[poem + recipe] swoon and croon for macaroons

~ jama

Fancy a macaroon?

American Fireside Poet James Russell Lowell elevates a humble cookie to romantic delectability in his amusing recipe poem. I wish Eleanor would make some of her macaroons for my birthday. 🙂

Chromolithograph after a drawing by Hugo Bürkner (1878).
ELEANOR MAKES MACAROONS
by James Russell Lowell

Light of triumph in her eyes,
Eleanor her apron ties;
As she pushes back her sleeves,
High resolve her bosom heaves.
Hasten, cook! impel the fire
To the pace of her desire;
As you hope to save your soul,
Bring a virgin casserole,
Brightest bring of silver spoons,—
Eleanor makes macaroons!

Almond-blossoms, now adance
In the smile of Southern France,
Leave your sport with sun and breeze,
Think of duty, not of ease;
Fashion, ’neath their jerkins brown,
Kernels white as thistle-down,
Tiny cheeses made with cream
From the Galaxy’s mid-stream,
Blanched in light of honeymoons,—
Eleanor makes macaroons!

Now for sugar,—nay, our plan
Tolerates no work of man.
Hurry, then, ye golden bees;
Fetch your clearest honey, please,
Garnered on a Yorkshire moor,
While the last larks sing and soar,
From the heather-blossoms sweet
Where sea-breeze and sunshine meet,
And the Augusts mask as Junes,—
Eleanor makes macaroons!

Next the pestle and mortar find,
Pure rock-crystal,—these to grind
Into paste more smooth than silk,
Whiter than the milkweed’s milk:
Spread it on a rose-leaf, thus,
Cate to please Theocritus;
Then the fire with spices swell,
While, for her completer spell,
Mystic canticles she croons,—
Eleanor makes macaroons!

Perfect! and all this to waste
On a graybeard’s palsied taste!
Poets so their verses write,
Heap them full of life and light,
And then fling them to the rude
Mumbling of the multitude.
Not so dire her fate as theirs,
Since her friend this gift declares
Choicest of his birthday boons,—
Eleanor’s dear macaroons!

(February 22, 1884)

~ from Heartsease and Rue (Houghton Mifflin, 1888)

*

Macaroon or macaron — which was Eleanor actually making? Indeed, there might be some confusion, since people often say ‘macaroon’ when they mean ‘macaron’ and vice versa.

Most of us recognize macaroons as soft drop cookies made with shredded coconut, sugar, and egg whites. They’re often enjoyed during Passover as they don’t contain any flour or leavening.

Macarons, on the other hand, are colorful French meringue based confections consisting of buttercream, ganache, or jam filling sandwiched between two airy discs. (Purists maintain macarons are not a sandwich cookie but a pastry.)

Well, if you want to get technical, Eleanor wasn’t making either of these, but rather their precursor, the almond macaroon. Both coconut macaroons and French macarons were derived from it.

Suffice to say, it’s a tangled history, one that involves legend and theory. However, most historians tend to agree that the almond macaroon originated in Italy (probably Venice), and then was transported to France where it was refined by pâtissier techniques (the French love to do this sort of thing). The word ‘macaroon’ comes from the Italian “maccarone” (paste), which was in turn derived from “ammaccare” (to crush), a reference to almond paste, the original ingredient in macaroons.

Arab invaders had introduced almonds to Italy in the 7th century; egg whites and sugar were then added to make the cookie. After Italian Jews adapted the cookie for their Passover celebrations, this custom soon spread all over Europe. By the time the late 19th century rolled around, ground almonds had been replaced with shredded coconut for ease of transport. It soon became a popular baking ingredient, especially in America.

When Lowell penned his poem, almond macaroons were likely the mainstay, with the coconut variation just beginning to curry favor. We learn in this poem that for Eleanor, making macaroons was quite a lofty enterprise. Lowell implies that poets write with equally grand intention and studied purpose, adding their best ingredients to their poems, yet when it comes to appreciation, the cookie wins every time.

