Leda has always been around baking as her mom owned a little coffee shop bakery that was awesomely inside the dentist office her mom owned too. You read that right. In my opinion, the smartest dentist in the world. “Folks would just come in to pick up little treats.” Leda’s mom offered sweets before and after a teeth cleaning in the same building.

The family passion for baking is also shared by Leda’s sister who owns a bakery in the Philippines. While visiting her sister last year, Leda made my first batch of macarons and, since that visit, she makes macarons whenever she feels homesick. “I guess there is just a sense of nostalgia and wistfulness to baking that keeps me connected to my family.”

Noogarons officially launched in 2018 after Leda made lemon ones for her own wedding cake and a friend attending the wedding told Leda she would pay for some. As I had never had one, I was confused on the macaroon versus the macaron. The chocolate coconut sweet cookies are macaroons. Egg white, sugary crispy sandwiched sweets are macarons.

Now you know the difference, get some! I have been treating myself to a half dozen once  a month since I found Noogarons. Since they are so delicate and time consuming to make, it makes me savor them instead of mindlessly inhaling. “It’s almost like a mental vacation,” Leda continues describing how making them is equally as enjoyable as eating them. “Weighing every ingredient and achieving the perfect “macronage” is a standard in every batch, so I never get bored. Any mistakes can ruin a whole batch so that keeps me humble and focused. It’s a good way for me to decompress and truly focus on something outside of the day to day.”

Leda is a Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and finds the baking helps her decompress while providing a creative outlet. “It encourages me to work with the season, cater to the occasion, and seek out great products from local businesses.” She makes a bourbon macaron from Chattanooga Whiskey’s 1816 Reserve, offers an apple pie one that uses Wheeler’s Orchard apples, and has made Fourth Of July red, white and blue ones using Feathers & Fruit blueberries. In regards to her most beloved creations, I asked for her top three, “Coffee macarons are my weakness as I am an avid coffee drinker. Please don’t tell lemon, pistachio, or mango (her other favorites). I don’t think they could handle it.” However, when it comes to her top selling flavors, Key Lime Pie (which is my favorite) is a fan favorite but with new flavors coming out weekly, the ranks are constantly revolving.

Leda takes orders through her website, Instagram and Facebook and loves to do big batches for events like wedding, holidays, corporate events or just get togethers. Her husband Mace is the craftsman to the intricate designs atop the treat. “I can put your kids face on if that’s what you want,” he joked as describing what the limits are, “Brand logos, characters, sports teams, you name it.” I had to ask how she resisted eating all her work. “I have at least one macaron per batch for quality control purposes. Yes, that’s right, quality control.”