Macaroon – is it pasta or is it a pastry, that is only the first question. As we have already dived into the variety of the pasta world, today will check on one of the latest sweet crazes – the colourful sandwich Macaroon or Macaron confections. And there comes the second question is it a Macaroon or a Macaron? And did it originate in Italy or in France and then what about the Scottish Macaroon?
Nowadays, the word macaroon is considered to simply be the English translation of the French word macaron and both spellings are often used as synonyms. But the different spellings actually refer to different sweets and regional varieties. The macaroons are considered to be crispy and easy to make confections made of mountains of dough and coconut shreds. While the macarons are the artisan sandwich cookies, available in all the colours of the rainbow and respectful flavours.
There are many national and regional creative varieties of macarons, to only name the Spanish, Indian, Caribbean and Turkish. But the French are on a quest to conquering our palates and attracting more tourists and popularity than the Eiffel Tower itself.
The French word macaron – to name a small sweet cake or biscuit consisting chiefly of ground almonds (or coconut), egg white, and sugar – is believed to have appeared in middle 16th French, directly borrowed from the Italian macaroni. Which etymological origin backups the popular belief that the macaron was created circa 1533 in Italy by the chef of Catherine de Medici, who brought her favourite sweet indulgence to France when she married the French king.
But the macarons gained fame in France only at the end of 18th century when two Carmelite nuns, seeking asylum in Nancy during the French Revolution, baked and sold the macaron cookies to support their housing. These nuns became known as the “Macaron Sisters” and suddenly the French could not get enough of the delightful cookies. But it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that the sandwich confections took on its modern appearance, when the famous Laduree pastry salon in Paris had the idea to glue two cookies together with a chocolate ganache filling in the middle. And the French macaron came to the scene as we know it today – two almond meringue discs filled with a layer of cream or jam.
Obviously the macarons had certain popularity in France before the Macaron Sisters, as the first time they were introduced to the English readers was back in 1611, in Randle Cotgrave’s A dictionarie of the French and English tongues: “Macarons, Macarons; little Fritter-like Bunnes, or thick Losenges, compounded of Sugar, Almonds, Rosewater, and Muske”.
Regardless of the spelling, origin and who baked them first, the macarons are the last years’ sweet trend, The Desert which is paving a colourful path through the globe, and been declared as the new cupcakes.
