Macaroon

Macaroon

Almond and coconut macaroons
Type	Biscuit
Place of origin	Italy
Main ingredients	Almonds (or coconuts), egg whites
Cookbook: Macaroon  Media: Macaroon

A macaroon (/mækəˈruːn/ mak-ə-ROON) is a type of small circular cake, typically made from ground almonds (the original main ingredient^[1]), coconut, and/or other nuts or even potato, with sugar, egg white, and sometimes flavorings (e.g. honey, vanilla, spices), food coloring, glace cherries, jam and/or a chocolate coating.^[2] Some recipes call for sweetened condensed milk.^[3][4] Macaroons are often baked on edible rice paper placed on a baking tray.

Etymology

The name of the cake comes from the Italian maccarone or maccherone meaning "paste", referring to the original almond paste ingredient; this word itself derives from ammaccare, meaning "to crush".^[5] The word maccherone itself is derived from the Greek μακαρία (makaria), a kind of barley broth which was served to commemorate the dead. The first synthetic of the word (makar) in Greek means "blessed, happy".

Origins

Culinary historians write that macaroons can be traced to an Italian monastery of the 9th century. The monks came to France in 1533, joined by the pastry chefs of Catherine de Medici, wife of King Henri II. Later, two Benedictine nuns, Sister Marguerite and Sister Marie-Elisabeth, came to Nancy seeking asylum during the French Revolution. The two women paid for their housing by baking and selling macaroon cookies, and thus became known as the "Macaroon Sisters".^[6]

Italian Jews later adopted the cookie because it has no flour or leavening (macaroons are leavened by egg whites) and can be eaten during the eight-day observation of Passover. It was introduced to other European Jews and became popular as a year-round sweet.^[6]

Recipes for macaroons (also spelled "mackaroon", "maccaroon" and "mackaroom") appear 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^[7] includes a typical traditional recipe. Over time, coconut was added to the ground almonds and, in certain recipes, replaced them. Potato starch is also sometimes included in the recipe, to give the macaroons more body.

Coconut macaroon

Macaroons made from desiccated coconut instead of almond are most commonly found in the United Kingdom (in addition to almond macaroons), Australia, Canada, the United States, Mauritius, The Netherlands (Kokosmakronen), the Philippines, Germany, Hungary (kókuszcsók), and Uruguay.

Coconut macaroons may include almond slivers, or occasionally pecans, cashews or other nuts. In Australia, a dollop of raspberry jam or glacé cherries are often concealed in the centre of the macaroon.

Coconut macaroons are often topped with a glace cherry, and/or dipped in chocolate (usually milk chocolate).

Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour

All-Purpose flour is a high quality flour made from Canadian Hard Spring Wheat and designed for all baking uses. The flour is generally a blend of hard and soft wheats, though this may vary on several factors; the manufacturer and the area in which production occurs. The blend of wheats achieves a flour which has a moderate amount of protein and starch and is multifunctional. It is generally enriched with B Vitamins Thiamine, Riboflavin and Niacin as well as Iron.[1]

All-purpose flour is the most common flour used in baking. Its protein content lies between bread and cake flours and pastry flours. All-purpose is used in many recipes for the reason that people find it’s acceptable for most household baking needs. It can generally be substituted for recipes that call for either bread or cake flour, however, the final texture of the product may vary slightly. High-protein bread flour absorbs more liquid, so substituting all-purpose flour may result in a slightly stickier dough; while low-protein flour absorbs less liquid, so substituting with all-purpose flour may result in a slightly dry batter.[2]

Sugar

Confectioners

Confectioners' sugar is a refined sugar in a powder form. It is easily dissolved in liquid which is ideal for making icing and frosting. It can be used for making dessert, baked items, and even fruit. It is a common ingredient for macaroons. Compared to granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar is better for dusting the tops of desserts because granulated sugar cannot provide the same effect. In order to have a denser consistency, confectioners’ sugar is often used in cookie and cake recipes. Granulated sugar has larger crystals. Thus, it would create more air into doughs than confectioners sugar.[3]

