Experiencing Macarons at Sophie's French Bakery

Hello friends,

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! I know we did. It definitely was not a typical one here though. My brother and Dad were off for the week to a baseball tournament which meant my Mom and I got some much needed girl-time. Besides meandering around our favorite shops like anthropologie and Williams Sonoma, Mom and I drove over forty minutes for....

macarons.

Not the most patriotic way to celebrate, I know, but I do think that supporting small business is quite American, so I'm pleased to say scarfing down some Key Lime and Strawberry Cheesecake Macarons was a perfect way to cap off the mom/daughter time.

Sadly I have no recipe for French Macarons, but I just really wanted to share with you all this gem of a French Bakery we've come to love here in Florida. It's called Sophie's French Bakery and it's in an adorable part of Tampa known as Hyde Park.

We discovered this bakery while visting the Hyde Park Market that occurs on the first Sunday of every month and features artisan foods, handmade jewelry, and fresh produce. After walking around in the blistering heat, we decided to stop into the bakery to grab a bite to eat and cool off.

Little did we know we'd fall head over heels for their out-of-this-world macarons.These were the first macarons my mom and I had ever encountered in real life, only having seen them all over Pinterest and drooling over them if caught on camera by Food Network. Meringue never came across to me as appetizing, but how could a cookie sandwich that cute taste bad?

The answer: it doesn't. It's one of the most delicate, heavenly llittle treats I've ever had, and after having just one lemon-flavored macaron from Sophie's, I knew I would be back for more. Now every time I come to visit my family in Florida, we make sure to take the drive and stop over to this bakery and sample whatever flavors they happen to have on that day. On the fourth, it just happened to be Key Lime and Strawberry Cheesecake.

Now the Key Lime was great, but the real show-stopper here was the Strawberry Cheesecake. The subtle yet distinctive flavor of strawberry from the shells combines with the creamy cheesecake filling to just melt in my mouth in one glorious bite. It had disappeared before I even realized I had eaten the whole cookie, and I found myself frowning at my empty hand, wishing if I closed my eyes another would appear between my fingers.

I have visited France before, but sadly I was only an awkward young teen and the word "macaron" did not exist in my dictionary. While enjoying a home-stay with a family in the French Riviera, we had stopped at the family bakery and were allowed to have whatever we wanted to sample. Naturally I went right to the baguettes, the scent of bread overwhelming me from any other thought. Now, looking back, I wonder if there had been macarons either in their shop or in the nearby market. Perhaps one day I will journey back there, and experience what a French Macaron in France tastes like...

Until then I will keep myself content with the macarons at Sophie's Bakery. Though I am sure the ones in France are phenomenal, I can't say I will be sacrificing much when Sophie's are just so delicious. Beautiful to look at and heavenly to consume, I can't wait to go back and find out what new flavors they decide to create.

Until next time,

Happy Baking!

Back to Blogging with a New Room and a Cupcake Review!

Hello friends!
Oh how I've missed you all  during these past few weeks of stressful exams. During the hours of excruciating studying my mind would wander and I'd think to myself "what awesome new recipes are floating around the blogosphere that I'm missing right now?" and I just could not wait to get back.

Well, I made it. I am officially on Spring Break for the week with my lovely family down in Florida, and while I am here I plan to bake up a storm of delicious goodies to share with you all!

But first...

Wasn't I surprised to find a completely new room waiting for me to enjoy as soon as I got home?!

It's like HGTV in there!

My mom (and even my dad) did it all while I was away at Rutgers, and it is just such an improvement over the old layout. I finally have a desk (no more doing work from the bed!) and I LOVE the bookcase setup as a focal point in the room since I am a huge book worm.

THEN as if this wasn't nice enough, my Dad surprised me with a trip to a cupcake shop! I didn't know cupcakeries were as big down in Florida as they are up in the Northeast (with what feels like millions in NYC).

The shop is called Mmm Delicious Cupcakes and is located in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Now although the shop isn't bright pink or glitzed out and overly decorated, I have to tell you these are some (if not the) best cupcakes I have ever had. This is where simplicity = superiority.

At Mmm Delicious Cupcakes you will find a slew of delicious flavors that vary daily, from Classic Chocolate to Strawberry Milkshake and even Pillow Talk, a decadent chocolate cake with a marshmallow creme center.

My family and I opted to buy half a dozen and went home extremely excited with: Red Velvet, Wedding Cake, Classic Chocolate, Cookie Dough, Salted Caramel, and Pillow Talk.

As soon as we got home I naturally dove into my first choice: Red Velvet.

I am just going to come out and say it: this cupcake rocked my socks.

Light, airy, moist, and full of flavor, this Red Velvet is hands-down the best Red Velvet Cupcake I've ever had. Beautifully adorned with a fantastic Cream Cheese Frosting, this cupcake is worth the $1.99 and then some.

And to be honest, almost all of the cupcakes we received were just that: fabulous. Salted Caramel also received big points amongst the Gonzalez family, along with Classic Chocolate.  The only one that I believe we would not get again was Wedding Cake, but honestly it wasn't a bad cupcake, just not my style.

If you are ever in the Tamba Bay Area and are looking for a sweet fix, you have to stop by Mmm Delicious Cupcakes. Their sweet treats not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but their simple, elegant presentation reminds us that frills and fondant decorations aside, it's the cake that counts. I've linked them here in the post so please go check them out and show some cupcake love!

Well, that's all for now fellow bakers! Since I am in Florida for the week I plan on taking advantage of the wonderful Fresh Produce in my posts, so I foresee Strawberries in the near future!

Happy Baking!