A small, sweet cookie made from egg whites, sugar, and shredded coconut, often dipped in chocolate.
From French 'macaron,' derived from Italian 'maccarone,' which comes from the Arabic 'makrūna' meaning 'fine flour.' The word traveled through Mediterranean trade routes, evolving in spelling and meaning as it spread to different European countries.
Macaroons have a surprising history: the French version (spelled 'macaron') is an entirely different pastry—it's that colorful sandwich cookie—while English-speaking countries adopted the coconut 'macaroon' recipe instead! This culinary misunderstanding created two distinct treats from the same root word.
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