Macarons

The Jewel of the Bakery

A macaron, (pronounced mack-a-ROHN), is a sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond meal, and food colouring. The macaron is traditionally held to have been introduced in France by the Italian chef of Queen Catherine de Medici during the Renaissance.

Macarons are airy where cupcakes are dense, dainty where cupcakes are messy, fancy where cupcakes are homey. They are beautiful, haughty, and ethereal. They are high-maintenance, and have managed to make that part of their appeal. The cookies— two meringue-based layers, consciously coupled with some jam or cream or ganache in the middle— have become ubiquitous.

The confection is characterized by a smooth rounded top, a ruffled circumference—referred to as the "crown" or "foot" (or "pied")—and a flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth. Macarons can be found in a wide variety of flavours that range from traditional (raspberry, chocolate, vanilla bean, and pistachio), to modern (oreo, creme brulee, and cake batter), to the unusual (foie gras, cheetos, and vegemite).

Learn how to make your own on Induge with Mimi.

👩🏻‍🍳 Or let me make them for you. 👩🏻‍🍳