Macaroon

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A macaroon is a flourless cookie made from ground nuts such as almond or coconut and leavened with egg whites. It is commonly associated with the Passover holiday, since Jews do not bake with any kind of flour (other than matzah meal) during that time. Potato starch is commonly included in the recipe to add body.

Almond macaroons (sometimes referred to as "macarons") have been traced back to an Italian monastery in 1792. The name was derived from the Italian word for "paste" (referring to almond paste), maccarone. (Compare maccheroni, which means "flour paste".) Later, two Carmelite nuns, hiding in the town of Nancy during the French Revolution, baked and sold macaroons to cover their expenses. They became known as "Macaroon Sisters." The cookie recipe was passed on to the Ashkenazi Jews of Europe, who made it a staple of Passover baking.

Frangipane is a custard flavored with almonds and/or crushed macaroons.

In Scotland, a macaroon is distinctly different type of sweet, chocolate-coated sweet. [1]de:Makrone zh:蛋白杏仁餅