Check out this hand-made card from Finland! Many of you are familiar with this dessert. It’s sweet. It’s cute. It’s colorful. It’s the macaron! Macarons are confections consisting of two almond cookies with a sort of filling in between (which can be buttercream, jam, etc.), forming a sandwich of sugary wondrousness. They come in numerous flavors and colors, which make them both culinary and aesthetic delights. Heck, I think the only thing inconvenient about them is that their name so closely resembles the macaroon, which is a completely different dessert (albeit a no less amazing one)! Interestingly, the alternate name for a macaron is a French macaroon, but many bakeries prefer the term “macaron”. Anyway, it’s believed that macarons originated in Italy (not France), and were brought over to France in the 1500s. I did have the pleasure of trying some macarons during my trip to Nice! They have an interesting texture because of the combination of smooth, airy almond cookies and sticky, chewy jam. They’re usually a bit expensive due to how much time and effort it takes to make macarons. The ratio of ingredients must be carefully measured, the creation of the shells has to be uniform in size, and the goods have to be closely monitored when baked. The mixing process, known as the macaronage, also must be very precise. The ingredients cannot be whisked or stirred; rather, they are folded until adequate consistency is achieved. It’ll be too thick if undermixed, and it’ll be gooey if overmixed. These are quite literally tough cookies! But that’s more reason to admire them! Thank you so much for sharing this awesome postcard with me and for all your kindness, Päivi!
