Macarons vs Macaroons
Question:
What’s the difference between a macaron and a
macaroon?
Answer:
Besides the obvious differences of spelling (one has
an extra “o”) and pronunciation (one
rhymes with noon and moon and the other ends in
“on”), there are numerous differences in
these two words. They are both cookies – but
their commonalities pretty much end there!
Macarons vs Macaroons
Macarons vs Macaroons - What are these Cookies?
Macarons vs Macaroons - The Similarities
They are both cookies.
Therefore, recipes for both will include in their
ingredient list sugar and eggs. More specifically
for these particular cookies, they each use only the
whites of eggs.
Even though these cookies appear and taste
completely different, they were both derived from
the same recipe.
Legend has it that both of these cookies originated
in Italy where they were made with nut flours by
Venetian monks in the 8th century and were known as
maccherone. When Catherine de’ Medici (an Italian
woman) married the future King Henry II in the 16th
century and moved to France, she brought this cookie
recipe along with her. The castle staff translated
the name to French and they became Macaron. It was a
small cookie, crunchy on the outside and soft on the
inside. In the 1830’s, Parisian bakers began
putting two of these cookie together with ganache in
the middle to hold them together. This is what we
know today as the Macron. Back in Italy, as coconut
was becoming more plentiful, someone tried replacing
the nut flour with coconut and the Macaroon was
born.
Macarons vs Macaroons - The Differences
| Cookie | Color | Flavor | Texture | Usage | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macaron | Endless | Endless, although often Almond | Crisp, soft and chewy | Delicate tea cookies | Cold |
| Macaroon | White | Coconut | Dense and chewy | Small or large and often dipped in chocolate | Room temperature |
Macarons vs Macaroons
Additional Information
To find out how long other cookies last, check our cookie page.
To find out how long eggs last, check our egg page.
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