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Macaroon
Type of cookie

A macaroon is a small cake or cookie, originally made from ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar, but now often with coconut or other nuts. They may also include jam, chocolate, or other flavorings.

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Etymology

The name macaroon is borrowed from French macaron, in turn from the Sicilian maccarone, a variant form of maccherone, the same word as macaroni. The origin of that is unclear; it may be from medieval Greek μακαρία, 'barley broth', or μακαρώνεια, 'funeral chant'. The etymology connecting it to Italian maccare, 'to bruise'3 is now rejected.4 The origin of the word may also have referred to a sort of pasta or macaroni.5

Origins

Macaroons can be traced to a French monastery of the 8th century in the city of Cormery.6 Later, two Benedictine nuns, Sister Marguerite and Sister Marie-Elisabeth, came to Nancy, France seeking asylum during the French Revolution. The two women paid for their housing by baking and selling macaroons, and thus became known as the "Macaroon Sisters".7

Macaroons became a popular treat for Jews on Passover because they had no flour or leavening, as macaroons are leavened by egg whites.89

Recipes for macaroons appeared in recipe books at least as early as 1725 (Robert Smith's Court Cookery, or the Complete English Cook), and use egg whites and almond paste.10 Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861) includes a typical traditional recipe.1112 Over time, coconut was added to the ground almonds and, in certain recipes, replaced them. Potato starch is sometimes included in the recipe to give the macaroons more body.13

Nutrition

Mass-produced commercial macaroons are generally about half an ounce, or 14 grams, in weight. They do not undergo a high amount of food processing, containing only coconut, sweetener, starch, egg whites and flavoring, if any. At about 60–70 calories each, however, they contain about 3–4 grams of saturated fat due to the coconut, and 3–4 grams of added sugar, depending on the particular flavor. They are Ovo-vegetarian (not Lactarian or vegan as they contain egg whites), and contain no gluten, dairy, cholesterol, or sulfites.

Preparation

Some recipes use sweetened condensed milk.1415 Macaroons are sometimes baked on edible rice paper placed on a baking tray.

Regional varieties

France

Main article: Macaron

There are many regional variations of French macaroon. The coconut macaroon is known as the 'Congolais',1617 or le rocher à la noix de coco.

Germany

Mandelhörnchen (almond crescents) are a common treat in Germany. Made of a flour similar to that of the macaroon, they are formed to resemble a crescent, then covered in sliced almonds and dipped in chocolate.1819

India

Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and Mangalore in Karnataka have their own varieties of macaroon made with cashews and egg whites, adapted from those introduced in colonial times.20

Ireland

A macaroon chocolate bar is made by Wilton Candy in County Kildare, described as macaroon pieces in Irish milk chocolate. It was first made in 1937.21

Italy

Italy has a wide tradition of cookies and confections made from ground almonds, including pignoli. Ricciarelli are a soft almond variety originating from Siena. Amaretti di Saronno are a crunchy variety from Saronno.

Philippines

Philippine coconut macaroons are uniquely cake-like in texture. They are slightly crunchy on the outside and soft, moist, and chewy on the inside. They are usually baked into small, colourful cupcake wrappers and topped with a raisin. They are popular during holidays and special occasions.222324

Spain

The carajito (little love or darling) is a macaroon variant made with hazelnuts and honey from the town of Salas, Asturias in northern Spain.25

Scotland

The Scottish macaroon has a dense, sugary centre and is covered in chocolate and roasted coconut. Traditionally, it was made with leftover mashed potatoes and icing sugar. Modern commercial versions eliminate the mashed potato because of shelf-life limitations.

Macaroon bars were created in 1931 by Lees of Scotland. They are made from a combination (depending on the producer) of sugar, glucose, water, and egg white. These ingredients make a fondant centre. This recipe was reportedly discovered by accident in Coatbridge in when confectioner John Justice Lees was said to have botched the formula for making a chocolate fondant bar and threw coconut over it in disgust, producing the first macaroon bar.26

United States

Macaroons come in a variety of flavors, including coconut, chocolate, chocolate chip, vanilla, and almond.27

Commercially-made macaroons are generally dense, moist, and sweet. They are available in a few flavors and are often dipped in chocolate. Homemade macaroons and varieties produced by smaller bakeries are commonly light and fluffy. Macaroons made with coconuts are often piped with a star-shaped tip, whereas macaroons made with nuts are more likely to be shaped individually due to the stiffness of the dough.

See also

  • France portal
  • Food portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Macaroons.

