At this point, my Macaron Day expertise is on par with Stephen Dubner’s knowledge of macroeconomics.

Maca-what?

Macaron Day! Sunday March 20th was NYC’s 7th annual maca-nificent celebration of spring and sweetness. It was my fourth year maca-raiding pastry shops. Sacre bleu! I have eaten so many macarons!

Yes. I’m as obsessed with these French cookies as the kids in Pitch Perfect are with a capella puns.

Maca-amazing!

Maca-licious!

Je maca-adore!

Dozens of bakeries throughout New York give away free macaron cookies every March 20th in honor of this petit fête pastry chef Francois Payard brought over from France. Pourquoi? Because it’s the first day of spring, winter is finally over, and celebrating with delightfully colored spheres of sweetness just seems bien sur. Non? PLUS Macaron Day partners with City Harvest so a portion of all Macaron Day sales good to feeding hungry people. What better way to start everyone’s favorite season?

FBP- Francois Payard Bakery– is always the #1 place to go on Macaron Day. But of course, Chef Payard started it all!

I tried something I never had before- a chocolate covered macaron! Absolutely fantastique, a delicious addition to the already perfect sandwich cookie package.

What I didn’t try were FBP’s brand spanking new donut macarons. Macaronuts? Macanuts? Donurons? Voila, Payard’s response to his fellow french man Dominique Ansel’s cronut.

Oui, oui, they are cute. The thing is, looking at them, they’re just much more cookie than breakfast food. I can sometimes convince myself a donut is an appropriate morning meal (thanks society). A croissant is even easier to believe as “part of a balanced breakfast”. But a cookie? No. I really shouldn’t. And that is why I don’t see these being the next foodie craze. That’s just my maca-expert opinion.

In the past- 2013, 2014, 2015- I have charted out a maca-route from the map at macarondaynyc.com This year I didn’t even look at it! I just went to a couple of places by Columbus Circle I remembered having participated in the past. Surprise- that wasn’t the best idea! The list of participants changes every year! I walked into a bakery all “Bonjour! I’m here for Macaron Day!”only to discover they weren’t taking part this year! But I must have looked maca-adorable or maybe just had a certain je ne sais quoi because they gave me and my friends free macarons anyway! I felt kinda bad but it was so sweet!

My maca-rogue macaron!

The Macaron Cafe on 59th Street and Madison has always been one of my favorite places in the area. I wrote it a little love letter right before my very first Macaron Day experience. It’s an oasis of cuteness in very corporate midtown.

They always have the biggest selection of flavors, from classic to exotic. I tried a lemon jasmine flavored macaron here, not a flavor I’d ever imagined before. Didn’t quite love it like I love classic lemon macarons but Macaron Day is perfect for trying things you wouldn’t normally buy. Maca-adventurous. 

So how much do you heart me and my horribly maca-machinated MACA prefixes?? Oh MACA-MAMA! MACA-MANIA!

Okay, I’m stopping. Good grief. No more homages to B-grade a capella movies!  Sorry! Please accept my apology! I don’t want this to be:

Macaron Day 2016: The Day Mary Lane Lost All Her Readers Due To Over Use Of Moronic Macaron-ification of the English Language

Hope YOU had a sweet, sweet, Macaron Day AND first day of spring!