Eat This: Honey Goat Cheese Macaron at Central Market

At one point last year there was a glut of articles proclaiming the macaron the "new cupcake" in terms of pop baked goods. Is this (still) true? Unclear. However, when supermarkets start offering their version of items normally only found in specialty purveyors (see the pretzel bun, the cronut, etc.), you can guess that food is trending in a big way.

Central Market is certainly riding the macaron wave, offering all the traditional flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio you find at places like Bite Macarons or Toute Suite, with a few noteworthy variations like mint chocolate.

Perhaps the most noteworthy of Central Market's aberrant macarons is the honey goat cheese. The marriage of tangy creamy goat cheese and sweet, local honey gives rise to an offspring confection that has the best of the sweet and savory worlds. This macaron would pair just as well with a cup of English breakfast tea on rainy weekday morning as it would with a crispy sauvignon blanc at a weekend cocktail party.

Like all well-constructed macarons, those at Central Market, and perhaps especially the honey goat cheese are strong in flavor but delicate in texture. So, watch over your treasure carefully in the bagging process lest it get inadvertently crushed that pork loin or six-pack in your cart.