Joey Blackwell may not fit your vision of a baker of delicate Italian pastries. He’s a self-described “big, burly, bearded guy.”
But in the past two years, he has refined his recipe of macarons, started his Mac Daddy Macaron business, and was invited to compete in New York against fellow macaron bakers.
“My interest in baking started in 2020 during the pandemic when many of us were staying home,” he said. “My wife and I got hooked on baking shows, particularly The Great British Bake-Off. At about that same time, my dad was diagnosed with cancer and passed away two years later. Baking was a way to channel my emotions and depression.”
He had zero experience in baking but tried a “fail-proof” macaron recipe. It failed but he persisted and began exploring YouTube videos and following successful Instagram macaron bakers.
On the side, Blackwell and his wife, Rebecca, were making macarons and perfecting the recipe. Friends and family loved them and then through word of mouth, people wanted to buy them.
One of his mentors on Instagram, Kirstynn Evans, of Nora’s Macarons in Arizona, is well-known in the macaron baking world. She gifted Blackwell with a macaron baking class last year for his birthday. That was followed by an invitation to compete last week in the New York Bake-Off.
“I was very nervous,” Blackwell said. “I chose to make Breakfast at Tiffany’s macarons. I used Tiffany’s iconic blue color for the top and bottom with a maple bacon flavor for the filling.”
Of the three categories for color, flavor, and design, Blackwell’s concoction won Best Color – because what’s not to love about Breakfast at Tiffany’s, even when it’s a macaron?
Back home in Aiken County, Mac Daddy Macaron continues to partner with another local business, Board in Aiken, which features his treats on their charcuterie boards. He is hoping to develop more local partnerships.
For now, Mac Daddy takes orders for weddings, birthdays, and other special events. They feature a Flavor of the Month, which now focuses on fall and a pumpkin spice flavor. Their most popular flavor is Cookies and Cream but Cotton Candy, Nutter Butter, Strawberry Lemonade, and Lemon Blueberry are also on the menu.
Blackwell typically sells his sweet treats at the Aiken Farmers Market, but that is winding down for the year. Currently, he has a pickup point in the parking lot of Sam’s Club in Aiken and a few other places to accommodate his customer orders.
“I would love to partner with other area businesses to sell Mac Daddy Macarons and it’s not out of the question that someday I will have a brick-and-mortar location,” he said.
Blackwell’s day job is in the sign industry and producing all sizes of signage for major companies including Burger King, McDonald’s, and Kroger. He entered the macaron business as a side gig, but now it’s more like “a second full-time job.”
Someday, the sign maker may be producing a sign for the award-winning Mac Daddy Macarons that he bakes. For more information about the flavors and how to order, visit their website or Facebook page.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means!
If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
