Product Review: Danny Macaroons Plain & Chocolate Macaroons

Product: Danny Macaroons Plain & Chocolate Macaroons – $8.50+

Ah…the battle is real.  Me…versus coconut.  I sometimes love it.  I sometimes hate it.  It is all in the context of how it is utilized in whatever it is I am eating.  Which means…I have this charming love/hate relationship with anything coconut.  And that’s how it is.  I will either love it…or hate it.

For me, a lot of where coconut goes wrong is the texture.  Some people are okay with it…but if it isn’t baked into something enough, coconut can sort of taste like…your chewing dead bugs.  Not that I’ve ever made a habit of chewing dead bugs…that’s just the mouthfeel I get from raw coconut.  Or…at times…things with coconut on/in them.

So…enter my latest dessert challenge from Cuisine Cube!

Before I go any further…let me introduce, or for some of you, reacquaint you with Cuisine Cube.  Cuisine Cube is a gluten-free subscription box that specializes in pantry and meal items.  This is actually a very nice change of pace from other subscription boxes, as those tend to be more snack oriented.  With Cuisine Cube, you get 5-6 items in each box…always a breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert item.  And…at times…a bonus!  And we all love bonuses, right?  Subscriptions start at $29.99…so head over to their site and check them out.  You’ll be glad you did.

I haven’t looked back yet!  Loving my monthly box of surprise goodies.

This most recent Cuisine Cube, the Happy V-Day 2015 (aka: February) cube, had a lot to offer.  But, naturally, I went straight for dessert.  Because…sweet tooth.  Hello!  And this month, the dessert was brought to us by a local New York City bakery known for…macaroons!!  I’m talking about Danny Macaroons, which has been featured in Food & Wine Magazine, ABC News, The Chicago Tribune, Serious Eats, the New York Post, and more!  They are the premier coconut macaroon producer in New York City, proud of their “super delicious, gourmet, handmade coconut macaroons.”  In fact, Danny Macaroons offers over 45 flavors, so there is bound to be something for someone…even coconut lovers/haters like me.

And they might be right.

This week, with all the snow and sub-zero, my original plan to make my own dairy free ice cream…or raid the two items of dairy free ice cream I have in my freezer…went out the door.  Trust me…I can eat ice cream anytime…but…I was cold.  Just cold.  So I wanted something…not cold.  That being said…I went to the pantry and went through items that I had that would make a good dessert.  I had a few cookie options, so I went ahead and snagged the little container of four macaroons that came in my recent Cuisine Cube.  I’m not the biggest lover of macaroons…but some have won me over.  So, it was worth the try.  I asked my roomie if she wanted to do the chocolate or the plain ones first.  To my surprise, she said chocolate.  I figured chocolate would be winning…and said I would have done it the other way around…but went with her decision.

Round 1:  Danny Macaroons Chocolate Macaroon – Oh…this was good.  This was damn good.  While it had that weird coconut texture, I was able to overlook it because of the delicious chocolate.  It was decadent and light and fluffy…and just…amazing.  The right hit of sweetness from the chocolate and a bit from the toasted coconut.  It was soft and made to perfection.  I was in love.

Round 2: Danny Macaroons Plain Macaroons – Okay…so this one fell flat for me…and here’s why.  It was too much coconut.  Yep.  Too much.  Flavor.  Texture.  Nothing to really cut it.  It was toasted to perfection and light and amazing…but the coconut just took over.  And, while I get that macaroons are coconut…it was just too much for me.

So…you win one…you lose one.  How’s that?

Danny Macaroons Plain & Chocolate Macaroons are made from sweetened coconut, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, egg whites, pure bourbon vanilla extract, and salt.

This package did not have any of the nutritional information…but…they are a dessert treat.  Treat it as such.  Take one now…save the rest for later.  BAH…who am I to tell you how to eat your treats?!  Right?!  What works for me doesn’t work for the macaroon lover who scarfed all four in one sitting.  And that’s okay.  It is, after all, a sweet treat!

Seriously, if coconut and macaroons are your thing, then you will absolutely fall in love with Danny Macaroons.  Honestly, when it comes to the macaroons I have tried…these have been some of the best.  Despite the handicap of my love/hate relationship with coconut, they still acted as a fantastic, light dessert after two meals this week.  I think if you’re looking for a healthy, coconutty treat…these are for you.  And with all the flavors on their site…what’s not to love.  Next time…I hope I get Salted Caramel.  That being said, this wasn’t a complete flop.  Coconut lovers will flock to these…so Cuisine Cube totally has that down in this dessert option.  For people like me…well…it wasn’t a throw away for sure.  In fact, I actually really enjoyed the chocolate one.  Just goes to show…everything is better with chocolate.