Granulated

Granulated sugar is processed from beet and cane sugar. It is known as a refined, table and white sugar. It is commonly used in cooking, baking, and making macaroons. It is known as a simple carbohydrate, which allows the body to convert it to glucose very quickly.  Most health professionals recommend that people consume both simple carbs and more complex high protein foods to achieve a better balance in their diet. Excessive sugar intake often results in high storage of fat cells. One disadvantage of consuming granulated or refined sugar is its lack of nutrients. It is very high in calories and low in vitamins and minerals. Taking in more sugar than the body needs contributes to the development of type-2 diabetes and obesity.[4]

Almonds

Nutritional Complex

Almonds contain 6 calories per gram and are rich in healthy unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and protein.[5] There are 30 different types of almonds which are used in a variety of culinary practices. Among the top producing and consuming countries, the United States produces 10 different types in California alone and 30 to 40 percent of crops are for domestic use. For any dish, almonds add nutritional value such as protein, fiber and fat and can change the texture or add flavour. Almond flour is an alternative to traditional wheat flour for a gluten free option.

Harvesting

The seasonality of almonds bloom and blossom in March and are harvested by October. Trees are in a state of dormancy from late February to March. In June almonds begin to grow and the hard, green shell can be used in some culinary practices. From July to August, the almond shells, called hulls, begin to split and open, however, these hulls can be processed and used for alternative uses. August to October marks harvest season. The trees are shaken mechanically and almonds fall to the ground, left to sit for 8 to 10 days in the orchard the almonds dry out and become easier to separate from the shell. During processing, the almonds pass through a roller and become shelled and are then sent to separate bins according to their size.[6] Controlled storage conditions are used to maintain the quality of the almonds until ready to ship or be processed further. For macaroons, the different types of almond uses are sliced, ground or flour.

Salt

Salt has been added into foods for decades to enhance the flavor and texture of meals for consumers and their satisfaction. Flavor is made up of taste and aroma. Salty is one of the 4 main tastes humans can sense. Adding salt to foods such as macaroons, can help specific molecules release more easily into the air, thus helping with the aroma and making consumers want to purchase the product eve moreso if it smells delicious. It also acts as a preserving agent by binding the water in foods so that spoilage causing microorganisms do not have sufficient water to grow and develop. This greatly has an impact on the shelf life of macaroons. To accentuate the sweetness of the macaroons, a pinch of salt is added during cooking. This makes the dough tougher and tighter as well.[7]

A careful balance needs to be drawn when adding salt to foods. Salt is needed by the body in small quantities for proper functioning such as for nerve transmissions and muscle contractions. It can also help absorb water and avoid dehydration from occurring.[8] However, if too much salt is added and consumed, it can cause damage to blood vessels and lead to an increase in blood pressure which can have detrimental effects for future health. Moderation is key when it comes to salt and enhancing the benefits of it in foods.[9]

Pure Vanilla Extract

There is about 3 calories per 1 gram of vanilla extract. It contains no fat, cholesterol and relatively low in protein. There are more than 150 kinds of vanilla plants growing around the world, but only two species are used commercially. The most common plant used and sold in most stores is called Bourbon or Madagascar vanilla extract. Pure Mexican vanilla extract can be available in specialty food stores. Bourbon, Madagascar and Mexican are made from the same species of beans, however they have different names and are grown in different areas.[10]

How to select the best vanilla extract?

The most simple answer to this question is higher price. As one of the world’s most labor-intensive crop, vanilla is in a serious shortage and very pricey. We should know that the best vanilla extracts use higher-cost premium quality beans with a high vanillin content and minimal additives. [11]

Usage Tips

Vanilla is one of the most popular flavors in the world. Pure vanilla gets better with age, and has an unlimited shelf life. Vanilla improves taste of all baked goods and fruit desserts. It can be added to several items including sour cream, yoghurt, icings, syrups, fruit sauces, whipped cream, whipped toppings, coffee, hot chocolate, cola and milkshakes.[12]

Egg Whites

Egg whites are a low-calorie food, which contains 17 calories (71 per whole egg). They also do not contain carbohydrates, sugar, saturated fat, or cholesterol.[13] The chemical composition of egg whites are ovalbumin (54%), ovotransferrin (12%), ovomucoid (11%), ovomucin (3.5%), and lysozyme (3.5%) among the major proteins that have high potentials for industrial applications if separated.[14]

Egg whites are a great sources of:

1. Protein: Egg whites are an excellent source of protein, with 3.6 g of protein per 17-calorie egg white.
2. Potassium: One egg white contains 54 mg of potassium, a vital mineral and electrolyte associated with heart health, bone health and overall effective cell and organ functioning
3. Riboflavin: Egg whites are a good source of riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2.

