Italian Macaroons vs. French Macarons - which should you buy? (2024)

FAQs

Italian Macaroons vs. French Macarons - which should you buy? ›

Overall, both French and Italian macarons are delicious, but the choice between the two will ultimately come down to personal preference. Some people prefer the delicate, smooth texture of French macarons, while others prefer the slightly denser, chewy texture of Italian macarons.

No matter which cookie is your favorite, both macarons and macaroons are delicious in their own way. Macarons are camera-ready thanks to their attractive colors and even sizing, but what macaroons lack in appearance, they make up for in taste.

A stable, billowy Italian meringue is the best kind for producing quality macarons. All styles of meringue involve whipping egg whites so that their protein strands begin to unwind and form a network that holds water and air bubbles in place.

Overall, both French and Italian macarons are delicious, but the choice between the two will ultimately come down to personal preference. Some people prefer the delicate, smooth texture of French macarons, while others prefer the slightly denser, chewy texture of Italian macarons.

Italian macaroons - also known as Amaretti, share the same base ingredients of ground blanched almonds, egg whites & sugar - but the biggest difference is the texture.

Ladurée created the first macaron in 1930, and since then the brand has been well-known not only for macarons but for the unique pastry quality and high tea experiences.

French Meringues Vs Italian Meringues for macarons

The making of macarons with Italian meringue dates back to Catherine de Medici and her Italian chefs! The Italian Meringue method involves a hot sugar syrup, and the French meringue method doesn't.

Once cooled, the shells are filled with a buttercream or ganache filling. Why do macarons seem to be so expensive? Macarons are typically more expensive than other baked goods due to their labor-intensive preparation, high-quality ingredients, and delicate nature.

How unhealthy is a macaron? ›

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. If you're salt-sensitive, macarons shouldn't make your blood pressure spike thanks to their low sodium content.

Macarons last for 7 days at ambient temperature and for up to 7 weeks in the fridge, so they do have quite a good shelf life. However, when storing them at ambient temperature, it is probably best to keep them in an airtight plastic container, to keep as much air out as possible so that they don't dry out.

If you are looking for the best macarons in the world, Pierre Herme Noisette is the place to go. With more than 30 stores worldwide, including the original store in Paris, this bakery is known for its delightful olive oil with mandarin orange macaron. Be sure to give it a try!

The key to a good macaron is a good meringue, with smooth, shiny, stiff peaks. You can tell it's done when you can flip the bowl upside down and nothing comes out. The peak will be stiff yet still droop slightly. Start with aged or fresh egg whites and whip them on medium for a few minutes until bubbles form.

If you are looking for the best macarons in the world, Pierre Herme Noisette is the place to go. With more than 30 stores worldwide, including the original store in Paris, this bakery is known for its delightful olive oil with mandarin orange macaron. Be sure to give it a try!

French macarons are softer with chewy shells and more subtly sweet taste, giving you more of that distinct almond flavour. Whereas Italian macarons are more crisp, even powdery at times and have a more pronounced sweet taste. A trained eye may even be able to tell the difference simply by looking at them.

Ladurée created the first macaron in 1930, and since then the brand has been well-known not only for macarons but for the unique pastry quality and high tea experiences.

In popular culture

Ladurée made the pastries for the film Marie Antoinette, directed by Sofia Coppola; its famous macarons can be seen in a scene between Marie Antoinette and Ambassador Mercy. They can also be seen in The CW's hit teen drama Gossip Girl as Blair Waldorf's favorite pastries.