Not to be confused with macaroons
A macaron (mah-kah-ROHN) is two smooth, domed shells made from almond flour, powdered sugar and whipped egg whites, joined by a filling of ganache, buttercream or jam. A macaroon (mack-a-ROON) is a dense, chewy cookie made mostly of shredded coconut, often dipped in chocolate and popular at Passover. Both descend from old almond-and-egg-white confections, but they are now very different things, and bakery signs mix up the spelling all the time.
The sandwich form many people picture became popular in Paris pastry shops in the twentieth century, and the American macaron boom took off in the 2000s, bringing bright colors and flavors that range from pistachio to cereal milk. Many American pastry shops now treat the macaron as a canvas for local flavors, so you may see honey lavender, guava, horchata or peanut butter and jelly next to the Parisian classics.
How to judge a macaron
- Smooth, shiny tops without cracks, bumps or browning. Browned shells mean the oven ran too hot.
- Feet: the ruffled ring at the base of each shell. They should be even and not spread out wider than the dome.
- No hollow: bite or break one. A gap between the top crust and the interior means the meringue was overwhipped or undermixed.
- Texture: a thin, crisp shell that gives way to a soft, slightly chewy middle. A macaron that shatters and crumbles is dry; one that is mushy all the way through is overfilled or too old.
- Balance: filling roughly as thick as one shell, flavor clear and not just sugar.
French or Italian meringue, and why they rest
Bakers make macarons with either a French meringue (raw egg whites whipped with sugar) or an Italian meringue (whites whipped with hot sugar syrup). The Italian method is more stable and common in professional kitchens; the French method is simpler and gives a slightly more delicate shell. You cannot always tell them apart by taste.
What you can taste is maturation. Good pastry shops fill macarons and then refrigerate them for about 24 hours. During that rest, moisture from the filling softens the inside of the shells and the flavors blend. A macaron eaten minutes after filling is crisper and blander than one eaten the next day.
Boxes, prices and storage
Individual macarons usually cost about $2.50 to $4, and gift boxes of six or twelve run roughly $15 to $45. Many shops take custom orders in matching colors for weddings, showers and towers, usually with a week or more of notice. Keep macarons refrigerated in an airtight box for up to five days, and let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving; cold shells taste flat. They freeze well for a month.
