All of a sudden, the doughnut macaron has arrived. A beautiful blend of the high and the low, Delysées’ perfectly petite dessert has taken T.O’s dessert scene by surprise.
The Special Debut
Chances are you saw them all over your Instagram feed (sorry, there’s no Cronut-like term for this treat). Owner Fred Naggar originally intro’d the doughnut macaron as a Macaron Day fundraising special for SickKids, but the demand has kept folks breaking down his door: “They’ve been selling like crazy!”
A Fashionable Road
Naggar’s route to the dessert world was fittingly circuitous. Born in Paris, Naggar ended up attending George Brown. He learned all the kitchen ropes and, upon graduation, promptly quit the industry.
Jumping into the fashion world, Naggar started at a wee boutique called TNT before transitioning into buying and more. After over a decade of success, Naggar decided to drop out and travel the world. He returned to T.O. feeling inspired for his — and his father’s — latest project: a stylish patisserie.
The Process
Inside, Delysées is calm, with shiny white surfaces directing attention toward the jewel-like pastries: golden eclairs, rainbow-hued petit gâteaux and, of course, all the macarons. Anyone who’s ever attempted the macaron knows it’s a rather time-consuming project. The shells — made with almond flour — are baked, cooled, filled (think ganache or buttercream), chilled for two to three days, sent to the freezer and thawed when ready to serve.
When Naggar conceived of the doughnut version, he thought the process would just require an extra hole-punching step. But he was mistaken; the delicate shells cracked at the suggestion.
Perfecting The Pastry
Realizing they would have to be approached differently, the team at Delysées developed a method in which the shells are hand piped in “Os,” the filling hand piped, the glaze brushed on by hand and then dipped by hand into vats of sprinkles. This process is repeated every two days.
“It’s the most labour-intensive item that I sell,” Naggar says. Currently, there are six flavours available, most of which mime classic doughnut combos like double dark chocolate and strawberry jelly. However, to date, vanilla birthday cake has been the most popular.
Judging by the giddy customer reaction, they’re worth all the effort.
Delysées, 780 King St. W., 416-360-0095, $3.50 per macaron
