WILLIAMSBURG — When Julianna Molina moved with her family from Smithfield to Williamsburg in December, she noticed that there was something missing.
“I’ve always loved macarons, but believe it or not, I’ve never made them until this year,” Molina said. “They’re notoriously hard to make, but I love them. There’s not a lot of places around here to get them, so I said I was going to learn how to make them myself.”
It turns out that she had a knack for them. In February, Molina started Molina Macarons, a home-based bakery specializing in the delectable treat.
The menu includes signature flavors such as Vanilla Birthday, as well as seasonal flavors for spring like Orange Cream and Carrot Cake.
Customers can also choose from flavors such as Salted Caramel, Banana Pudding, Strawberry Cheesecake and Lemon Poppyseed, as well as custom flavors.
While Molina primarily distributes the macarons out of her home, she will also make deliveries if it’s in Williamsburg (with an additional charge for travel time).
For $40, customers can buy one dozen macarons, or half-dozen for $20.
“There’s a handful of people who will ask why they are so expensive, and I think that’s just because there’s a lot of misinformation about macarons, like what makes them so special and different,” Molina said. “And I just try to explain, well for one, it’s the ingredients. They’re made with almond flour, which is exponentially more expensive than regular flour. It’s also because of the time it takes me to make these batches.”
While Molina noted that there are bakeries in the Williamsburg area that sell macarons, she did not find any that specialized in fresh macarons.
“What I really learned about macarons is when you do macarons, that’s got to be the only thing that you do,” she said. “I affectionately call them my ‘divas,’ because they are just very difficult to make. They require perfection.”
Molina and her husband, Daniel, an apprentice at the Newport News Shipyard and who Molina calls her “self-proclaimed manager,” and their two-year-old daughter Adalyn moved from Smithfield to Williamsburg in December.
Along with her job as a real estate agent, Molina’s two other full-time jobs are her macaron business and being a stay-at-home mother to her daughter, who often helps her with her creations.
“Her job is helping mommy measure the sugar,” Molina said.
Molina also said that starting her business has helped fulfill a dream for her husband, who is first-generation American of two parents that emigrated from El Salvador.
“From the time that we met, he always said how it important it was to him to put his last name on something important, and I’ve always respected that,” she said. “And that’s kind of what this is doing.”
Molina said that baking has always been a side hobby, but she never thought that she could make a career out of it.
“I’d really love to express my gratitude for the support and love my business has gotten in such a short time and getting to do something that allows me to be creative, have an extra income, and most importantly, be there with my daughter,” she said. “What started as a side business has quickly become my passion and talent.”
For more information about Molina Macarons, visit its Facebook page.