SWEET ASH MACS

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑

District: Home baker

Custom macarons

Standout Dishes: Cookie Dough Macaron; S’mores Macaron; PB Cup Macaron

Though macarons appear rather simple on the surface, perfecting them is an act of technical mastery.

These tiny sandwich cookies look so cute, but they’re monsters that can cause even seasoned bakers to pull their hair out. Slight adjustments in the humidity can either cause the shells to crack or become lumpy. The egg whites must be of a certain age to provide proper moisture. They require precision, practice, and patience to master.

That’s why Ashley Miller, the owner of Sweet Ash Macs, is such an outlier.

Miller took an interest in French pastries in early 2020, and the hobby quickly evolved into a budding business. By August that year she was filling custom orders out of her home.

To perfect macarons in such a short time without formal training is ridiculous. But master these chewy delights Miller has.

Even when made incorrectly, macarons can be tasty. A sandwich cookie with buttercream in the middle, they’re basically the chef-y, French version of an Oreo. As such, they have a relatively high floor—a decent macaron is still likely to have good flavor and at least resemble to desired product.

But when you bite into a proper macaron for the first time, you’ll swear off all cheap knock-offs forever. The cookies have a unique nougat-like consistency with a thin, crisp crust that transforms into a chewy texture the further your bite descends. The buttercream should be light, airy, and not overly sweet.

A properly baked macaron will transport you to the cobblestone streets of Paris.

Sweet Ash Macs checks all these boxes, creating a product with frilly “feet” (the small ruffles around the edge of the shell) and shiny domes. But what’s most amazing about these creations is how perfectly they mirror the flavors they promise to deliver; so much so that these desserts have transportive powers. For instance:

The S’mores Macaron, a rich chocolate cookie with chocolate buttercream, marshmallow fluff, and a graham cracker dusting gives you the feeling of sitting around a fire toasting the classic camping treat.
The Cinnamon Toast Crunch Macaron is reminicesent of slurping up a bowl of sweet, cinnamon-y milk after the cereal has been consumed.
The Cookie Dough Macaron takes you back to the kitchen as a kid, when mom would let you lick the leftover batter on the spoon as she inserted a tray of chocolate chip cookies into the oven.

Each of Sweet Ash Macs’ 25+ flavors bring something unique to the table. The Double Chocolate Ganache Macaron is fudgy and decadent, similar to a slightly undercooked brownie. The PB Cup masters the balance between nutty, roasted peanut flavor with sweet chocolate in a way that would make Reese’s jealous. And the Coffee Macarons make you feel you’re taking a sip from a cup in your favorite coffeehouse.

The macarons are beautiful in their natural form, but Ashley also takes customer orders to turn them into show-stopping design pieces. From family cats to engagement rings, baby Yodas to snowmen and gingermen, she covers a wide artistic spectrum.

Sweet Ash Macs orders are placed by the dozen on its website and picked up at Ashley’s home in Elkhorn. Ashley is a fully registered cottage baker with the state of Nebraska and is SafeServe certified, and she has prerequisite testing and documentation from Douglas County supervisors.

Sweet Ash Macs’ creations have become so popular that they can be booked out a month in advance, so plan accordingly if you want to enjoy these unique treats.

You’re just not going to find many places offering this level of macarons in Omaha, especially for wholesale. Some restaurants with dedicated pastry chefs like Au Courant and The Boiler Room create fantastic versions, but to be able to enjoy macarons of these quality at home is nearly unheard of.

That’s the magic of Sweet Ash Macs. Ashley has turned this technical dessert into a handheld treat to be enjoyed by the masses, and we Omahans are lucky that she unlocked her pastry passion.