
Pattern Name: Macaroons
Inspired by: the delicious little sweet treat
Though macaroons are wrongly considered French, they originated in Italy in a monastery around the 8th or 9th century. It is believed that macaroons came to France in circa 1533 brought by the pastry chefs of Catherine de Medici, the wife of King Henry II, and the French pâtissier techniques further refined it. The word macaroon comes from the Italian word ammaccare, which means to crush -- almond paste was the main macaroon ingredient. Interestingly, almonds were introduced to Italians by the Arab invaders in the 7th century. By the 18th century, the French turned the macaroon on its head and refined it to a fine delicacy. Instead of making a boring cookie, they made two round cookies with the basic macaroon recipe, baked them and added varied fillings in the centre. They even coloured the cookies to coordinate with particular events, themes, or holidays. The macaroons as we know of them today came into being in the late 19th century when the almonds in the recipe were replaced by shredded coconut since the latter was easier and sturdier to pack and did not spoil quickly.
This pattern can be used on a wide range of wearable and functional products.
This pattern is available for licencing or buyout.