Despite its reputation as a French delight, the colorful meringue sandwich cookie originated in Venetian monasteries in the eighth century. (Back then, the basic sweets made from almonds, sugar, and egg whites weren’t nearly as pretty to look at.) Story has it that Catherine de' Medici, who arrived in France in 1533 to marry King Henry II, introduced the elites of the Valois court to the maccherone, courtesy of her Italian pastry chef. It quickly became a favorite among French nobility.
