Why it works: Almond and orange are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,125 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Macaroons-moist
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a medium oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Blend the almonds with orange-flower water to a paste.
Make the mixture
In a saucepan, combine the almond paste and sugar; stir over low heat until it forms a string.
Let the mixture cool slightly, then fold in the egg whites.
Add the chopped green angelica and candied orange peel.
Shape and bake
Using a piping bag, pipe rounds onto wafer paper.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) until set.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Almond + orangetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,125 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Almond + angelicatop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together135 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
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Orange + angelicatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together159 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
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Almond + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,679 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
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Orange + sugartop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together19,212 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Orange and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,212 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Blanched jordan almonds
- Form the main body of the macaroon, providing structure and a rich, nutty flavour.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the mixture and helps it form a syrupy string when heated with the almond paste.
- Egg whites
- Add moisture and lightness, helping the mixture set as it bakes.
- Candied orange peel
- Adds sweet, bitter citrus flavour and moist texture throughout the macaroons.
- Green angelica
- Adds an aromatic, herbal note and a little colour to the macaroons.
The step that matters
Stirring the almond paste and sugar over low heat. Heating the paste with sugar must be gentle and watched closely; if it overheats, the sugar can crystallise or caramelise and the texture turns grainy or dark. Stop once it forms a string, then cool slightly before folding in the egg whites so they do not cook or deflate.
Swap the angelica
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (almond, orange, sugar, egg):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Gingerfits about as well
- Angelicathe original
Fit is the average pairing score against almond, orange, sugar, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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