The macaron is a hugely popular sweet, especially among those who love sugary treats. Here we explain what macarons are and the main styles of making them.
There's no denying the macaron is a crowd favourite. It is made of small cookie shells sandwiched around a filling, like a tiny, sweet hamburger. The shells are made from egg whites whipped with sugar into a meringue, then combined with ground almonds and icing sugar before baking, which makes the shells rise. Fillings are many and varied, with favourites including lemon butter, chocolate ganache, buttercream and jam. But do you know where the macaron came from and how it came about? Let's find out.
The Origins of the Macaron
The macaron is a dessert of French origin. According to the story, during the French Revolution (in the 19th century), Italian missionaries looking for a way to make a living created it by whipping almonds, sugar and egg whites together and baking the mixture in an oven. It was refined over time, with two shells eventually joined around a filling, giving it a look similar to a hamburger or a small sandwich. Today, macarons are made in two main styles:
- The traditional French style, from the macaron's home country of France. Egg whites are whipped into a stiff-peaked meringue, then sifted ground almonds and powdered sugar are folded in gradually until the mixture reaches the right consistency. This folding, which also knocks out air, is called macaronage.
- The Italian style, in which the meringue is made by whipping egg whites with hot sugar syrup. Sifted almonds and icing sugar are mixed with raw egg whites to form a thick paste, and the meringue and almond paste are then combined to make the macaron batter. This method is generally considered to give a sturdier structure but a sweeter result, and it requires a candy thermometer for the syrup.
By now you should have a good idea of how macarons are made and where they came from. We hope this article is useful to anyone researching macarons. If you're interested in baking, follow MK Unigroup for more news and information.
