McGinnis Macarons

Toni McGinnis

Despite never tasting a macaron before starting her business, Toni McGinnis, owner and operator of McGinnis Macarons, looked up the "hardest thing [to bake]," and after much research, began experimenting with baking macarons. When she started, she didn't have the proper tools so she improvised with parchment paper as a baking mat and gallon bags as a piping bag. She stated, "I researched it a lot, I bought a book on it—a book that I could afford. And then I don't know... I devoured myself into it." Now, two and a half years later, Toni sells hundreds of macarons each week at the Clinton County Farmers' Market, Bite Size Market, and personal orders.

Toni grew up in Circleville, Ohio, where she met her husband, whom she had a crush on since fifth grade. She began making macarons after the birth of their second child, when her and her husband decided to purchase a mixer in 2022. Shortly after, she began her macaron business by baking for friends and family. After a successful Christmas sale, Toni decided to start having sales every month. In 2024, she became a vendor at the Farmers' Market.

Her passion for cooking began at age eight. In middle school, she branched out and started trying new recipes from cookbooks. According to Toni, she has always enjoyed baking because she "likes [the] sweet stuff." Despite her macaron's intricate designs and difficulty, Toni has no culinary background beyond basic culinary classes in high school.

According to Toni, the process for baking her macarons takes up to four days. On the first day, she pipes the shapes and bakes the cookies. She then spends the next two to three days stuffing them with filling, labeling, and packaging. After baking, the cookies last on the counter for a few days, in the fridge for 10 to 14 days, or in the freezer for a few months before their texture is affected.

Toni makes unique flavors like Hostess cake, root beer float, buckeye, and orange creamsicle. She also makes flavor combinations like blackberry lemon. In addition to her unique flavors, she makes detailed shapes such as Harry Potter characters, flower bouquets, beach shapes, food, and animal shapes.

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