Grandmother and granddaughter duo Donna McComb and Maddy Underwood have been adding a little sweetness to students’ days in the form of a French delicacy — macarons.
McComb, founder of MatchStick Bakery, has been making macarons for four years, a skill she picked up after illness prevented her from returning to her job. Recently, her 16-year-old granddaughter, Underwood, has taken to the craft.
“I was working for Toyota, and my asthma got so bad they wouldn’t let me go back to work. I started learning and just watching videos, and it took me about two years until I jumped up in it and started making macarons,” McComb said. “This year (Maddy) has started helping me.”
McComb has put time and effort into mastering her culinary skills, and what was once a pastime has become another source of income. After initially selling her cookies online, McComb started taking her products to local farmers markets three years ago.
“It sort of just became a hobby that went into a business. We started going to the Pontotoc Farmers Market. We did that for a little over a year,” McComb said. “Then we came over to Oxford and … started selling there. We go to farmers markets, mainly, and a few festivals.”
The duo from the Pinedale, Miss., area have managed to turn their hobby into a high-demand product. For the days they spend on campus, parked in front of the Farmstand food truck on Business Row, they usually bring around 250 macarons of 10 different flavors. Rarely do they leave with any of the cookies they brought to sell.
“The kids really seem like they always want something sweet. We pretty much sell out every Wednesday when we’re here,” McComb said. “Some of (the students) you’ll see come back three or four times.”
McComb and Underwood are disproving the adage that going into business with your family is bad for familial relationships.
“We spend a lot of time together. We’re a close family,” McComb said. “(Maddy) runs the business when she gets here. She sets it up and she does what she wants to do. I just back off and let her go.”
The macarons are made in small batches by the pair in McComb’s kitchen. Underwood described how she helped McComb complete the process.
“I fill (the macarons) and (my grandma) bakes the shells,” Underwood said.
Underwood is also instrumental in designating the flavors that MatchStick bakes — ranging from more typical fruit flavors to wilder concoctions like root beer or bubblegum.
“My favorite is peach. It’s not too sweet,” Underwood said. “I also love blueberry and wedding cake.”
On the other hand, McComb likes a more sweet and salty combination.
“I like maple bacon. I also like, gosh it’s hard because so many of them are so good, but salted caramel is a really good one, too,” McComb said.
MatchStick Bakery can be found on campus every Wednesday from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. or until they sell out. On Tuesdays, the ladies of MatchStick can be found at the Oxford Community Market from 3:30–6:30 p.m.
Starting May 4, they will resume their weekly setup at the Pontotoc Farmers Market from 6:30–11 a.m.
