Where do macaroons come from? 😋

You'd think macaroons were French, but no! In fact, they're originally a cake straight from Italy. It first appeared in the middle of the Middle Ages, under the name “maccherone”. It's a small cake made with almonds, sugar and egg whites.

It was not until much later that French macaroons made their appearance with Catherine de Médicis. She imported the little cake when she married Henri II. It was then that macaroons began to spread throughout France, developing in different regions and towns. Over the years, we've heard of macarons from Amiens with honey, or macarons from Ardèche, which are crumbly and less dense than their northern namesakes. For a long time, macaroons were perceived as a royal delicacy, since they were only served by the “officiers des bouches” (servants in charge of the king's food at Versailles).

It wasn't until centuries later that Parisian macaroons made their appearance in a bakery now famous for its many-flavored macaroons. It was in the 1900s that Pierre Desfontaines created the first macaroon, as we know it today at Ladurée. Ladurée has developed a veritable universe, expressed in its points of sale and around the packaging of its products, very close to the style of Versailles.

🎁 To sublimate your macaroons we suggest you select your favorite pieces of crockery and from 100€ of purchase we offer you the cutlery of your choice.🎁

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Enough talk! Let’s tell you how to make macaroons as good as they are beautiful. At Björn's, we've chosen hazelnut-lemon macaroons 🍋

Macaroon shells

Ingredients:

- 65g almond powder
- 212g powdered sugar
- 25g caster sugar
- 100g egg white
- 60g hazelnut powder

Steps:

1. Sift together the almond powder, hazelnut powder and powdered sugar. If the almond and hazelnut powders are not fine enough, blend them in a mixer before sifting. Mix well.

2. Beat egg whites until stiff. At the end, add the powdered sugar and continue whisking for 30 seconds. Gradually add the powdered almonds, hazelnuts and powdered sugar to the egg whites, mix gently with a spatula until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

3. Using a piping bag or small spoon, pipe small mounds of dough onto a sheet of baking parchment. Try to make piles of the same size! The macaroons will spread out slightly, so place them staggered and slightly apart from each other (about 1 plate per egg white).

4. Leave to “crust” for 2 hours (leave the baking sheet exposed to the air so that the cookies harden slightly on contact). Meanwhile, prepare the filling, which needs to cool before use.

5. Preheat the oven to 160°C (gas mark 5-6).

6. Ideally, place the macaroons to be baked on 2 empty baking trays, stacked on top of each other and already hot (while the oven is preheating), to help the macaroons “set”.

7. Each tray should bake for between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on the oven. It's best to check after 10 minutes: the crust should be firm, but the macaroon should still be soft inside.

For the garnish:

Ingredients:

- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 2 lemons
- 2 eggs

Steps:

1. Wash the lemon. Remove half the zest and chop very finely.

2. Squeeze the lemon and place the juice and zest in a saucepan.

3. Add the sugar and cornstarch; stir and heat over low heat.
4. Beat the egg in a separate bowl. Stir into lemon mixture. Continue stirring constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool before placing in the fridge.

Assembly:

1. The lemon curd must be cold to avoid “wetting” the macaroons.
2. Stir the lemon curd to soften it.
3. Assemble the cookies in pairs of the same size and shape.
4. Using a small spoon, place a little lemon curd on one of the two half-macaroons.
5. Assemble the macaroons, turning the cookies one on top of the other to ensure they stick together and the lemon curd is evenly distributed.
6. Store macaroons in the fridge.

Now it's your turn! 🧑‍🍳