Today, May 31, 2014, is National Macaroon Day. A macaroon is a type of small circular cake, typically made from ground almonds (the original main ingredient) or coconut (and/or other nuts or even potato), with sugar and egg white. Macaroons are often baked on edible rice paper placed on a baking tray. The word 'macaroon' comes from the Italian maccarone or maccherone meaning 'paste', referring to the original almond paste ingredient; this word itself derives from ammaccare, meaning to bruise. Culinary historians claim that macaroons can be traced to an Italian monastery of the 9th century.
