A macaron (pronounced mac-ah-ron, where ron rhymes with gone) is a French cookie that's made of finely ground blanched (peeled) almonds suspended in a meringue. Each macaron is tinted with vibrant food coloring that signifies its flavor: green for lime, pink for raspberry, you get the idea. Once baked, two cookies are sandwiched together with a filling: jam or fruit curd, chocolate ganache or buttercream. When perfectly baked, macarons have smooth tops and a little ruffled area around the bottom. Their texture is light and a bit cakey-chewy with a tiny bit of crunch on top from an imperceptibly thin crust. There isn't a definite consensus on the history of the macaron, but most people think Catherine di Medici brought them to France from Italy when she married Henri II in the 1500’s. They were probably more like Italian Pignoli, a soft almond paste and egg white cookie covered in pine nuts. French pastry chefs changed them over the years until they became what they are today: an elegant, colorful treat available everywhere.
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