Everyone today swoons over the colourful creations in fancy boutiques selling macarons in France, but the original macaron was more humble and rustic looking. That didn't mean it was cheap peasant food though. Originally they were made with a mixture of sweet and bitter almonds. Some poor baker's apprentice had to spend hours and hours grinding almonds into powder, and the sugar they contained was still an exotic luxury when macarons first graced the tables of French aristocracy. 
It is widely believed that Catherine de Medici brought macarons to France. Sadly, her grumpy young husband loved the cakes, but couldn't stand her. Probably macarons in some form were already being made in high status houses and convents wanting to earn some cash. The first time they are ever mentioned in writing is around 1550, by that great gourmande, Rabelais. So I could claim that macarons come from the Touraine Loire Valley...although almonds do not do very well around here.
Almond blossom in our orchard. The almond is always the first tree to flower.
After the Revolution the south-west became the heartland of the macaron, where almonds do much better, and the museum dedicated to them is in Montmorillon. Today insufficient almonds are produced in France to meet the demand for macarons, and they are made with Spanish grown almonds. Controversially, one of the best known brands of macarons no longer even makes their product in France, but in neighbouring Switzerland!
Anyway, enough about macarons. Here is a recipe for a sort of hybrid macaroons. It is quite like the rustic macarons of old but with the addition of coconut, which we like for its texture. Macaroons are a sort of American version of macarons, but made with coconut rather than almond, and something any home cook can do.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
60 g / 2 oz / ²/3 cup coconut
170 g / 6 oz / 1¾ cup almond meal
150 g / 5 oz / ¾ cup sugar
Beat the eggs, stir in dry stuff and mix well.
Turn the oven on at 180C (350F) and put baking paper on a tray. This allows the mixture to blend while the oven heats up.
After 20 minutes dip your hands in cold water and roll the mixture into 16-24 balls which you put on the tray and flatten slightly.
Put tray in oven for 15-25 minutes, then remove the biscuits from the baking sheet, and put on a wire rack.
Oh, and by the way, our President is called Macron. Equal stress on both syllables please.
1 comment:
We visited the macaron museum a few years ago. It was fascinating. Your recipe sounds very interesting, and easy.
Post a Comment