Macaroons vs. Macarons with Recipes!

Macaroons and Macarons, though only one letter apart seem to be interchangeable to most people. But, little do they know that they really are two completely different treats!

Macarons are a classic French pastry. These cookie-like treats are usually sandwiched with a filling of choice between them. They are crispy but also chewy and usually offer a smooth quality depending on the filling.

Macarons are definitely a more advanced pastry. Mixing the batter and letting them air dry for long enough, seem to be the most difficult parts of the recipe to master. Macarons include a slew of ingredients including: almond flour, powder sugar, egg whites, vanilla, cream of tarter, salt, and sugar.

Macaroons on the other hand, tend to be a more simple version of the well-know French Pastry. You normally see macaroons flavored with coconut, but I've also seen chocolate chip. Macaroons involve some of the same ingredients, but are definitely less time consuming than an authentic French Macaron, because they do not require any drying time.

Though both share one main ingredient (egg whites) they have completely different textures and flavors. Macarons involve almond flour which give them a slight hint of almond flavor as well as that more cookie like texture. Whereas macaroons involve no flour at all, they rely only on the egg white and condensed milk, leaving you with a much sweeter and creamier texture.

Enough history about the food, let's get into some recipes!

Macarons
Sourc: Food Network
Yield: 36 Macarons, depending on how large you make your circles

Ingredients:
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• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup almond flour
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 to 3 drops gel food coloring (see below)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, almond or mint extract

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with silicone mats. Measure the confectioners' sugar and almond flour by spooning them into measuring cups and leveling with a knife. Transfer to a bowl; whisk to combine.
• Sift the sugar-almond flour mixture, a little at a time, through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to pass through as much as possible. It will take a while, and up to 2 tablespoons of coarse almond flour may be left; just toss it.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt with a mixer on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium high; gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff and shiny, about 5 more minutes.
• Transfer the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the almond flour mixture. Draw a rubber spatula halfway through the mixture and fold until incorporated, giving the bowl a quarter turn with each fold.
• Add the food coloring and extract (see below). Continue folding and turning, scraping down the bowl, until the batter is smooth and falls off the spatula in a thin flat rinbon, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Holding the bag vertically and close to the baking sheet, pipe 1 1/4-inch circles (24 per sheet). Firmly tap the baking sheets twice against the counter to release any air bubbles.
• Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the tops are no longer sticky to the touch, 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the humidity. I like to wait closer to 30 minutes to an hour just to be safe. Slip another baking sheet under the first batch (a double baking sheet protects the cookies from the heat).
• Bake the first batch until the cookies are shiny and rise 1/8 inch to form a "foot," about 20 minutes. Let cookies cool completely before transferring. Peel the cookies off the mats and sandwich with a thin layer of filling.

Macaroons
Source: Food Network
​Yield: 12 Large or 16 Medium

Ingredients:
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• 14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  
• Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
  
• Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a medium or large ice cream scoop. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.
  

I hope you guys enjoyed learning about differences between macarons and macaroons! If you decide to try out either of these recipes, tag me on Instagram @takingonthekitchen!