Macaroon? Macaron? Madness! Bake Them Both!

Potato, potahto, macaroon, macaron…

Have you ever tried a macaroon? You know, the sweet treat with coconut? Or you may think it’s the deliciously cute sandwich cookies made with nut flours. If you do some research on (I mean Google) the macaroons vs. macarons issue, you’ll find thousands of websites and blogs debating the difference between the two.  Some people argue that macaroons are both the coconut confection and the gorgeous almond flour treat, while others argue that the two should never be considered the same. But both accounts are right! Kind of. Macaroons and macarons may be very different, but they have one important thing in common—they’re delicious!

In anticipation of National Macaroon Day on 5/31, I spent last week doing what most people do before a big D.I.Y. project – pinning inspiration to my board on Pinterest. For the macaroons I decided on these delicious S’Mores Macaroon Bars and then took inspiration from this extremely helpful book to create S’mores Macarons. After procuring all of the ingredients I spent Sunday baking macaroons (err, macaroons and macarons).

I’ve made macarons before but had never tried my hand at macaroons. In a matter of 5 minutes they were in the oven, and just half an hour later I was enjoying these gooey treats…steeling myself up all the while for the precision and patience that is needed for macarons.

Whether you call them macaroons or macarons you’re sure to have a delicious eating experience. But if you want to celebrate National Macaroon Day quickly, I suggest you stick to the coconut kind!

S’Mores Macaroon Bars (adapted from It Bakes Me Happy):

Ingredients:

For the macaroons:

1 ½ c shredded sweetened coconut
1/3 c sugar
2 Tbs flour
Pinch of salt
1 lg egg white
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the s’more topping:

Dark chocolate chunks or chips, enough to cover the top (I used Whole Foods dark chocolate chunks)
1 ½ c mini marshmallows, or more depending on how much you love ‘em.

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8”x8” baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

2. In a small mixing bowl combine the coconut, sugar, flour, and salt. Then stir in the egg white, coconut oil and vanilla until completely blended (I found using my hands worked best—and it was a great way to exfoliate and moisturize! Just remember to wash your hands).

3. Press the coconut mixture into the bottom of the baking pan evenly and bake until golden brown on top, about 23-25 minutes.

4. Once the macaroon base is golden brown, turn of your oven and remove the pan. Top the macaroons with chocolate and marshmallows.

5. Return the pan to the oven for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate and marshmallows to melt.

6. Turn up the broiler to 300 degrees to brown the marshmallows. This should take less than 3 minutes, so keep an eye out so they don’t burn!

7. Let them cool, slice, and then enjoy!