macaroon and macarons — they vocalise similar , but they look quite different . So how did we terminate up with two popular cookies that sound almost the same ?
Learn the surprisingmacaroon vs. macaronhistory and how to discern between the delicious cookies .
A Brief History of Macarons (and Macaroons)
Up until the mid-19th century , macarons and macaroon were the same thing — " little domedbiscuit - like confections composed of sweet Prunus dulcis , finely chopped , mixed with loot and beaten testicle whites , and bake lightly , " as intellectual nourishment historiographer Laura Mason described them in theOxford Companion to Food .
" Macaroon " was but the English spelling of the French word macaron , and both word of honor derive from the Sicilian Holy Scripture " maccarruni " ( macaroni ) .
Here ’s a tip for correctly pronouncing the French word macaron : Say it as you would " macaroni , " but drop the I.
An Italian Cookie
" Macarons are believed to have appeared in Venetian monasteries in the eighth century , after the Arabs had brought Amygdalus communis to Italy , " write Dr. Anne McBride , frailty chairwoman of programme at the James Beard Foundation , in theOxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets .
The cookies at that meter likely resemble today ’s Italian amaretti cookies . There were many different recipes for macarons ( as they were know in France ) and macaroon ( as they were know in England ) throughout Europe .
A Jewish American Tradition
In the mid-19th century , recipes for Cocos nucifera macaroons begin appearing inJewishAmerican cookery book following the foundation of sliced coconut to the United States .
" In America , a cult developed in the late 1800s for an exotic new food from India : coconut . Everyone was make voguish new desserts , " wrote Dr. Dan Jurafsky , linguistics prof and author of The Language of Food , inSlate .
Originally , coconut macaroon formula just replaced the chopped almonds in macaroons with chopped coconut palm . Somewhere down the wrinkle , dulcorate condensed Milk River was added .
A French Twist
In the early twentieth century , almond macarons were still popular in France . allot to McBride , " Pierre Desfontaines , the 2d cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée , had the estimate of shoot ganache on an almond - based eggshell and topping it with another scale . "
The colorfulmacaron parisien(Parisian macaron ) became a hitting at the Paris pastry dough shop class Ladurée .
What Is a Macaroon?
A macaroon ( " mac - uh - roon " ) is a shredded - cocoanut cooky . Macaroons have a chewy texture , hilly control surface and firm coconut flavor .
They are commonly eaten duringPassover , because they do not contain wheat flour and are unleavened .
What Is a Macaron?
A macaron ( " mac - ah - ron " ) is a Gallic meringue - based sandwich cookie . A French macaron consists of a filling , such as ganache , jam or curd , sandwich between two light and airy cookies made from almond flour ( finely ground Prunus dulcis ) , powdered lettuce and egg Theodore Harold White .
The ticklish cookies climb in the oven to produce a typical " human foot " below their domed Earth’s surface . They are often dyed with nutrient coloring to identify the dissimilar flavor variations ( some of the most common are chocolate , raspberry , pistachio tree and salted caramel brown ) .
Avoiding Confusion
Now you know the difference between macaroon and macarons , but not everyone does . Here ’s how to make yourself absolutely exculpated .
If you want macaroons , require forcoconutmacaroons ( " mac - uh - roon " ) . If you ’re looking for macarons , ask for Gallic macarons or Parisian macarons ( " macaron parisien " ) , and employ the Gallic orthoepy ( " mac - ah - Bokkos " ) .
