Neither did I! It is also the International Day of Happiness. Perhaps macarons make you happy?!

I suspect National Macaron Day is celebrated in the States, but I’m not aware of it happening in France. Well, certainly not in my little corner of SW France.

A macaron is a French sandwich-style pâtisserie, made from almond flour, sugar, and egg whites. with a cream filling. It is not dissimilar to a biscuit. Imagine a custard cream but the two halves are made of meringue! Macarons come in a wide range of flavours and colours, including vanilla, chocolate, lavender, and rose.

The legend goes that macarons were brought to France, from Italy, by Catherine de Medici. This was on the occasion of her marriage to Henry II, in 1533.

Fun Fact: Macarons are about 100 calories. A cupcake can be up to 600 calories.

If you would like to see how to make macarons, here’s a link to watch Edd Kimber, champion of BBC’s Great British Bake Off, sharing his expert knowledge for baking picture-perfect macarons:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/macarons

Do you like macarons? I have to confess that I don’t. They’re far too sweet for me!