National Macaroon Day

May 31 is definitely National Macaroon Day and it’s most assuredly an American holiday since the macaroon is definitely an American cookie! However, the confusion is natural. The origins of macaron and macaroon are the same and many of the ingredients overlap. Both use a fair amount of sugar to make these delightful confections. Both use egg whites to make the cookies rise and give them a light texture. However, the French macaron (which actually originated in Italy) uses almond flour at its base while the American macaroon uses shredded coconut to great effect.