Description
Delight in the exquisite Pistachio Macarons, featuring delicate almond and pistachio flour shells paired with a luscious Laduree-style pistachio cream filling. Perfectly crisp on the outside and chewy inside, these elegant French treats are ideal for special occasions or a refined everyday indulgence.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For Pistachio Macaron Shells:
- 60 g fine almond flour
- 40 g fine pistachio flour
- 65 g powdered sugar
- 70 g egg whites at room temperature
- 75 g fine granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon green gel food coloring (Wilton Kelly green)
For Laduree Pistachio Creme Filling:
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 egg yolks
- 55 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 20 g pure pistachio paste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, Teflon sheets, or silicone mats to prepare for piping the macarons.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift together almond flour, pistachio flour, and powdered sugar twice to ensure smooth, lump-free mixture. Discard any chunky bits remaining in the sifter.
- Make Meringue: In a clean mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 30-40 minutes. Add a drop of green gel food coloring and continue beating until stiff peaks form, where meringue holds sharp points and forms a ball inside the whisk.
- Make Macaron Batter: Sift the dry ingredients again into the meringue. Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue gently but thoroughly, continuing to fold until the batter flows like lava and can draw a figure-eight within about 10 seconds.
- Pipe Macaron Shells: Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart onto prepared sheets, using a template for even sizing. Tap the baking sheets on the counter several times to release air bubbles and burst any large bubbles with a toothpick.
- Rest Macarons: Let the piped macarons rest at room temperature for 15 minutes until a skin forms on the surface, aiding in smooth tops.
- Bake Macarons: Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack of the oven, placing an empty sheet on the top rack to prevent browning. Bake for 18 minutes. Test doneness by lightly touching; macarons should be firm and base should not move.
- Cool Shells: Allow macarons to cool completely on baking mats before carefully peeling them off to avoid cracking.
- Make Pistachio Creme Filling: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water, bring to a boil and cook without stirring until syrup reaches 250°F (120°C), about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks in a bowl until doubled and pale, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour hot syrup into egg yolks while mixing on low speed. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until cooled to 104°F (40°C) and mixture is smooth and white. Beat in butter, pistachio paste, and optional green food coloring until smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag.
- Assemble Macarons: Pair shells by size and line them bottom side up on a wire rack. Pipe a dollop of pistachio cream onto the bottom shells, then gently press top shells over the filling to spread evenly to the edges.
- Mature and Serve: Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours to mature, allowing flavors to meld and shells to soften. Bring to room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use super fine almond flour to ensure smooth macaron tops; weigh ingredients before sifting for accuracy.
- Homemade pistachio flour can be made by pulsing pistachios in a food processor and sifting out fine flour.
- Commercial powdered sugar is preferred as it contains cornstarch which improves texture; avoid making your own.
- Use fine granulated or caster sugar for meringue as it dissolves quickly and produces a stable structure.
- Cream of tartar is optional but helps stabilize the egg whites and creates sturdier meringue for better results.
- Pistachio paste can be homemade or store bought; it adds authentic flavor to the buttercream filling.
- Macaronage (folding) technique is crucial; fold about 50 times and test often to avoid over or under mixing.
- Store macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze after maturing for up to 3 months.
- Resting the piped shells before baking helps develop the classic macaron ‘feet’ and smooth surfaces.
- Baking one sheet at a time ensures even heat distribution and better results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 filled macaron
- Calories: 95 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
