Macaroons

On the cusp of candy and pastry, macaroons are a baked confluence of toasted coconut and almond paste, ranging from cloud-light to dense and chewy, and ready to be customized. Of course, there are chocolate macaroons and vanilla macaroons, and then there are Nathaniel Reid Bakery’s dark chocolate ganache and vanilla bean macaroons, which are the Platonic ideal. Also on the shelves of this spectacular St. Louis bakery are salted caramel macaroons, poppy flower macaroons, and white chocolate lemon macaroons. A swell variation on the classic disk is White Duck Taco’s salted caramel macaroon pie, served warm to be eaten with a fork. At the Cake Box of Ridgefield, Connecticut, a pair of Italian macaroons make an inspired sandwich of sweet raspberry jam.