Pumpkin Spice Coconut Macaroon Cookies Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a macaron and a macaroon? ›

Separated by more than just one O, macarons and macaroons may have similar sounding names, but these two cookies couldn't be more different when it comes to taste and technique. A macaron is a sandwich-like cookie that's filled with jam, ganache, or buttercream. A macaroon is a drop cookie made using shredded coconut.

A macaroon is a drop cookie made with shredded coconut, egg whites, sugar, other flavorings (like vanilla extract), and sometimes ground almonds. Modern macaroons often call for sweetened condensed milk. Macaroons look more like coconut mounds than traditional cookies.

One of the main differences between French and Italian macarons is the method of preparation. French macarons are made by mixing the almond flour and powdered sugar with whipped egg whites, while Italian macarons are made by heating the sugar and egg whites together before adding in the almond flour.

Although a macaron's shell should protect the rise and filling beneath its surface, you don't want your delectables to be crunchy or hard. Macarons should have a slight crunch with an overall chewy texture as one bites through the dessert. That texture is what truly makes a macaron marvelous.

Surprisingly Low in Calories

Macarons can help you stay within your recommended daily calorie intake if they're eaten in moderation. A single macaron may contain less than 90 calories, and snacking on only a couple of these treats at a time shouldn't add to your waistline.

Macaron Ingredients Are Expensive

Instead, they're made with almond flour, which costs more than nine times as much—and that's at Costco. “Finely ground almond flour gives structure, texture and mild flavor to macaron shells,” says Taste of Home food stylist Josh Rink.

A macaron is a meringue-based sandwich cookie that is tinted with food coloring. A macaroon is a drop cookie made with shredded coconut. The preparation for these two cookies is also very different. Macarons require multiple steps and painstaking precision, while a batch of coconut macaroons is very easy to prepare.

Macarons are the French adaptation of the Italian macaroon, and according to Food Network, they were first created in France after the King's Italian wife brought over a chef from Italy. Therefore they can be traced back to the same origin: that Italian maccarone “cake or biscuit.”

There's bound to be confusion about macaroons vs. macarons when there are two cookies with such similar names, but the truth is macarons (pronounced "mack-ah-ROHN") and macaroons (pronounced "mack-ah-ROON") couldn't be more distinctive looking and tasting.

Italian macarons are very similar to the French variety. The key difference is in the initial stages of preparing the meringue where a different method is used. Italian macarons start out by whisking egg whites with a melted sugar syrup in order to cook them as the meringue is formed.