Pistachio Macarons

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: filled macarons

Calories: 103kcal

We made these pistachio macarons with homemade pistachio flour and pistachio paste. Keep in mind, pistachio cream filling is naturally softer filling, but carefully follow the directions to achieve perfectly creamy and thick filling.

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Ingredients

For Pistachio Macaron Shells:

60 g fine almond flour Note 1
40 g fine pistachio flour Note 2
75 g powdered sugar Note 3
70 g egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar Note 4
75 g caster sugar Note 5
1/8 teaspoon green gel food coloring

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 Note 6

Instructions

To make pistachio macaron shells:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or teflon sheet. (TIP: For even air circulation, flip the baking sheets upside down.)
To prepare the dry ingredients, sift together almond flour, pistachio flour and powdered sugar twice. (TIP: If you have up to 1 tablespoon of chunky dry ingredients left in the sifter, you don't have to replace it. Simply discard those chunky bits.)
To make the meringue, in a clean mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium low speed until foamy. (I set it to speed 2 or 4 on my KitchenAid stand mixer.)
When egg whites are foamy, add cream of tartar and salt and continue to whisk.
Then slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time, while mixer is still running. Allow the sugar to dissolve after each addition.
When the meringue reaches soft peaks, add a drop of green gel food coloring. (I used Wilton Leaf Green or Americolor Green.)
Continue beating the egg whites on the same medium low speed until hard peaks form. Visual cues: Meringue should ball up inside the whisk, and when you lift the whisk, the meringue should hold a pointy end and have sharp ribs. (Watch my Meringue 101 video for more tips.)
To make the batter, sift the dry ingredients again into the meringue. And using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until fully incorporated. Then continue to fold the batter until it’s runny enough to draw a figure eight.
To test the batter, take a small amount of batter and drop it into the bowl. If the small peaks dissolve into the batter on its own in about 10 seconds, the batter is ready. If not, fold couple more times and test again. Be careful not to over-fold the batter. (TIP: Making french macarons is all about the technique. This is one of the most crucial steps. Let me try to describe the folding motion as best as I can: run the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half. If you’re beginner macaron-baker, I suggest to count every fold. It takes roughly about 50 folds to reach the proper consistency. After 50 folds, start testing the batter, and continue testing after every couple folds. Watch my real-time macaronage video.)
To pipe macaron shells, transfer the macaron batter into a pastry bag, fitted with a round tip. (I used this Wilton 2A tip.)
Hold the pastry bag at straight 90° angle and pipe about 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on prepared baking sheets. (TIP: I made a perfect macaron template for you. Simply pipe the batter to fill inner circle.)
Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter (or using your hand) a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. You can also use a toothpick to burst some large air bubbles. This step ensures smooth tops.
Let the macarons sit out on the counter for at least 15-30 minutes, maybe up to couple hours, depending on humidity. When you lightly touch the macarons and the batter does not stick to your finger, then it’s ready to go into the oven.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). (Note: Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 30 minutes. I don't use convection settings. I set my oven to heat from top and bottom.)
To bake, working one baking sheet at a time, place one tray with macarons on the middle rack. (TIP: To prevent browning, place an empty baking sheet on top rack to shield the heat.) Bake for about 15-18 minutes. It’ll take longer for larger macarons.
To test for doneness, touch one macaron lightly and try to move it. If it slides and wobbles, bake a minute or so longer. The cooked macarons should be firm to touch and the base shouldn’t move. (TIP: It’s always better to slightly over-bake macarons than under-bake them!)
Cool the macarons completely on the baking mats before peeling them off.

To make Laduree pistachio creme filling:

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring it constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Then continue to cook until the syrup reaches 250°F (120°C), about 5 minutes.
Simultaneously, start beating egg yolks in a mixing bowl with whisk attachment until it's doubled in size and becomes pale in color, about 2 minutes.
While the mixer is running on low speed, slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg yolks. Pour the syrup into the side of the bowl, instead of the whisk, so that it doesn't splatter.
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.
Stir in butter, pistachio paste and food coloring, if desired. Continue to beat the cream until nice and smooth. Then transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag with round tip.
To assemble macarons, pair the macaron shells by size and arrange them on a wire rack. Line them up so that bottom shells are upside down.
Pipe a dollop of filling on bottom shells. Place the top shell over the filling and press lightly so the filling spreads till the edges.
Store the filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours to mature, which allows the filling to soften and flavor the shells.
To serve, bring the macarons out about 30 minutes prior to serving.

Notes

Note 1: It’s best to use super fine almond flour to ensure smooth tops. Weigh the ingredients before sifting.

Note 2: I use homemade pistachio flour. To make pistachio flour, place about 80g of pistachios in a food processor and pulse until fine. Once the pistachios are broken into small pieces, sift through a sieve to remove fine pistachio flour. Then place the chunkier pieces back into the food processor and pulse again.

Note 3: I don’t recommend making your own powdered sugar, because commercial powdered sugar has cornstarch in it. And it helps with texture of the cookies.

Note 4: It’s important to use fine granulated sugar for meringue, as it dissolves quicker. You can also use caster sugar, aka baker’s sugar.

Note 5: Cream of tartar is optional and can be omitted. However, it helps to stabilize egg whites and create sturdier meringue. It’s just an extra insurance!

Note 6: Here's full tutorial on how to make homemade pistachio paste.

GOT MACARON TROUBLE? Check out my macaron troubleshooting guide.

STORING INSTRUCTIONS:
Store the filled macarons in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the filled macarons after maturing them in the fridge for 24 hours. The filled macarons can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition