With flavors ranging from nutty amaretto to cayenne pepper, it would be easy to assume that this macaron business is run by a professionally trained baker. However, the executive pastry chef is only a junior in high school.
Laura Flaugh is the owner of Garnir D’Amour, which translates from French to “garnished with love.” The company specializes in meringue macarons in over 20 flavors. Having always been interested in baking, Flaugh first made macarons during the pandemic.
“At that point, I would get so bored that I would just start reading cookbooks, and when I found macarons, I chose to make them purely because of the difficulty,” Flaugh said.
Ironically, Faugh doesn’t even like the taste of macarons, but her desire to tackle the challenge has garnered her success. Flaugh’s business has been rapidly growing since it began during her sophomore year as her IB MYP Personal Project. Physics teacher Sharon Eblen was Flaugh’s Personal Project supervisor.
“Laura realized that competing with local bakeries and larger retailers was going to be a challenge, so she chose a recipe that was different from what most people associate with macarons. She also got creative with flavors and came up with some really fantastic ones,” Eblen said.
With so many flavors, there is certain to be an option that suits all taste buds. Flaugh’s friend, sophomore Claire Savage, attests to the variety of flavors offered.
“My favorite is the pumpkin spice. She brought them to our lunch table, and they were the best sweet treat I’ve ever had,” Savage said.
As any entrepreneur does, Flaugh ran into challenges in the initial stage of her business. Not only did she have to perfect multiple flavors, but she also had to gather a customer base for her macarons
“In the beginning, the growth of my business was pretty small because I had trouble finding ways to advertise. I was also still slightly insecure in my baking, so the second I felt like I messed up, I would give them for free,” Flaugh said.
As Garnir D’Amour began to reach an audience, Flaugh encountered a new obstacle: balancing a busy teenage life with an intensive baking schedule.
“With more orders, I had to start adjusting the times I could drop off, and it was really hectic until I fell into a schedule with homework and all,” Flaugh said.
Flaugh’s business continued to grow by word of mouth. Luckily, her work began to pay off as a steady stream of orders came in. At the end of her sophomore year, Flaugh presented her business at the IB Showcase. Garnir D’Amour was a highlight of the night.
“I knew it seemed like she had a good thing going on, but I was blown away at the response during the showcase. As I walked around the lecture halls that night, I heard tons of people talking about her macarons, and how they took one of her business cards to hopefully be able to order from her in the future,” Eblen said.
Now, Flaugh’s business has taken off. Recently, she made 400 macarons for the Nebraska Diaper Bank Gala. As Garnier D’Amour grows, so does the amount of time Flaugh spends in her kitchen.
“I’ll make macarons about 3 to 4 nights a week. Now, I don’t actually sell them to family and friends. If it’s up to me, I’ll give it to them for free. So I only sell to people I don’t know,” Flaugh said.
And still, Flaugh remains the lead baker and only employee of her business. Despite the increase in orders and time commitment, Flaugh is reluctant to let anyone else hold the spatula.
“I hate making frosting. I resent it. Every time I’m done making the cookies, I’m so happy, and then I realize I have to frost, and it’s an instant dread. So that’s the only thing I think I would ever let anybody else do,” Flaugh said.
Even with demand from customers, Flaugh still makes time to bake for those in her life, just as she did in the infancy of her business.
“Laura makes a plate of macarons for everyone’s birthday and gives it to you, which I think is really sweet,” Savage said.
As for the future of Garnier D’Amour, the company will be on a brief hiatus during the 2026-2027 school year. Flaugh is graduating early from MN and plans to travel to Africa and South America as a volunteer for a year before continuing her education.
Regardless, given Flaugh’s dedication to her business, there is no doubt that all who have tasted Garnir D’Amour macarons will be excited for her return.