Macaron facts for kids
Parisian-style macarons (vanilla flavour)
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| Alternative names | French macaroon |
|---|---|
| Type | Confectionery |
| Place of origin | France |
| Created by | Pierre Desfontaines or Claude Gerbet. |
| Main ingredients | Cookie: egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder, food colouring Filling: buttercream or clotted cream, ganache, or jam |
A macaron (/ˌmækəˈrɒn/ mak-Ə-ron) or French macaroon (/ˌmækəˈruːn/ mak-Ə-roon) is a sweet treat. It's a small, round cookie made from meringue. The main ingredients are egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, and almond meal. Sometimes, food colouring is added to make them colorful.
Macarons are usually like a sandwich. Two of these meringue cookies have a yummy filling in the middle. This filling can be ganache (a chocolate cream), buttercream, or jam. They have a smooth, slightly squared top and a ruffled edge called the "foot" or "pied." Macarons are soft, a little moist, and melt in your mouth. You can find them in many different flavours, from classic ones like raspberry and chocolate to more unusual ones.
Contents
What's in a Name?
You might hear these cookies called "macaron" or "macaroon." Sometimes, people confuse them with coconut macaroons, which are different. In North America, most bakers use the French spelling, macaron, to show it's the meringue-based cookie.
The words "macaron" and "macaroon" actually come from the same Italian word, maccheroni, which also gave us macaroni. Many French words that came into English a long time ago, like balloon or cartoon, also end with "-oon." In the UK, some bakeries still use "macaroon" for this cookie.
A Sweet History
The macaron has a long and interesting history. Some people believe it came to France with Catherine de Medici. She was an Italian noblewoman who became the Queen of France in 1533. She brought her Italian chefs with her, and they might have introduced these almond biscuits.
Later, during the French Revolution in the 1790s, two Carmelite nuns in Nancy became famous. They baked and sold macarons to earn money for their home. People called them the "Macaron Sisters." Back then, macarons were simple cookies without fillings or special flavours.
The macaron we know today, with two cookies and a filling, became popular in the 1930s. It was sometimes called the "Gerbet" or "Paris macaron." Bakers like Pierre Desfontaines of Ladurée and Claude Gerbet are often credited with creating this filled version. French macaron bakeries became very popular in North America in the 2010s.
Earliest Recipes
Old Italian cookbooks from the 1500s mention almond biscuits that were a lot like macarons. One of the earliest known recipes for "French Macaroones" was written in English in 1617 by John Murrell. It described how to make them with almonds, sugar, rose-water, and egg whites.
How Macarons Are Made
There are two main ways to make macarons: the "French" method and the "Italian" method. The biggest difference is how the meringue (the whipped egg whites) is prepared.
- French Method: In this way, egg whites are whisked until they are stiff and fluffy. Then, finely ground almonds and powdered sugar are gently folded into the meringue. This careful mixing is called "macaronage."
- Italian Method: For this method, hot sugar syrup is slowly added to whisked egg whites to make the meringue. Separately, ground almonds and icing sugar are mixed with raw egg whites to form a paste. Finally, the meringue and almond paste are mixed together. This method often makes stronger macarons, but it can be sweeter and needs a candy thermometer.
No matter which method is used, the mixture is piped onto baking sheets, left to sit for a bit to form a "skin," and then baked. After baking, a delicious filling is added between two of the cookies.
Macaron Varieties Around the World
France
Many French cities have their own special macaron traditions:
- Amiens: These macarons are small, round, and made with almond paste, fruit, and honey. They were first recorded in 1855.
- Montmorillon: This town is famous for its macarons and even has a museum about them! The oldest bakery there has been making them since 1920, using a recipe that's over 150 years old.
- Nancy: The "Macaron Sisters" from Nancy are famous for their simple, unfilled macarons.
India
In Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, there's a unique type of macaroon. It's made with cashews instead of almonds, a recipe that came from colonial times.
Japan
Macarons are very popular in Japan, where they are called makaron. There's also a Japanese version that uses peanut flour instead of almond flour and has traditional Japanese flavours. You can even find makaron designs on cell phone accessories and cosmetics!
Switzerland
In Switzerland, you might find "Luxemburgerli." These are a brand of macaron made by Confiserie Sprüngli in Zürich. They are smaller and lighter than many other macarons and have a buttercream filling.
United States
American pastry chefs have created many new macaron flavours. Some popular ones include mint chocolate chip, peanut butter and jelly, Snickers, and even pumpkin or salted caramel popcorn!
South Korea
In South Korea, a new trend called "fat-carons" (or ttungcarons) became popular. Bakers intentionally add a lot more filling to these macarons, making them look like small ice cream sandwiches.
Macaron Popularity
Macarons are loved all over the world!
- In Paris, the Ladurée pastry shop chain has been famous for its macarons for about 150 years.
- You can find macarons at McDonald's McCafés in many countries like Portugal, Spain, Australia, and France. They are made by Château Blanc, a company connected to Ladurée.
- Outside of Europe, French-style macarons are very popular in Canada and the United States.
- In Australia, a TV show called MasterChef Australia helped make macarons a super popular sweet treat.
See also
In Spanish: Macarrón (galleta) para niños
