Recipe Manuscript

To Make Mackerons

Name: To Make Mackerons
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT20M
Yield: 18
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 450 grams blanched almonds; 1–2 teaspoons rose water; 4 large egg whites; Caster sugar (for dusting)

1675

From the treasured pages of Medicinal and cookery recipes by John King

Written by John King

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert Snack

Original Recipe • 1675

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make Mackerons

"take a pound of almonds blanch them in hot water and put them into cold then dry them in a cloth and beate them in a stone morter drope in now and then a littel ros water to keep them from oyling and when ye are beate indifferent fine then put in as lite ros water as posibel then put in the whites of 4 eges whisk up to a froth and stor them well together and lay them out on papers with out wafers and back them on shets of tin and when ye are risen and have a fine coler & wel enough draw them and when ye are a littel cold take them of ye papers remeber to searce on suger when ye goe into ye oven and it will make them looke as if ye were icst"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the loose, instructive style of early modern English cookery, with little in the way of precise measurements or temperatures. Spellings are phonetic and variable: 'mackerons' for macaroons, 'oyling' for creaming or turning oily, 'searce on suger' for sifting sugar. Directions presume practical knowledge, giving only essential cues about color, texture, and handling. Egg sizes and almond varieties could vary, and recipe writers trusted the cook to use intuition. Abbreviations like 'ye' for 'the' are period-correct, and 'beate indifferent fine' means to grind to a moderate fineness—not a paste.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Medicinal and cookery recipes by John King - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Medicinal and cookery recipes by John King (1675)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

John King

Era

1675

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful journey into the kitchens of the 17th and early 18th centuries, this collection, attributed to John King, brims with time-honored recipes, culinary wisdom, and flavors that once graced historic tables.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for 'mackerons' comes from manuscript V.a.490, compiled between 1625 and 1725, and associated with John King, a period when manuscript recipe collections flourished among the English gentry. Macaroons (or 'mackerons') of this period were among the earliest almond confections, predating and inspiring the French-style macaron we know today. The recipe reflects a time of global trade: almonds and rose water arrived via Mediterranean and Middle Eastern routes, and sugar had become both status symbol and flavoring. Such recipes were prized for festive tables and as confections gifted and displayed during banquets.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Originally, this recipe would have been made with a stone mortar and pestle to grind the almonds by hand, a linen or flaxen cloth for drying, and a whisk made of bundled twigs or fine wood for frothing the egg whites. Confections were baked on sheets of hand-beaten tin, with the mixture shaped and portioned onto sheets of paper. Sifting sugar would have been done through a fine sieve. Hot, wood-fired ovens required careful attention, judging doneness by color and lift.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 pound (16 ounces) blanched almonds
1–2 teaspoons rose water
4 large egg whites
Caster sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

To make historical 'mackerons', start with 1 pound (16 ounces) of blanched almonds.
Blanch them by pouring boiling water over the almonds, letting them sit briefly, then slipping off their skins and cooling them in cold water.
Dry thoroughly in a clean cloth.
Grind the almonds in a food processor or mortar and pestle, adding a few droplets of rose water (no more than 1–2 teaspoons total) occasionally to prevent the nuts from becoming oily.
When the mixture is finely ground but not a paste, whisk four large egg whites to a frothy texture, but not stiff peaks.
Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the almond mixture until well blended.
Spoon or pipe small mounds (about tablespoon size) onto parchment paper placed on baking trays (tin sheets in the past).
Sift a generous layer of caster sugar over the tops before baking.
Bake in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for 18–22 minutes, or until risen and golden.
Allow to cool slightly, then carefully remove from the paper.
These are delicate, almondy, fragrant confections—a predecessor to the modern macaron.

Estimated Calories

140 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend about 20 minutes preparing the almonds and mixing the ingredients. Baking takes another 20 minutes. Each serving contains about 140 calories if you make 18 macaroons from this recipe.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.