First thing’s first: If you haven’t had a macaron from Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe yet, you need to get in the car right now and head over to their shop in Hopkins! If you have had one, you know exactly why our team was so excited to have the chance to take one of their macaron classes and try our hand at making these beauties ourselves! They’re Twin Cities famous, and with good reason. Long ago, we featured these beauties in our first annual local Favorite Things feature, when Amy was still making her creations out of her kitchen at home. Since, her business has grown and now has a store front on Main Street in Hopkins. It’s a must-stop anytime you’re nearby, and now we have one more reason to love what they’re up to.
Last month, a few of us gathered to see if it was possible for the pastry chef’s at Amy’s to help us make something even close to their amazing macarons, and surprisingly, they did! If you’ve ever tried making macarons at home, it’s no easy feat and having an expert show you just how it’s done is a huge help! We’re even likely to try it again in our own kitchens. The kitchen is fun and inviting – it’s wide open and you can see it right from the lobby. What a joy to be part of the fun! And fun we definitely had. After picking out our colors and flavors, we got right to work mixing, folding and of course, giggling and enjoying the process.
They made it simple and easy, which macarons are not. While waited for the macarons to set, we headed out for lunch down the street – Hopkins is growing and has a lot of fun lunch and dinner options, making the break in the middle of the class even more fun.
Once the cookie part of the process was done, we got to filling and finishing the macarons and voila! Mamas who make macarons!
When all is said and done, you go home with a box full of macarons. They’ll last up to a week in the fridge, but you’ll be lucky if they make it through the day – they’re pretty irresistible.
This was one of the most fun experiences and would be the perfect date outing or way to spend a day with your girlfriends. You can find more information on Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe’s website and social links below, as well as a link for their macaron class offerings! And once you get there, be sure to tag them on Instagram and tag us as well – we’d love to hear you gush over these, and all of her other, incredible treats!
Photo Credit for all photos: Ashley Elwill Photography
