Macarrones de leche: the Mexican sweet of rolled milk caramel

What is it?

Macarrones de leche are a traditional Mexican sweet made of a firm paste of milk caramelised with sugar (similar to a hard cajeta), shaped into small rolls or cylinders 5-7 cm long and wrapped in bright coloured cellophane twisted at the ends like sweets. Their texture is dense, chewy, fudge-like, and their flavour concentrates the deep sweetness of milk slowly cooked with sugar until caramelisation. They are sold in markets, regional confectioneries and fairs of central Mexico, especially in the Bajío, the State of Mexico and Mexico City. Together with borrachitos, jamoncillos and coconut sweets, they form part of the classic catalogue of Mexican fair sweets, colourful and affordable.

Origin and history

Macarrones de leche derive from the New Spanish convent milk sweets of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, heirs of the confectionery techniques brought by Spanish and Portuguese nuns. The word "macarrón" in this context does not refer to Italian dried pasta, but to an old sense of the term that in convent confectionery referred to an elongated sweet of dough or firm paste. Larousse Cocina records that macarrón de leche is a direct relative of jamoncillo, the milk sweet in bar form, and of solid cajeta. México Desconocido notes that traditional confectioneries in central Mexico, especially in Puebla, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico and Mexico City, have made macarrones de leche since the nineteenth century as a popular and economical product. Bakeries and confectioneries in markets such as La Merced, San Juan and Sonora in Mexico City keep these sweets alive. The wrapping in colourful cellophane paper is a twentieth-century invention to facilitate distribution and preserve the sweet.

Characteristic ingredients

Making macarrón de leche is simple but demanding: whole cow's or goat's milk, refined sugar, a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, vanilla and sometimes cinnamon. It is cooked over medium heat for 2-3 hours, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent it from sticking to the bottom and to incorporate air that whitens and softens the paste. When it reaches the "firm ball stage" (118-120 °C), it is poured onto cooled marble or a greased surface and worked with a spatula until it becomes malleable. Still warm, it is shaped into small rolls by hand and left to harden. Once cold, they are wrapped in coloured cellophane paper: pink, yellow, green, orange or blue, twisting the ends to secure the wrap. Variants include macarrones with chopped walnut, orange zest, coffee or flavoured with strawberry or vanilla essences. The best are the artisanal ones made in a copper pan.

Cultural significance

Macarrones de leche are an inseparable part of the landscape of traditional Mexican markets and of the regional confectioneries of central Mexico. In Mexico City they are found in the markets of Sonora, La Merced, Coyoacán and Jamaica, sold by confectioners who also offer jamoncillos, cocadas, palanquetas and borrachitos. In the State of Mexico, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Hidalgo they are made in family workshops with inherited methods. The sweet is included in the catalogue of the confectionery heritage of central Mexico and, although it has no official denomination of origin, it forms part of the collective Mexican gastronomic imagination. The economy of the macarrón supports small artisanal producers and confectioners who compete with difficulty against industrial confectionery. Traditional Mexican cuisine recognised by UNESCO includes regional confectionery among its expressions, and the macarrón is an example of popular creativity in transforming milk and sugar into a simple, identifying sweet recognisable at a glance.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a macarrón de leche and a jamoncillo?

The jamoncillo is sold as a large rectangular bar from which portions are cut, generally with embedded walnuts, while the macarrón de leche comes in small individual rolls wrapped in cellophane. They share the base of caramelised milk with sugar but differ in shape, presentation and sometimes in texture: the macarrón can be creamier.

What do macarrones de leche taste like?

They taste of deeply caramelised milk, with concentrated sweetness, toasted notes of cooked sugar and sometimes touches of vanilla or cinnamon. The texture is dense, chewy, fudge-like, melting slowly in the mouth and releasing the milky flavour. Some have walnut embedded which provides crunch and toasted notes.

How are macarrones de leche served?

They are eaten as they are, as an individual on-the-go sweet or as a meal-end, removing the cellophane wrap. They go ideally with a black coffee, an atole or an infusion. They are common in mixed boxes of typical sweets as a gift, on sweet tables at parties and as a treat at family after-dinner gatherings. Their modest price makes them accessible to everyone.

Where do macarrones de leche originate?

They originate from central Mexico, heirs of the New Spanish convent confectionery of the seventeenth-eighteenth centuries, with a particularly strong tradition in Puebla, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico and Mexico City. The basic formula of caramelised milk with sugar is pan-European, but the presentation in small rolls and the use of colourful cellophane paper are Mexican adaptations of the twentieth century.