A cup of confectioner’s sugar, a cup of almond flour and egg whites are just a few of the ingredients necessary to make macarons.
Macaroy’s is a macaron business based in New Paltz created by Roy Cohen, ‘15. He sells his tasty treats out of Moxie Cup, where he works part-time as a baker, as well as at the campus farmer’s market every Thursday.
Cohen has always enjoyed cooking and baking. He started making macarons when one of his housemates got her boyfriend a macaron making kit for Hanukkah last year, which included piping bags and a cookie sheet with circular indents. Cohen used the kit to make them, but the first try turned out a disaster.
“I’m pretty driven to getting something right, and if I don’t get it right I keep trying,” Cohen said. “I kept using the kit and I finally got to a place where it was an acceptable product. I gave it to my boss at Moxie Cup and my friends and they loved it.”
The recipe to make macarons sounds simple, but it takes patience and practice to get it right. Cohen explained that the smallest misstep could ruin it. For instance, if you don’t let the macaron shell completely dry, it will come out cracked after baking.
Cohen first started selling at the campus farmer’s market. After contacting farmer’s market manager Billie Golan and filling out paperwork, his business took off.
Since then, he’s participated in Upstate Smorgasburg located in Kingston, continues to sell on campus and at Moxie Cup and has been receiving online orders.
“I just started from the campus market and from there I tried to do something bigger,” Cohen said. “I got into Smorgasburg and that itself was a big thing for me. When I was first there I was like, ‘Wow I really snuck my way into this,’ but I loved it and it was so much fun.”
When it comes to flavor, Cohen is not afraid to experiment. He describes macarons as a canvas and enjoys creating unconventional flavors, such as blueberry cheesecake.
Cohen gets inspiration for his macarons from drinks or flavors of pies. When he’s coming up with ideas he’ll think about what is the best vehicle for it to work.
“It all depends what that flavor calls for and what I feel it should be,” Cohen said. “For some flavors I feel it needs to be a ganache because it won’t hold up as a buttercream.”
Macarons have excellent shelf life, can be made in advance and put in the freezer for up to three months. Cohen has discovered that leaving them in the freezer, thawing at room temperature for about half an hour and baking makes the macarons better.
“You’re supposed to age or mature the macaron, which is when you put [it] together, but you don’t sell them that day because you’re supposed to let the cookie and filling meld,” Cohen said. “Putting them in the fridge or freezer will help meld them together and marry.”
Cohen hopes within the year to get a storefront or a kiosk to sell his macarons. His goal is to be able to ship his macarons around the country.
“My product has changed significantly because I keep learning more and more about the actual production of macarons,” Cohen said. “And I do a lot more branding and trying to get my name out there.”
Danielle Darby, a fourth-year communications disorders major, is an avid Macaroy’s customer. Her favorite macaron that Cohen sells is lavender honey.
“Cohen’s charming and wonderful personality drew me into buying one of his macarons,” Darby said. “I always liked macarons, but I liked them even more when I first tried his.”