Foodcollection RF/getty images; R. Melnychuk/getty images
It took a shockingly long time for me to realize that macarons and macaroons are entirely different species. Yes, they’re both cookies, but before I tasted the former, I assumed (wrongly) that it was just a Frenchified version of the latter. Quelle bêtise!
Turns out French macarons have nothing to do with the sweet, chewy, coconutty treats I’ve been eating every Passover since toddlerhood. Macarons are pastel-colored meringue sandwich cookies cradling tinted cream interiors. Like shoes dyed to match a teenager’s prom dress, the filling and the cookies generally wear identical shades -- though not always.
This past summer, while in Europe, I had my first authentic Parisian macaron at fabled pastry shop Pierre Hermé. My first bite of the rose-colored cookie with its pistachio, cherry-studded interior made me embarrassed for my former self, who had so ignorantly confused this delicacy with the Manischewitz-can variety. I still love American macaroons, but never again will I confuse the two.
If you haven’t yet tried true French macarons, you’re in luck. Dana McCauley, a Toronto-based trend tracker, says they’re quickly becoming mainstream, so keep watch.
Macarons or macaroons? Yes, please. I’ll take them both.
Cheryl Sternman Rule is a widely-published food writer and the voice behind the blog 5 Second Rule.
