box. Available at the outdoor kiosk at Avalon in Alpharetta, in the shop at North Point Mall, or for delivery via DoorDash or GrubHub. lemacaronalpharetta.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Single-serve coffee from Steeped Coffee
You want to take a holiday break with a great cup of coffee, but you aren’t headed to a coffee shop, and you don’t want to brew a pot. It’s steeped coffee to the rescue. We were just introduced to Steeped Coffee of Santa Cruz, California, and their bags filled with coffee from Durham, North Carolina-based roaster Counter Culture. Convenient, delicious and quick, it’s single-serve specialty coffee in the equivalent of a large tea bag. Bring water to a boil, put it in a mug, and dunk the bag a few times. Then, let everything steep for about 5 minutes. We tried it hot, and then we used some bags to make cold brew. It’s all delicious, and so convenient. And, everything, from the bag to its packet, is compostable. The bags are available in light roast, medium roast, dark roast, French roast (the one we tried) and decaf.
$15 per 10-pack box. Available on Amazon and, with free shipping in the U.S., at steepedcoffee.com.
Credit: Hannah Gregus
Credit: Hannah Gregus
Holiday beverages from No. 246
Chefs Ford Fry and Drew Belline have decided you need a taste of their Decatur restaurant, No. 246, at home, so they asked Beverage Manager Clarke Anderson to dream up a few ideas. Anderson created an apple spice syrup and a hot chocolate mix to get you through the holidays. The apple spice syrup is perfect for making hot spiced cider, but don’t limit it to hot drinks. The syrup comes with recipes for an apple-spiced whiskey sour and a fabulous Old-Fashioned. It’s very spice-forward, with just a hint of bitter in the mix. We love this very sophisticated taste. The hot chocolate mix largely is made up of finely crumbled chocolate that melts perfectly in hot milk. We could see using this to make mocha drinks, as well. While you’re ordering, consider the restaurant’s family-style pasta and pizza dinners, and make a No. 246 night of it.
$8 for 4-ounce bottle of apple spice syrup. $8 per 7-ounce jar of hot chocolate mix, making two servings. Purchase for curbside pickup at the restaurant from the No. 246 menu at order.no246.com/no246/Decatur/menu.htm. Available through the end of the year. No. 246, 129 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur.
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