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 have never had a macaroon before, you are 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. It was 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 t have a way to support themselves and became renowned as the “Macaroon Sisters” for their daily delivery of delicious cookies.
Macaroon Day honors this ancient history and delicious tradition by encouraging you to go out and indulge in your favorite variety, and perhaps explore a few more!
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, we strongly encourage you to go out and pick up a dozen varieties and share them with family and friends while you expand your own palette. Of course, if you keep them all to yourself, we wouldn’t blame you in the slightest. Almost all macaroons are made with coconut, but some of our favorite varieties are made with cashews blended in. What’s your favorite kind?
If you are feeling adventurous, why not try making your own macaroons? There are some great recipes online for you to follow, and we have 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. Which one sounds the most appealing to you?
A great idea for celebrating Macaroon Day is to get your friends around 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. You may even want to do a macaroon and wine tasting even. You can match macaroons with a wine that perfectly complements them and having a delicious tasting evening. After all, what could be better than wine and macaroons?
You could also host a macaroon cook-off with your friends. It can be 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 sort of treat for the winner. This is a great way to spend Macaroon Day and have some fun with the people that you love.
