Dish · french
Macaron
A meringue-based almond cookie, two shells sandwiched around a filling of ganache, buttercream, or jam, with a smooth domed top and a ruffled foot at the base.
Where it comes from
Almond meringue cookies appeared in Italian and French monasteries by the Renaissance. The sandwiched, filled version most people mean by macaron today took shape in Parisian patisseries in the early twentieth century, an innovation more than one shop has claimed credit for.
What cooks argue about
Bakers argue over French meringue, raw egg whites whipped with sugar, versus Italian meringue, sugar cooked to syrup first, which is more stable but needs a candy thermometer and more practiced technique.
Nobody has published a macaron recipe yet. The page stays out of search until one exists, which is the rule for every thin page here.