Macaroon

A macaroon (/ˌmækəˈruːn/ MAK-ə-ROON) is a small cake or cookie, originally made from ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar, but now often with coconut or other nuts.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.
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' is now rejected. The origin of the word may also have referred to a sort of gnocchi.
Macaroons can be traced to a French monastery of the 8th century in the city of Cormery. 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".
Macaroons became a popular treat for Jews on Passover because they had no flour or leavening as macaroons are leavened by egg whites.
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. Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861) includes a typical traditional recipe. 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.
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.
Some recipes use sweetened condensed milk. Macaroons are sometimes baked on edible rice paper placed on a baking tray.
Macaroons in the Dominican Republic are very dark. Grated coconut is mixed with ginger and cinnamon.
There are many regional variations of French macaroon. The coconut macaroon is known as the 'Congolais', or le rocher à la noix de coco.
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.
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.
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. Cleeve's Irish Confectionery also makes a macaroon chocolate bar, with ingredients including cocoa butter, milk powder and desiccated coconut.
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.
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.
In Puerto Rico, coconut macaroons are called besitos de coco (little coconut kisses). A few variations of besitos de coco can be found on the island, the most popular ones including lemon zest and vanilla as additional ingredients.
The carajito (little love or darling) is a macaroon variant made with hazelnuts and honey from the town of Salas, Asturias in northern Spain. A larger size version is commonly known as sultana or suspiros del moro (sighs of the Moor).
Acıbadem kurabiyesi is a traditional Turkish variety made of almonds, sugar and egg whites. The traditional recipes include a small amount of bitter almonds, which gives this macaroon its name. Because bitter almonds are not readily available, almond extract is typically used as a substitute. These are part of the stock-in trade of almost every bakery in Turkey, as they are seldom made at home.
In the UK generally, the traditional almond macaroon often includes almond essence to strengthen the flavour, and is topped with half a blanched almond or (to cut costs) an almond flake. Coconut macaroons are also popular.
The Scottish macaroon has a dense, sugary centre and is covered in chocolate and roasted coconut. Traditionally, it was made with left-over 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 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.
Buchanan's make a macaroon with Belgian chocolate and toasted coconut. They are a long-established family business based in Greenock.
Macaroons come in a variety of flavors, including coconut, chocolate, chocolate chip, vanilla and almond.
Commercially-made macaroons are generally dense, moist and sweet. They are available in a few flavors, and 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 shaped individually due to the stiffness of the dough.