Face To Face: Macaroon

Macaroons, the delicious cookies that were once hard to find in Del Rio, are now not so difficult to find in the River City. At least, for the time being.
But first, a brief history and description of macaroons for the uninformed.
The original macaroons were made from egg whites, sugar and almond paste (primary ingredient) exhibiting a crisp exterior and soft interior according to the webzine The Nibble. The etymology derives from maccarone, Italian for paste, which was born from the word ammaccare, that means to crush.  
Today’s colorful and dynamic macaroons are more derivative of the ones French pastry chefs began developing (macarons) nearly six-hundred years ago.
Jennifer Orellana, a local creator and purveyor of macaroons/macarons — and cakes too — graciously answered a series of questions for the Texas Times about her tasty cookies.
 
TT: How did you become interested in creating macaroons and cakes?
JO: In college, I studied abroad in Paris, France and that’s where I fell in love with macarons. They were so luxurious and beautiful, but also expensive. So, I figured I would just try making them myself. I started with macarons and began experimenting with cakes and eventually, they both just came together.

 TT: What is your background in baking/pastry?
JO: I’ve always loved baking since I was little. I’m a self-taught baker and really learned my way through YouTube. When I moved from San Diego, California to Del Rio, Texas, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen and my husband noticed that baking was a passion of mine and encouraged me to try selling my creations.
 
TT: How long have you lived in Del Rio and why did your family move here?
 
JO: I’ve lived in Del Rio for five years now and my husband has been here for seven years. My husband is an air traffic controller at Laughlin Air Force Base, and that’s what brought us to Del Rio. We started our newly wedded life here just the two of us and are now a family of four with two little boys (Makoa, 3 yo and Makena 1 yo).
 
TT: What has the response been in Del Rio to your creations?
JO: I was really discouraged at first and didn’t have a lot of confidence in my skills. My husband pushed me to promote myself and my creations and the response here in Del Rio has been amazing. I didn’t have high expectations, but the orders just kept coming and I was shocked. I did my first Del Rio market at the convention center and sold out of my 200+ macarons within hours.  
 
TT: You all will be leaving Del Rio soon...what Del Rio experiences will you take with you?
JO: Coming from a big city to a small town like Del Rio, it took a lot to get use to... but I’ve learned over the years that big things come in small packages and Del Rio is just that. The community is really what makes Del Rio a great place to live and is what keeps the town thriving by supporting small businesses. I’m going to cherish every memory I’ve made here over the years and always appreciate the love and support of Del Rio.
 To learn more or order macaroons/macarons from Jennifer, visit facebook.com/cakesnmacsbyjenn.