Milanese macaroon cake – Mailänder MakronenTorte

For some time now I have been very attracted to German pastries. Certainly, it has always fascinated me, but I must admit that lately almost everything I feel like making has German and Austrian heritage. The recipe I bring you today, Milanese macaroon cake – Mailänder MakronenTorte , may not fascinate you in terms of its presentation, in my case it did, but I am somewhat particular about these things… I find beauty in what other people see as “tacky”. But, I assure you, it is the juiciest, most delicate and exquisite bite you will ever taste.

The English translation of this cake would be Milanese macaroon cake, not macarons, it is a different elaboration despite sharing the same ingredients. But don’t worry, now I will tell you in depth.

The recipe I leave you with today is from one of the books I am most fond of.

And the reason is that it was the first baking book I was given as a gift, “The great book of baking“. The truth is, it is not a book that goes into detail in the process of elaboration of each recipe, in fact quite the opposite. The explanations are very brief and, in some cases, quite imprecise. I consider that if you don’t know how to do certain things beforehand, you will hardly achieve a good final result in the elaboration.

But something that I really like is the large number of recipes she shares, not to mention the style that, as you may already guess, is very vintage and old-fashioned. That is, for my taste, impressive. Another detail to note is that the translation from German is not quite good and many recipes have names that do not correspond to reality. Something that complicates the process when you want to find more information about a recipe or process.

The cake that I share with you is an adaptation of the recipe from this book, with some variations that I considered appropriate.

Milanese macaroon cake – Mailänder MakronenTorte origin.

The exact origin of this cake is unknown, but there is information about the appearance of two elaborations created with the same name in two German cookbooks of the nineteenth century. One of them was “Milanese Tart“, which would correspond to the preparation I leave you with today.

A cake inspired by the Viennese cake, but with the addition of a mixture of ground almonds, orange blossom water and water. It consists of layers of sponge cake interspersed with jam and decorated with a final white icing.

On the other hand, the other elaboration referred to a spongy sponge cake without the addition of marzipan or flavorings.

The recipe evolved into a cake that was made with sponge cakes interspersed with jam, in some cases even alternating layers of jam and almond cream. Later, it was decorated with macaroonsor makronen(paste made with almonds, sugar and egg white) and jam. It was then flamed so that the makronen paste would cook and acquire a nice golden color.

Once it had cooled, the side of the cake was finished with sliced or chopped almonds.

Makronen.

This sweet is very similar to the famous French macaroons, different from the traditional macarons. As I mentioned above, both sweets share the same ingredients, but differ in quantities and elaboration process.

Macaronsare small traditional pastries, very delicate and elegant, of French origin. They are made with egg white, ground almonds, powdered sugar and granulated sugar or syrup. Depending on the type of meringue with which they are made; French or Italian meringue.

Macaroons, also called macaroons, are denser pastries made with almond and egg white or with an almond paste (raw marzipan). Usually the egg white is whipped into a stiff batter along with chopped or ground nuts. The most common is almonds, although variants with other nuts and even coconut can also be found.

In both cases, the final product is baked.

On the other hand, we have the makronen. This sweet is made with a mixture of sugar, egg white and nuts; ground almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, coconut or other oilseeds. These ingredients can be replaced by a raw marzipan dough, which is then mixed with the rest of the ingredients to obtain the same final result.

The origin of Makronen can be traced back to the further development of recipes that originated in the Middle East and influenced European cuisine during the Arab expansion from the 9th century onwards.

Origin of the word makronen.

The German word makronen has its origin in the French “macaron”. However, it is important to note that the French word is not identical to the German word, as it refers to a specific type of almond macaroon, known as “Macaron”.

The term has its roots in the Greek word μακαρία (makaria), which describes a flour porridge traditionally consumed at funerals, and later in “Makarona” or “Melomakarona” as a Christmas cookie. On the other hand, “Makaronia” refers to pasta, especially noodles.

In the Italian language, the term has been known at least since the appearance of the word “maccarruni” around 1279 in Sicily, an area where Greek was also spoken. Today, “maccheroni” refers to various types of durum wheat pasta. A possible relationship with the word “maccare“, meaning “flattened”, is also suggested.

Makronen evolution.

Makronen has its roots in Arabic cuisine, where ground almonds were mixed with sugar and rose water. Nut-based sweets such as fālūdhaj and lausinaj, cakes with sweet almond cream inside, were common in this region.

This sweet was inspired by the Sassanid shas of Persia, who served a similar almond dessert to celebrate the Zoroastrian New Year, Persian new year (Nowruz). With Arab expansion, these recipes reached Sicily and the part of Spain under Arab rule from the 9th century, influencing European cuisine.

The first mentions of “maccarruni” in Sicilian dialect or “maccherone” in Italian refer to a sweet pasta dish. Around 1350, Boccaccio mentioned “Maccherone” in his collection of short novels “Decameron” as a type of gnocchi eaten with butter and cheese. However, this recipe also underwent changes. In a 15th century cookbook, Sicilian maccherones were made with white flour, egg whites and rose water, and were eaten with sugar, butter and grated cheese.

In Rabelais’ “Gargantua and Pantagruel” cycle of novels, macaroni is also mentioned as a dessert in a list of fantastic desserts. Somewhat later, macaroni also appeared in the English language, and the spelling ending in “-oon” suggests that the word was borrowed from French. Giving rise to the word “macaroon“.

The origin of macaroons dates back to an 8th century French monastery in Cormery.

During the French Revolution, Benedictine nuns Sister Marguerite and Sister Marie-Elisabeth arrived in Nancy where they made their living baking and selling macaroons. In fact they were known as the “Macaroon Sisters“. Subsequently, the Jews adopted this recipe because of its lack of flour and yeast, which allowed its consumption during the eight days of Passover.

Macaroon recipes have been recorded in recipe books since at least 1725, using egg whites and almond paste. Over time, coconut was incorporated into the ground almonds and, in some recipes, replaced it. Occasionally, potato starch was added for consistency.

The earliest known recipe comes from a handwritten cookbook that Martha Washington’s family.

In North America and probably written in the early 17th century. This recipe used almonds, rose water, sugar, egg white and musk. These ingredients further demonstrate the connection to the original Arabic recipe.

The first recipe that resembles the modern recipe and dispenses with the use of rose water and musk is found in French chef François-Pierre de La Varenne’s 1652 collection of recipes. In the 17th century, specific regional variants of this recipe were developed in France, often made and sold in convents.

In the Italian of the time, “maccherone” referred only to pasta; pastries made in a similar manner were known as “amaretti” in Lombardy or “marzapanetti” in the region around Siena.

Coconut production.

The increasing importation of coconuts through Europe and the United States in the 19th century led to the substitution of ground almonds for coconut, especially in the United States. The first recipes appeared in the United States around 1830, and in the second half of the 19th century, recipes for coconut macaroons were found mainly in Jewish cookbooks.

Since then, coconut macaroons have often been prepared for Passover Seder night in American Jewish cuisine.

Parallel to the development of coconut macaroons, macarons were created in France, initially known as le macaron parisien or le macaron Gerbet in honor of the first pastry chef who made this sweet.

Here are several posts where I share with you how to make perfect macarons.

Makronen are a traditional Christmas cookie in Germany. Its production is documented at least since the 16th century, although it is considered likely that its origin comes from Italy. An evolution that has adapted to the culture and customs of the country.

The term “macaron” has existed in the French language since then, and in 1604, a cookbook published in Liège also mentions macarons. This pastry has been known in Germany since the 17th century.