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Macarons vs Macaroons: How to Tell the Difference

Macarons and macaroons are two delicious sweets that are being increasingly confused for one another. They don’t look alike and taste completely different, but the similarity in their names leads to many a debate over which is which. Some people familiar with one may not even realise the other exists. So let’s set the record straight.

What is the Difference Between the Two?

Macaron

A macaron( Mack-a-rohn) is a French dessert that resembles a mini sandwich. It consists of two perfectly baked almond cookies with a light buttercream filling. The outer layers are made by folding almond flour into a meringue-type mixture of egg whites and sugar.

These almond sweets are considered a French speciality, requiring immense precision to prepare. Skilful bakers take years to get the best ratio of almond flour, egg whites and sugar. The perfect macaron cookie must have a smooth shell without any cracks or bumps. A distinctive feature of the cookie is the ruffles lining the edge. These are known as the feet of the macaron and determine if your cookies are hollow or just right. The filling in the centre can be jam, ganache or buttercream. It is essential to balance the amount of filling in the biscuit so it doesn’t spill out.

Macaroon

Macaroons, on the other hand, are more than just macarons pronounced differently. They appear as tiny mounds of shredded coconut with a cookie-like texture. The recipe itself isn’t very different, substituting shredded coconut for almond flour. However, in taste, these coconut delicacies are considerably distinct. In France, for instance, they have their unique name, ‘congolais’ or ‘rocher coco’.

Macaroons are gluten-free and kosher, like macarons, but they are a lot easier to make. The use of coconut in these sweets makes them less likely to spoil and better to transport than other desserts.

Why Is There So Much Confusion Surrounding Them?

The French word macaron and the English macaroon both find their origin in the Italian Maccarone. Maccarone means ‘fine paste’. Depending on your location, you may have had more access to either one of the cookies. For example, you can order the best macarons in Mumbai online at Toujours, but macaroons may not be too easy to find. However, with the growing popularity of both desserts and similar names, bakers outside France may have used the English pronunciation for both, causing a mix-up.

How Did These Two Distinct Sweets End up with Such Similar Names?

Like their Italian roots, macarons and macaroons allegedly originated from a famous Italian cookie, the amaretti. The amaretti is a cookie made of almond flour, sugar and egg whites, baked just enough for the exterior to become golden and crunchy.

French macarons evolved when this Italian treat was brought to France around the 16th century. Queen Catherine de Medici is said to have brought along her Italian bakers who reproduced the recipe. Macarons were allegedly further popularised by a pair of French nuns, during the French Revolution. They are commonly referred to as the macaron sisters.

The inspired sandwich form was introduced much later in the 1900s. Well-known chef Pierre Desfontaines of the Ladurée cafe took the simple almond cookies and added a complex, delicious filling. Thus the modern macaron was born, now available in multi colours and an assortment of flavours. 

Macaroons, in comparison, are claimed to be a modification of macarons. These became popular with the use of coconuts in desserts. In the 19th century in the US and Europe, coconut was imported from India. It was a new and fascinating flavour. Chefs also preferred shredded coconut as it lent a longer shelf-life to the desserts. Therefore shredded coconut was substituted in the recipe for macarons, creating the present-day macaroons. This coconut sweet gained popularity among Jewish communities in America, as it is an unleavened dessert.

So you see, it’s not really a case of ‘to-may-toes, to-mah-toes,’ when it comes to these two very different cookies, after all. 

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