Pistachio Macarons

Classic Pistachio Macarons filled with Ladurée pistachio cream. Simply the best!

A little over 4 years ago, I was in my dream city with my dream guy.

Since I was dreaming about this gorgeous city for a loooong time, my list of must-visit places was quite big and Ladurée was high on that list. And I was ecstatic when we walked into the famous Ladurée shop on Champs-Ellyses. Long lines didn’t bother me at all, I was in awe of their beautiful desserts and treats. One of my most favorite flavors of Ladurée macarons was pistachio macarons. Pure heaven!

As soon as we came back home, I went straight to my Laduree Macarons book and searched for their pistachio macaron recipe. And I found it on page 40!!!

[I get a lot of questions about this white serving dish. I bought this particular one at a local thrift store, but I found similar one on amazon.com.]

TIPS FOR MACARON SUCCESS:

• It’s crucial to sift the dry ingredients a few times 1. to aerate the mixture, 2. to mix all the ingredients, and 3. to remove any big chunks of almond or pistachio flour.
• Make sure all the utensils for beating egg whites are completely grease-free. Just a touch of oil, or egg yolk has the power of ruining your meringue. Some advise to wipe the bowl and whisk with vinegar, but I don’t really bother with that, because I use stainless steel bowl and whisk. And just washing and drying with a clean towel does the trick for me.
• Be careful not to include even the smallest drop of egg yolk in the egg whites. Egg yolk=oil. See the above note.
• Don’t beat the egg whites on high speed right away. Instead start on medium low speed then slowly increase the speed for the sturdy meringue.
• Gently fold the batter after adding the dry ingredients. If this is your first time making the macarons, it helps if you count each fold. It usually takes me about 50-60 folds to get to proper consistency. I no longer count, but it helped a lot when I was learning.
• Making macarons is all about technique, and it’s important to learn the folding technique right from the start. At the beginning the batter is quite thick, but it’ll get thinner as you fold. Be careful not to over-mix, or the batter will get too runny and the cookies will spread too much. Overmixing also results in hollow macarons. And don’t be tempted to undermix the batter to avoid overmixing, because then the macarons won’t have smooth top and won’t have pretty ruffled bottom. I made this full tutorial video. At 2:25 on the video, I showed you how to know when the batter is just right.
• Make sure the macaron shells are dried sufficiently before baking. It can take from 10min up to couple hours, depending on the humidity. For me, it usually takes 15-20 minutes. If you don’t dry the shells prior to baking, your macarons won’t have those pretty feet.

MORE USEFUL TIPS:

• Room temperature egg whites whip better and faster.
• Make your own pistachio flour by grinding shelled pistachios in a coffee grinder.
• Use gel food coloring, instead of liquid ones. I use this Wilton Leaf Green.
• Try to pipe uniform circles for even baking. Mine doesn’t always turn out perfect, because I pipe free-hand. If you want to be precise, you can print out little circles and place it under the parchment paper for guidance.

I have a detailed post about pistachio cream filling with lots of tips for success and troubleshooting common issues.

Hope you’ll enjoy your very own pistachio macarons soon. And if you make this recipe, please leave a review below. Thank you!!!

Pistachio Macarons

Follow my easy step-by-step photo tutorial to these Classic Pistachio Macarons filled with Ladurée pistachio cream. Simply the best!

3.93 from 14 votes

Cook: 20 minutes

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Ingredients

For Macaron Shells:

• 2/3 cup 60gr ground almond flour
• 1/3 cup 40gr ground pistachio flour*
• ¾ cup 100gr powdered sugar
• 2 large egg whites about 70gr
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼ cup 50gr sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon green gel food coloring

For Filling:

• 1/3 cup 65gr sugar
• 2 tablespoons 30ml water
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 oz 55gr unsalted butter, softened
• 3 teaspoons 20gr pure pistachio paste (I used my homemade version)

Helpful Equipment:

• • Pastry bag with Wilton Extra Large Round Tip #1

Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result!

Instructions

• In medium bowl, sift together almond flour, pistachio flour and powdered sugar twice. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time. And beat until hard peaks. Add the food coloring (I used Wilton Leaf Green). Beat on medium speed for one more minute. (Watch this meringue video for more information.)
• Sift the dry ingredients over the whipped egg whites. Gently fold the mixture running the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. The batter will look very thick at first, but it will get thinner as you fold. Be careful not to over mix it though. Every so often test the batter to see if it reached the right consistency. To test the batter, drop a small amount of the batter and count to ten. If the edges of the ribbon are dissolved within ten seconds, then the batter is ready. I repeat, do NOT mix again. If you still see edges, fold the batter couple more times and test again. I posted a few pictures above to show you how just a few folding changes the consistency of the batter. This step is so crucial, so please make sure to test often to ensure not to over mix the batter.
• Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip. (I use this Wilton A1 large plain round tip.)
• Pipe out 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. You should get about roughly 54 shells.
• Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. If you don’t release the air bubbles, they will expand during baking and crack the beautiful macarons shells.
• Let the macarons rest and dry for 15-30 minutes. On a humid day, it might take an hour or so. To see if it’s ready to be baked, lightly touch it. If the batter doesn’t stick to your finger, then it’s ready. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
• Bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes. To check the doneness, remove one macaron. If the bottom does not stick, they are done.
• Transfer to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, and then remove from the baking sheets.
• While macarons are drying, prepare the pistachio cream. In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar and heat it over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then bring it to a boil and cook until the syrup reaches 250°F (120°C).
• In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks for 2 minutes. While the mixer is running on low, slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg yolks. Increase the speed to medium high, and beat the mixture until it cools down to 104°F (40°C). The mixture will become smooth and white.
• Add the butter a tablespoon at a time. Then add the pistachio paste and food coloring, if desired. Continue to beat the cream until nice and smooth.
• Transfer the pistachio cream into a pastry bag and fill the macarons. It’s best to serve macarons the next day.
• Store the filled macarons in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the filled macarons in airtight container for up to 5 months.

* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.

Author: Shinee

Did you make this?Show me your creation! Tag me @shineshka and hashtag it #sweetandsavorybyshinee!

This recipe was originally published on March 6th, 2015.

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