When the publisher of The Macaroon Moon: A Book of Poems and Rhymes for Children issued the book this year, it found that children across the country don't know what a macaroon is!
(PRWEB) October 9, 2004 -- When the publisher of The Macaroon Moon: A Book of Poems and Rhymes for Children (visit www.wandahaan.com) issued the book this year, it was in for a surprise. Children across the country dont know what a macaroon is!
Well versed in Oreos and Hydrox cookies, kids at focus groups and readings from the book were all unsure about the meaning of macaroon. One brave, little boy at the Cheshire, Connecticut Public Library guessed that macaroons were sneakers. He may have been influenced by the bright red sneakers worn by an Hispanic girl in the cut paper art on the cover of the hardback, full-color, 32-page book.
Many children in the three to eight age group, the target audience for the book, thought a macaroon might be associated with a Big Mac or macaroni and cheese.
Even parents were confused by the marvelous morsel known as a macaroon. After all, the cookie doesnt receive much shelf space in the average supermarket. Suddenly, The Macaroon Moon childrens book was taking on the mission of helping to take macaroons off the endangered cookies list!
After the initial surprise, the fact that parents and their children were confused by macaroons started to make sense to the publisher. Donald Christensen, the artist and art director for the book, and the staff for the publisher, Southfarm Press in Middletown, Connecticut, had many discussions about how to illustrate a macaroon. Because Wanda Haan, the books author, had passed away in early 2003 before the book was published, she couldnt be consulted.
Anyone who knows about the cookie has a different idea about what constitutes a macaroon. To some, the macaroon is a soft, 3/8th inch high, coconut cookie similar to what Archway Cookies
sells as macaroons on supermarket shelves. But to macaroon purists, the real macaroon is something completely different.
Brainydictionary.com defines a macaroon as a small cake, composed chiefly of the white of eggs, almonds and sugar. Purists dont consider coconut to be an ingredient of a true macaroon. Cookie history has it that macaroons originated in an Italian monastery around 1790. The cookies name itself is derived from the Italian dialect word, maccarone, which means dumpling. However many cultures are familiar with the macaroon. In German, the macaroon is makrone; in Norwegian its makron; and in Spanish its macarron.
If you are already mooning over macaroons, and dont have time to make your own, there are several Web Sites that offer the endangered cookie:
For two macaroons stuck together with a flavored filling, two bakeries in Paris have a wonderful selection of flavors-- www.crustulum.com and www.laduree.fr; for lightly toasted coconut macaroons online, click on www.vermontcountrystore.com (they recommend microwaving their macaroons for 10 seconds); www.melfersmacaroons.com states that each of its macaroons is a decadent dessert; and www.mcaroons.com offers a mound of coconut with slivered almonds dipped or drizzled in or with chocolate.
However, none of these online offerings are a traditional macaroon. To make your own, simple traditional macaroon, try the following recipe for 30 macaroons from an old Fanny Farmer Cookbook:
Mix thoroughly with your hands ½ pound almond paste (homemade or packaged). Add, little by little 1 cup sugar and 3 egg whites, unbeaten. Blend thoroughly and sift in 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons pastry or cake flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Cover cookie sheets with unglazed paper. Put teaspoonfuls of the mixture on the paper or shape with a pastry bag and tube. Flatten with fingers dipped in cold water. Cover and let stand 2 hours or more. Bake 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Put the paper on a damp cloth and remove the macaroons."
It was this traditional macaroon that art director Donald Christensen illustrated in The Macaroon Moon. The childrens book can be ordered at www.wandahaan.com.
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