References

  1. Harper, Douglas. "macaroon". Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/macaroon ↩

  2. "Mark Towhey's chocolate macaroons". Toronto Star. December 17, 2023. https://thestar.com/life/food-and-drink/mark-towhey-s-chocolate-macaroons/article_e074078d-83ab-581c-8111-c4fc2bb23f1a.html ↩

  3. "A Brief history of Macaroons". COR online. Judy Pister. March 29, 2013. https://cor.ca/2013/03/a-brief-history-of-macaroons/ ↩

  4. "macaroon, macaron, macaroni". Oxford English Dictionary. 2023. ↩

  5. Jurafsky, Dan (2011-11-16). "Macarons, Macaroons, Macaroni". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2025-06-02. https://slate.com/human-interest/2011/11/macarons-macaroons-and-macaroni-the-curious-history.html ↩

  6. "Cormery Macarons, Loire Valley speciality - The Good Life France". thegoodlifefrance.com. 2021-07-26. https://thegoodlifefrance.com/cormery-macarons-loire-valley-speciality/ ↩

  7. O'Leary, Joanna (March 23, 2021). "The Jewish History of Macaroons". 70 Faces Media. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-jewish-history-of-macaroons/ ↩

  8. Lin-Sommer, Sam (April 15, 2022). "How Coconut Macaroons Earned a Place on the Passover Table". Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/coconut-macaroons-passover ↩

  9. "Toasted Coconut Macaroons Are the Passover Treat Everyone Loves". Tyler Morning Telegraph. https://tylerpaper.com/arena/parade/toasted-coconut-macaroons-are-the-passover-treat-everyone-loves/article_be27afaf-601b-5663-978d-4c7eccc715f7.html ↩

  10. O'Leary, Joanna (March 23, 2021). "The Jewish History of Macaroons". 70 Faces Media. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-jewish-history-of-macaroons/ ↩

  11. Beeton, Isabella (17 December 2014). "XXXV: Recipes". The Book of Household Management. University of Adelaide. Archived from the original on 28 November 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20091128154446/http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/b/beeton/isabella/household/chapter35.html ↩

  12. O'Leary, Joanna (March 23, 2021). "The Jewish History of Macaroons". 70 Faces Media. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-jewish-history-of-macaroons/ ↩

  13. O'Leary, Joanna (March 23, 2021). "The Jewish History of Macaroons". 70 Faces Media. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/the-jewish-history-of-macaroons/ ↩

  14. Garten, Ina (2002). "Coconut Macaroons". Food Network. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coconut-macaroons-recipe3-1916155 ↩

  15. Brown, Alton (2008). "Paradise Macaroons". Food Network. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/paradise-macaroons-recipe-2009367 ↩

  16. Meyers, Cindy (2009). "The Macaroon and Madame Blanchez". Gastronomica: The Journal of Critical Food Studies. 9 (2). University of California Press: 14–18. doi:10.1525/gfc.2009.9.2.14. JSTOR 10.1525/gfc.2009.9.2.14. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  17. "Recipe from le congolais ou rocher à la noix de coco". Chefsimon.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. https://chefsimon.com/gourmets/chef-simon/recettes/congolais ↩

  18. "Mandelhörnchen: Süße Leckerei selber machen" [Almond croissant: Make your own sweet treat]. Bunte (in German). December 13, 2013. https://www.bunte.de/meldungen/mandelhoernchen-suesse-leckerei-selber-machen-63290.html ↩

  19. "Mandelhörnchen selber backen - so geht's" [Bake almond croissants yourself - here's how]. lecker.de (in German). https://www.lecker.de/mandelhoernchen-39895.html ↩

  20. Shilpa Gerald, Olympia (December 8, 2012). "In search of Thoothukudi macaroon". The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/in-search-of-thoothukudi-macaroon/article4170768.ece ↩

  21. "The Irish Macaroon Bar". irelandlogue.com. 24 September 2006. Archived from the original on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20160330015335/http://www.irelandlogue.com/best-blogs/the-irish-macaroon-bar.html ↩

  22. Manalo, Lalaine (September 5, 2013). "Filipino Coconut Macaroons". Kawaling Pinoy. http://www.kawalingpinoy.com/filipino-coconut-macaroons/ ↩

  23. Raymund (2 June 2016). "Filipino Style Coconut Macaroons". Ang Sarap. https://www.angsarap.net/2013/05/31/filipino-style-coconut-macaroons/ ↩

  24. de Guzman, Tina (July 2013). "Coconut Macaroons". Pinay in Texas. http://www.pinaycookingcorner.com/2013/07/coconut-macaroons.html ↩

  25. Llano, Loly. "Carajitos del Profesor". O Garfelo. http://ogarfelo.blogspot.com/2011/08/carajitos-del-profesor.html ↩

  26. Reid, Scott (September 18, 2006). "Lees' Miquel targets new markets". The Scotsman. https://www.scotsman.com/business/lees-miquel-targets-new-markets-2454941 ↩

  27. Lin-Sommer, Sam (April 15, 2022). "How Coconut Macaroons Earned a Place on the Passover Table". Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/coconut-macaroons-passover ↩