Macaroons

Macaroons are traditional small cookies originating from Italy. They're usually made from granulated sugar, egg whites, chopped almonds or almond paste, and shredded coconut, while flavorings such as vanilla, spices, and honey are sometimes also added to the mix.

The mixture is lightly baked in the oven, and it's sometimes placed on edible rice paper before baking. Unlike the French macarons, macaroons have a craggy surface and chewy interior and they're sometimes dipped in chocolate. The first almond-meringue cookies are thought to have originated in southern Italy (where almonds were introduced by the Arabs) and probably made their way to France in the 16th century.

In the 19th century, bakers found out that they could swap the almonds for coconut in order to make a cookie with a longer shelf life. In France, coconut macaroons are known as rochers coco.