Macaron or macaroon?

How to name the French almond pastry correctly — and how it differs from the coconut cookie.

In French the dessert is called a macaron — stressed on the last syllable. In English “macaron” is the correct name for the French sandwich pastry.

And macaroons?

Macaroons are a completely different cookie: made from shredded coconut, sugar and egg whites. They are dense, rustic and have no filling. The names are similar because both desserts share an Italian ancestor.

How not to mix them up

If you see two colourful caps with a slightly bumpy surface and a filling — that’s a macaron. If it’s a little coconut mound — a macaroon. We make macarons.