Macaroon

Macaroon is a type of small circular biscuit, typically made from ground almonds (the original main ingredient), 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. Some recipes call for sweetened condensed milk. Macaroons are often baked on edible rice paper placed on a baking tray.

History

The macaroon is believed to have originated in Italy. The word "macaroon" comes from the Italian maccarone or maccherone meaning "paste", referring to the original almond paste ingredient. The first macaroons were almond meringue cookies that had a crisp crust and a soft interior. They were made from egg whites and almond paste.

Varieties

There are many varieties of macaroons. The original macaroon was a "small sweet cake consisting largely of ground almonds" similar to Italian or Moroccan amaretti. The English macaroon often includes coconut. The French macaroon or macaron is a meringue-based cookie made with almond flour, egg whites, and granulated and powdered sugar, then filled with buttercream, ganache or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. Its name is derived from the Italian word macarone, maccarone or maccherone, the Italian meringue.

See also

• List of almond dishes
• List of cookies

External links

• The Macaroon Museum