Macaroon

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Freshly made macaroons

Macaroons are a cookie or confection, or a cross between the two, depending on where they are made. The macaroon is a close cousin to the meringue.

The original macaroon is the cookie version, made with powdered almonds, which originated in Italy. The English word macaroon comes from the French macaron, from the word maccarone, regionally used in Italy to refer to maccherone (kind of pasta, with a hole and a larger diameter than bucatini) - because almond macaroon paste is the same colour as macaroni pasta.

Macaroon cookies (or "macaroon biscuits") often use egg whites (usually whipped to stiff peaks), chocolate or dates as the binder of a food fabric, such as ground or powdered nuts, coconut, cocoa, potato starch, corn starch, peanut butter, poppy seeds, toasted sesame seed paste, etc. Some recipes use wheat or other types of flour, but this is unusual and macaroons made with flour arguably are not true macaroons. Almost all recipes call for sugar, which caramelises and provides body and a smooth, moist texture to the macaroon. If the coconut or other fabric used is very sweet, however, the sugar may be omitted.

In Scotland, there are three types of macaroon. The macaroon biscuit, which is the cookie-type macaroon typical of Italy and France, and almost always almond-flavoured. The second type is a macaroon cookie/confection that is made with plain mashed coconut (A popular myth is that they are made with mashed potato, though this is not the case), mixed with icing sugar to stiffen it, then dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut. And there is the pure confection called "macaroon," which is typically a fondant, nougat, meringue, or similar centre, coated or dipped in chocolate.

In North America, the coconut macaroon, commonly known as the Fraser Bell cookie is the best known variety. Commercially made coconut macaroons are generally dense, moist and sweet, and often dipped in chocolate. Homemade macaroons and varieties produced by smaller bakery outfits are commonly light and fluffy, as though they were a cross between macaroons, meringues and nougat.

In Asturias, Spain, there is a variety of macaroons made with hazelnuts and honey. They are called "carajitos".

[edit] Legends of the Macaroon

According to legend, the macaroon was invented in an Italian monastery in 1792. Later, two Carmelite nuns, hiding in the town of Nancy during the French Revolution, baked and sold macaroons to cover their expenses. They became known as the "Macaroon Sisters." The cookie recipe was supposedly passed on to the Jews, who subsequently made it a staple of Passover baking. The macaroon is also the favoured food of Mrs Overall in Acorn Antiques; choking on a macaroon leads to her death at the end of the series.

Macaroons actually are a common treat during Passover, because they are unleavened and can be made freshly without chometz (leavened flour). Potato starch is sometimes included in the recipe, to give the macaroons more body.

Frangipane is a custard flavored with almonds and/or crushed macaroons. also known as Taylor Mack, aka big mack aka mack and cheese, more formerly known as macaroon

[edit] Macaroons in Popular Culture

In Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, main character Nora delights herself with macaroons, despite her dominant husband Torvald forbidding them.
Macaroons play a major role in the 1994 Tom Stern/Alex Winter horror/comedy "Freaked". The macaroons in question appear to be of the coconut biscuit variety, with Winter's character complaining of the coconut being "skimped on", a slang term for intentionally using too little.
In "The Sopranos" Series one, Tony Soprano presents his mother with a box of macaroons, claiming that they are "her favorites". Tony's mother is unable to conceal her delight, but quickly turns sour and dismissively says "I don't want it".