Cora Lancon was on vacation at Disney World. She saw macarons at Epcot Center, they looked so tempting. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to get any. “Well, these can’t be that hard to make, I think I’ll try to bake them,” she said.  And so, she did.  

“It took a little while and a few tries, but I did it,” said Cora. Her macarons started as a hobby in 2019, with small batches and much experimentation. She would post her creations on her personal Facebook page, with potential customers reaching her there.  

Eventually, she made a Facebook page for her Macarons by Cora business, and more and more customers started flocking to order. “Word of mouth has been my best way to get customers,” she said. “Once they see and taste what I do, they tell their friends. I’ve gotten weddings, baby showers, and other orders from people who recommended my work.”  

Her Facebook page is filled with enticing photos of the sweet treats Cora has created, plus some of her creative ideas for flavor profiles and colorful decorations. “I have a new tool that lets me do more than just one color as well as make different embellishments. I love working with clients to bring their ideas to life. Whether they just know the colors they want or have a whole theme to work with, it’s exciting to make it work for them,” she said. 

Colors and flavors are integral to the appeal of macarons. “People think macarons are for rich people, or they’re stuck up, but they’re really not. I make some mini macs that can double as cereal, or make great snacks any time. She says her most popular flavors are lemon, chantilly and cake batter. “When I first started, I really liked the cake batter macarons, but now my favorite is cheesecake.” 

The largest order she’s tackled was 200 macarons, ordered for a wedding. The order came in on Monday, and the wedding was happening on Saturday. “I came home from work each evening that week, and baked until 9 or 10 PM at night. It was worth it, though,” she said. 

She is looking forward to May 8, the Mother’s Day Market on da Bayou, the first event featuring Macarons by Cora. “I’d like to do more events, but weekends are sometimes hard to commit, with two young children and a husband who is an avid hunter,” she added. 

In addition to baking her macaron treats, Cora still holds down a full-time job. Someday, she’d like to change that, quit her job and work mainly creating sweet goodies in her kitchen – her own mini-bakery. She also has other plans for her baking business.  

Her daughter, Charlie, is nearly 3. She’s Down syndrome, and Cora would like to develop her business so Charlie will have a job to count on as she grows up. “It’s important to me that she can have this to count on, something she likes and can do. If Mason, my son, wants to join in too, that would be okay. But he’s kind of an outdoor boy, a hunter through and through, so I don’t think he’ll go for it.” 

“You don’t have to fancy or bougie to love macarons,” says Cora. “They’re delicious, and they are for anybody with a sweet tooth.” 

BUT IT’S NOT A  MACAROON 

While they may be spelled similarly, macarons and macaroons are distinctively different. 

Macaroons = made with shredded coconut, egg whites & sugar 

Macaroons = lumpy 

Macaroons = no filling, just more coconut. 

Macaroon = you guessed it, coconut.