A little history...

Macarons are considered to be of Italian origin, dating back to the 8th Century. The delicacy was introduced to France in 1533 when Queen Catherine de’ Medici of Italy married King Henry II of France, and her pastry chefs brought the macaron recipe with them. Back then, these cookies were made from almonds, egg white, and sugar, and called “priest’s bellybuttons.”

Macaroon

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During the French revolution, the two sisters, Marguerite and Marie-Elisabeth sought asylum in the city of Nancy in eastern France. The macaron gained fame in 1792 when these sisters began selling macarons to commoners. The sisters were experts in making a variety of pastries, so to earn some money, they started baking these “priest’s bellybuttons.” Quickly the duo became famous, and people began referring to them as “Macarons de Nancy.” I

[mack-ah-rohn]

[mack-ah-roon]

A soft cookie made with egg white, sugar and shredded dried coconut. It is often dipped in chocolate.

In the 1830s, macarons were assembled as two biscuits and filled with jellies, spices, or liqueurs. The credit of modern macarons goes to Ladurée of Paris, the famed Parisian tea salon, in the early 20th century.