The pȃtisserie, Baked by Melissa, was such a regular stop during my Manhattan stay that the ladies who worked there became treasured friends! If you are in that city and love sweets, this is a great place to put on your to-do list.

Melissa’s macarons will keep you coming back for more. And in case you’re wondering, I have it on good authority that there is a definite difference between those delicacies and macaroons.

I’m by no means an authority on these bonnes bouches, but here is how the Macaron Expert explains the difference: a macaron is a meringue-based cookie, whereas “macaroon” is a catch-all term that applies to a variety of small sweets. I’m just paraphrasing and, like I said, I’m not the Macaron Queen, so if you are, I’d love to hear your explanation.

While in NYC, I frequented the Baked by Melissa shop in Times Square, and learned a secret about this location. Celebrities often stay at the hotel across the street, so if you get your macaron-fix there, you could also do some up-close star-gazing.

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