7 Things You Didn’t Know About Macaroons
Posted by Katie Straw on May 30, 2014
Everyone knows that opposites attract. And while we’d love to prove that old saying wrong, it couldn’t be more true, especially when it comes to our chocolate dipped macaroons. While macaroons are adored for their light airiness, there’s something about coating them in rich, heavy Belgian chocolate that makes them completely irresistible. And because this upcoming Saturday is National Macaroon Day, we thought we’d share with you some fun facts about these delightful confections:
- These airy cookies are made from ground nuts (like almonds) and leavened eggs.
- Since it’s forbidden to cook with flour during Passover, macaroons have become very popular in Jewish communities.
- Macaroons are fabled to have originated in an Italian monastery in the 9th century.
- Sister Marguerite and Sister Marie-Elisabeth, French refugee nuns, were so good at making macaroons that they sold for a living.
- The word “macaroon” comes from the Italian word maccarone, derived from ammaccare, meaning to crush or bruise.
- In Puerto Rico, macaroons are called besitos de coco, or coconut kisses.
- Recipes for these cookies first appeared in The Complete English Cook in 1725.