I ordered a bunch of goodies from Billy (William-Sonoma) this holiday season – from peppermint barks, to hot chocolate mixes, to chocolate croissants (how can I resist one of Oprah’s ultimate favorite things?). They were mostly given out as gifts but I had to get Parisian Macarons from Galaxy Desserts for myself. I tried making these French almond treats at home but ended in utter failure so I had to resort to outside help to satisfy my craving for these lovely cookies during the holidays.

I was most impressed with the way these macarons were delivered. The boxes that contained 24 cookies were placed in a sturdy ice box, then carefully packed in a cardboard box with dry ice. Every cookie arrived uncracked and perfect! Cookies were much smaller than I grew accustomed to in Paris (felt like I got ripped off a bit) and they were little on the grainy side (almonds tasted too coarse) but the creamy fillings were delicious. Out of all the flavors (they came with raspberry, lemon, pistachio, chocolate, vanilla, and espresso), my favorite was pistachio.

If you’re looking to send a cute Valentine’s Day gift, this might not be a bad idea, but at $49 for 24 cookies (plus tax and shipping), I think I’ll be saving that money for my next trip to Paris.