*

🐝 JAMA MAKES MACAROONS 🥥

I can assure you there were no heaving bosoms in the making of my almond macaroons, nor were my almonds “blanched in light of honeymoons.” Sorry, no crooning of mystic canticles upon approaching completion, and since modern macaroon recipes call for sugar rather than honey, I’m afraid any golden bees on a Yorkshire moor were out of luck.

Still, my historically conscious macaroons turned out well. So easy to make with just four ingredients pulsed together in the food processor (goodbye laborious mortar and pestle). A little crispy on the outside, chewy and moist on the inside. I like them better than coconut macaroons, because you get the sweetness and nutty flavor without the stringy texture of coconut. Eleanor was definitely onto something!

The addition of almond extract definitely put this little cookie over the top. Lovely with tea or to nibble on with an after dinner liqueur (that’s how Lowell’s peers liked them), these almond macaroons, dare I say, are almost as good as a lovingly crafted poem. Cookies get eaten up, but poems live on forever (are you listening, Mr. Lowell?).

I hate to brag, but right now, the “light of triumph” is shining in my eyes. Should I change my name to “Eleanor”? 😀

Almond Macaroons

  • Servings: 16 cookies
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole almonds (preferably blanched)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • pinch of salt
  • confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
  • 16 whole almonds

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a baking sheet or use parchment paper.
  2. Pulse 1 cup almonds with granulated sugar in a food processor until ground fine. Add egg white, almond extract and a pinch of salt until combined.
  3. Roll mixture into 16 balls (about 1 inch in diameter), then arrange about 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Slightly flatten balls and dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Gently press 1 almond into each cookie.
  4. Bake macaroons about 10 minutes, or until pale golden. Transfer macaroons to a rack and cool completely. They will keep 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tips: You may use 1/2 instead of 2/3 cup of sugar if desired.
~ Adapted from Epicurious, as posted at Jama’s Alphabet Soup.
No heaving bosoms here either.

*

Lovely and talented Carol Varsalona is hosting the Roundup at Beyond LiteracyLink. Sashay on over to check out the full menu of poetic goodness being served up around the blogosphere this week. Make some almond macaroons for your sweetie this weekend (heaving bosoms optional). Happy Valentine’s Day! xo

*Copyright © 2024 Eleanor Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

36 thoughts on “[poem + recipe] swoon and croon for macaroons”

  2. Pingback: dessert recipe archive | Jama's Alphabet Soup

  3. Nope, no Eleanor…you are so perfectly JAMA! Thank you for the macaroon/macaron/macaroni lesson! I did not know the difference, and now I do! Yours looks so perfect to munch with this Bigelow salted caramel tea I am currently obsessed with. xo

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Each part’s a delight, the poet’s Eleanor & your own examination of this, now I know, historic cookie, Jama. From Macron to Rooney, a chuckle all the way through. I love the sardonic lines “Mumbling of the multitude. Not so dire her fate as theirs, and on”, a poem story that feels praiseworthy of dear Eleanor, and those macaroons he’s waiting for. Have a lovely weekend!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Jama, your blog post is simply delicious. I am a baker of coconut macaroons to the point that some of my friends consider them a true delicacy. They became a specialty at the recent Ladies Winter Wonderland Tea Party that I chaired with friends. I dip mine in chocolate for extra zing. I try different recipes and do like Susan Branch’s. Your recipe sounds heavenly so I will try that also for a Valentine treat. So, yes, you delighted me with this post. The poem and artwork give me plenty to think about as I bake this week. Will the light of triumph shine for me with this new recipe. The little grandgirls will let me know. Thank you for a humorous and delectable start to my day.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate? YES, please!! They sound scrumptious, Carol. Len LOVES coconut too. Haven’t tried Susan’s recipe yet (they’re all good!).

