Good afternoon welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: April 31st, 2021 National Macaroon Day. Its the last day of May. Can you believe that? I would like to share something you you its Macaroon Day. have you ever had one because Charlie and I haven’t had one.
Macaroons are easily one of our favorite Cookies, and why wouldn’t they be? They come in a delightful combination of flavors and are always beautiful to behold if you like Cookies that is.
While they originate in Italy, there’s far more to these Cookies than one Nation can provide, which is why there are regional variations all over the world!
Macaroon Day is a great opportunity to give them all a try, whether it’s the dark spiced Coconut flavor from the Dominican Republic or the thick velvety chocolate of the Scottish Macaroon, you’re sure to find one you love!
Learn about Macaroon Day
Macaroon Day is a celebration of these sweet, little treats. If you’ve never had a Macaroon before, your seriously missing out! Here are some facts about these amazing sweet treats…
- Macaroons are famed for being difficult to make. This is because the recipe is highly susceptible to little changes in environmental conditions like humidity and temperature, as well as tiny changes in ingredients.
- Macaroons are the most popular sweet sold in Paris.
- The world’s tallest pyramid that was made entirely of Macaroons was created in 2013. It is now featured in the Guinness Book of World Records. It used 8540 macaroons that were donated by local entrepreneurs.
- In their classic form, Macaroons are Gluten-free.
- Macaroons did not become a double-decker affair until the 20th century. They were originally served as a single cookie. However, with creams and rich flavors growing in popularity, the double-decked design quickly became a winner. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of towns in France that sell single-layer Macaroons.
- The name Macaroon comes from the Italian name of Maccarone, which means a doughy, soft texture.
.History of Macaroon Day
The history of Macaroon Day starts in a place you might not imagine, an Italian Monastery. You see, it was from this Monastery that the Macaroon recipe originated, eventually being brought to France and presented to the wife of King Henry the II, Catherine de Medici.
For those who don’t know, Catherine de Medici held a position that was perhaps even more enviable than being the wife of a King. She was the daughter of the Medici family, one of the two powerful banking families of their time (the other being the Fuggers).
With such powerful family connections, she could have had her choice of any confection in the world at the time, but it was the Macaroon she fell in love with.
Later in the Macaroon’s history came a bit of divine providence as two Benedictine nuns fled to Nancy, France, fleeing the persecution that was rife during the Revolution.
While they were hiding out they decided they needed to have a way to support themselves and became renowned as the “Macaroon Sisters” for their daily delivery of cookies.
Macaroon Day honors this ancient history and delicious tradition by encouraging you to go out and indulge in your favorite variety.
How to celebrate Macaroon Day
The best way to celebrate Macaroon Day is to find and eat your favorite variety of Macaroon. If you’re not familiar with Macaroons, then I suggest you go out and pick up a couple.
Make sure you pick up enough to share with family and friends. Of course, If you keep the Macroon to yourself, we wouldn’t blame you in the slightest. Most Macaroons are made with Coconut, but some r favorite varieties are made with Cashews blended in.
If your feeling adventurous, why not try making your own? There are great recipes online for you to follow We’ve seen some of the most unusual and exciting flavors!
Of course, you can get started with basic French Macaroons. But, why not try something a little bit different? Champagne Macaroons with a sprinkling of edible gold is the perfect recipe to try if you are someone with a taste for the lavish!
Other recipes that will have your mouth watering include Ferrero Rocher Macaroons, Strawberries and Cream Macaroons, Key Lime pie Macaroons, pink lemonade macaroons, blackberry balsamic macaroons, honey lavender macaroons, pistachio macaroons, red velvet macaroons, and tiramisu macaroons.
A great idea for celebrating Macaroon Day is to invite your friends and enjoy a delicious afternoon Tea treat. Afternoon Tea has become very popular as of late, with themed afternoon Teas offered in hotels, restaurants, and cafes all around the world.
You can host your own afternoon tea event, with Macaroons being the star of the show. For something different you could do a Macaroon and Wine tasting.
You can match Macaroons with a Wine that complements them and have a delicious taste. After all, what could be better? For me personally anything. Because I am not sure I would like Macaroons and I am not much for Wine. How about you?
You could host a Macaroon cook-off with your friends like your own version of a Bake Off show! You and your friends can all try to make your best Macaroon recipe.
At the end, you can all taste each other’s Macaroons, ranking them from 1 to 10. The person with the highest score can be declared the winner! You could buy a nice bottle of bubbles or another treat for the winner. This is a great way to spend Macaroon Day and have fun.
Recipe: Macarons
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour, finely ground
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 drops pink gel food coloring
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Preparation
- Prepare the Macarons: In the bowl of a food processor, combining Powdered Sugar, Almond Flour, and ½ teaspoon of Salt, and process on low speed, until extra fine. Sift the Almond Flour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the Egg Whites and the remaining ½ teaspoon of Salt with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the Granulated Sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form (you should be able to turn the bowl upside down without anything falling out).
- Add the Vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the food coloring and beat until just combined.
- Add about ⅓ of the sifted Almond Flour mixture at a time to the beaten Egg Whites and use a spatula to gently fold until combined. After the last addition of Almond Flour, continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons and you can make a figure 8 while holding the spatula up.
- Transfer the Macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Place 4 dots of the batter in each corner of a rimmed baking sheet, and place a piece of parchment paper over it, using the batter to help adhere the parchment to the baking sheet.
- Pipe the Macarons onto the parchment paper in 1½-inch (3-cm) circles, spacing at least 1-inch (2-cm) apart.
- Tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5 times to release any air bubbles.
- Let the Macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until dry to the touch.
- Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
- Bake the Macarons for 17 minutes, until the feet are well-risen and the Macarons don’t stick to the parchment paper.
- Transfer the Macarons to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
- Make the Buttercream: In a large bowl, add the Butter and beat with a mixer for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Sift in the Powdered Sugar and beat until fully incorporated. Add the Vanilla and beat to combine. Add the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat to combine, until desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer the Buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Add a dollop of Buttercream to one Macaron shell. Top it with another Macaron shell to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining Macaron shells and Buttercream.
- Place in an airtight container for 24 hours to “bloom”
Five Facts About Macroon’s
- The original Macaroon was a “small sweet cake consisting largely of ground Almonds” similar to Italian Amaretti.
- The English word Macaroon and French Macaron come from the Italian Maccarone or Maccherone.
- Most recipes call for Egg Whites (usually whipped to stiff peaks), with ground or powdered seeds, generally Almonds or Nuts.
- The Scottish Macaroon is a sweet confection with a thick velvety centre covered in Chocolate and topped with Roasted Coconut.
- In North America, the Coconut Macaroon is the better known variety.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
