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By Jennie Guido

The Downtown Farmer’s Market in Natchez isn’t just for vegetables and farm-raised meats.

You can also find just what you need for your sweet tooth while venturing down Broadway Street on Saturday mornings.

Chasity Case of Oopsie Daisy Gifts and Treats is a weekend regular at the market and offers her customers more than just those heavenly French desserts. After moving to the area in 2012, Case began arts and craft-based business which offered custom door hangers, die-cut emblems and decals, and much more. “Things were going really well, and I had the best customer base until COVID shut everything down,” Case shared. “My sales went flat, and I knew I had to do something. Enter macarons.”

Cases’ daughter asked for the delicious treat at her graduation party several years before, and since then, she has been working out recipes to elevate her macaron options. “I knew they were a hot item but wasn’t aware of just how popular they are,” she said. “Macarons are extremely tedious and are quite the challenge to bake. They don’t like humidity at all, and that’s such a challenge to overcome here in this part of the state.

“Macarons have exploded this past year, and the demand for them is unbelievable. I think it’s partly because these sweet treats take and make the best pictures to post to social media. Also, they taste unlike anything else you’ve ever eaten and are so delicious: a soft and chewy shell with a wide range of yummy fillings from buttercream to ganache, fruit curds, and more.  All of my recipes are made from scratch and have been perfected long before I even knew what a macaron was.”

And let’s talk about those flavors. The variety pack I picked up at the market did not disappoint. The obvious chocolate one was named “Brownie Batter,” and I felt like I was licking the bowl after mixing up a fresh batch. It was gooey and just good. Now, the caramel flavored one is not only gorgeous with its swirl of fall colors, but it has a tiny hint of maple flavor that made me want to curl up with a blanket and binge-watch Harry Potter.

When the focus of her arts and craft offerings shifted to macarons, Case changed her business name from Oopsie Daisy Gifts and Apparel to Gifts and Treats “because I still offer a wide range of items, but right now, macarons have absolutely taken over,” Case said. 

With the help of the Farmer’s Market and Facebook, Case has found quite the following over the summer. “ I post regularly online about where I’ll be next, any pop-up or event I’m planning, and I’m at the Downtown Farmer’s Market every Saturday,” Case said. 

“The Farmers Market here in Natchez has really helped me get that outside exposure that any business needs. I have regular customers that come shop at my booth every week and the same goes for my online sales. I also have been approached by several local businesses in the area to sell my macarons,” Case said. “I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

Jennie Guido writes a weekly column for The Natchez Democrat.