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Yum, yum, 😋 such a delicious post, fantastic poem, the movement reminds me of “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” I did love that 3rd stanza with all the 🐝 s. I used to make the original macaroons with almonds, how my mother loved them. Thanks for igniting my morning Jama, wishing you and all the 🐻s a lovely Valentines Day! 💙all your pics too! (Think I used enough 💙s in there…)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for such a cheery, emoji-rich comment, Michelle. I like the poem’s rhythm too. Nice to hear you used to make almond macaroons (any heaving bosoms involved)? 😀 Happy Valentine’s Day to you too!

      Like

  9. Dear Eleanor Jama, this post made me smile from the poem to the Macron chart (hilarious!) and all the heaving bosoms in between. I’m okay without a macaroon today; this post made my day!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Jama, first, I lurrrrve macaroons! At the top of your post, I was saying to myself: I hope she posts the recipe, I hope she posts the recipe! You did not disappoint! : ) Secondly, I had to laugh aloud at two points during your post: a graybeard’s palsied taste, and all of the talk of heaving bosoms. Loved this post!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Glad those heaving bosoms made you laugh, Tracy. I seldom hear the word bosom these days. It’s more boobs or boobies (or breast when being politically correct).

      Like

  11. OK, Jama, you have got me hooked. I’m going to make these soon! When I saw the cookies, they reminded me of the Chinese almond cookies, which are more like shortbread. But these soft in the middle, like a coconut macaroon with the stringiness, sound heavenly. I love all things macaroon/macaron (macaroni and Mickey Rooney too). The poem about Eleanor has such a fun cadence and rhyming. Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Thanks for a fun post–love the historical journey. I have made similar almond macaroonies for Passover (vanilla extract instead of almond, because for some reason almond extract gives me a headache.) Am saving your recipe, and will dedicate them to Mickey Rooney!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Oh, yes! Please… a macaroon would be lovely! Eleanor has certainly been busy as her bees. Enjoy these sweet goodies, and thanks for sharing. Maybe I should try writing one of these wry poems about my hubby making amaretti. Or my mother’s coconut oatmeal macaroons. That will be a project for another day. Have a Happy Valentine’s week… cheers!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. I’m dying. My bosom might just be heaving a bit with laughter – Jeff’s, too, as I made him come look at your infographic. LOVE THIS POST - and thank you for clarifying the oh-so-confusing macaroon/macaron descriptions – Delighted to learn they both trace their roots to this yummy almond source. Thanks for the recipe – and the humor today! xo

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Unfortunately, macaroons and macarons are not my thing… might be the coconut? But I buy them every year for my mom (the macaroons) because she loves them. And I loved the “six degrees of” Macron to Mickey Rooney !

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The almond macaroons are a good alternative to those who don’t like coconut. As for macarons, some flavors are better than others. I love vanilla macarons. 🙂

      Like

  16. Hahaha–love the graphic of all the “almost macarons.” And

    Garnered on a Yorkshire moor, While the last larks sing and soar, From the heather-blossoms sweet Where sea-breeze and sunshine meet, And the Augusts mask as Junes,

    Gorgeous description. Thanks, Jama!

    —

    Liked by 1 person

  17. What a fun and delicious post! The imagery in the poem, from heaving bosom to the glories of Yorkshire bees, is fabulous. Your progression of photos made me laugh out loud. (It’s always good to incorporate a bit of humor as a bit of leavening in a busy kitchen!) I have already printed off the recipe and can’t wait to give it a whirl.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. I just remembered a macaroon that someone used to make for Christmas with a bright red maraschino cherry on top. They were pretty and delicious! Time to bake!

    Liked by 1 person

  19. What a delight! I’ve only ever had the coconut macaroon and the traditional French macaron. I must try this recipe. The fun poem was made richer by your commentary and of course, the adorable photos.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Well, Eleanor, née Jama, I love your pick this week and love the Macron-to-Mickey Rooney glossary, lol!

    And this is a wonderful recipe that my gluten-free daughter can enjoy too! Win, win, win! 😀 ❤️❤️

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.