Use in the Food Processing Industry

• Lysozyme is one of the major bacteriolytic proteins found in egg white. Lysozyme has the capability of controlling foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogens and Clostridium botulinum.[15]
• Ovotransferrin is known to have a strong antimicrobial activity, and is used to improve the safety of foods.  Babini and Livermore showed that ovotransferrin increased the activity of pipercillin-tazobactam against E. coli through its iron-chelating activity.[16]
• Ovomucin showed good inhibitory activities against E. coli, Bacillus sp., and Pseudomonas sp. It is reported that ovomucin has a strong antimicrobial effect against food poisoning bacteria. Therefore, ovomucin can be used in food industry as a food preservative.[17]

A typical foam is created when egg whites are beaten and air is incorporated within the liquid by the action of the egg white proteins which stabilize the bubbles by forming a film around the gas. Egg whites can be used as a leavener for the macaroons, as a base for confections such as marshmallows, as a component in types of icing, and even as a key ingredient for meringues. Egg whites trap air bubbles in the batter, so when whisked, egg whites are folded into a batter which hold the air in and help the baked good attain a light, puffy rise. Furthermore, the egg whites in macaroons give it a lighter and softer texture.  

Regional varieties

Dominican Republic

Macaroons in the Dominican Republic are very dark. Grated coconut is mixed with ginger and cinnamon.

France

In France, the almond variety is called macaron; it is typically small, light like meringue, with added coloring, sometimes flavoring, and often comprise two halves stuck together by a filling of e.g. flavoured cream. The term appeared in print in 1552 in the Quart livre by François Rabelais.

The coconut macaroon is known as the "Congolais",^[8][9] or "le rocher à la noix de coco".

India

Thoothukudi and Mangalore have their own varieties of macaroon made with cashews and egg whites, adapted from those introduced in colonial times.^[10]

Ireland

A macaroon chocolate bar is made by Wilton Candy in Co. Kildare, Ireland. The description on the packaging is "macaroon pieces in Irish milk chocolate." It was first made in 1937.^[11]

Italy

Ricciarelli are a soft almond variety originating from Siena. Amaretti di Saronno are a usually crunchy variety from Saronno.

Both are often served on special occasions such as Christmas.

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 colorful tiny cupcake wrappers and topped with a raisin. They are popular during holidays and special occasions.^[12][13][14]

Puerto Rico

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.

Scotland

The Scottish macaroon has a thick velvety centre and is covered in chocolate and roasted coconut. Traditionally they were made with cold leftovers of mashed potatoes and sugar loaf. When the macaroon bar became commercial the recipe no longer used mashed potato because of shelf life limitations. The modern macaroon is 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 1931, 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.^[15]

Spain

The carajito is a macaroon variant made with hazelnuts and honey from the town of Salas, Asturias in northern Spain.^[16][17] A larger size version is commonly known as sultana or suspiros del moro.

Turkey

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 cookie its name. Because bitter almonds are not readily available, almond extract is typically used as a substitute. These cookies are part of the stock-in trade of almost every bakery in Turkey, as they are seldom made at home.

United Kingdom

The traditional almond macaroon often includes almond essence to strengthen the flavour, and is topped with an almond flake. Coconut macaroons are also popular.

United States

Coconut macaroon is the best known variety in America. Commercially made coconut macaroons are generally dense, moist and sweet, 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 out with a star shaped tip, whereas macaroons made with nuts are more likely shaped individually due to the stiffness of the dough. Because of their lack of wheat and leavening ingredients, macaroons are often consumed during Passover in many Jewish homes.

See also

• Almond biscuit - similar to macaroons
• Cocadas - confectionery similar to small coconut macaroons

References

External links

• Besitos de Coco Recipe (span)