About Macaroons

Macaroons, known the world over, are among the most elegant petits fours. They can be made in one of two ways—by creaming the batter or by the sponge method, which involves incorporating a meringue into a nut-, seed- or fruit-based mixture. For the most part, egg whites are used to bind the batter together, but chocolate or puréed fruit can also be used. In America, we are most familiar with a very dense and extremely sweet macaroon made from a simple mix of shredded coconut, egg whites, and sugar. In France, a macaroon is often an almond confection that is crisp on the exterior and soft and chewy on the interior, generally made from almond paste or flour and meringue.