PISTACHIO MACARONS

Another attempt at macarons today! I’ve been loving all things pistachio lately, most of which has been pistachio ice cream. There’s something so subtly sweet yet savory about this flavor, while also making sure to leave behind a distinct note. Pistachio ended up being my favorite flavor macaron when I had a variety at Laduree last summer, so being on this pistachio obsession, I naturally wanted to try making some myself. 

(I’m convinced that starting the day with some macarons, french press coffee, and fresh flowers is the recipe for happiness.)

I used the same recipe as the green tea white chocolate macarons, except subbed the matcha for ground pistachios, and used pistachio buttercream for the filling. 

Pistachio Macarons

Adapted from Artful Food and Sugary & Buttery

Makes 10-15 macarons

Pistachio Shell

100g whites (3 large eggs; aged 12-24 hours at cool room temp, covered with plastic wrap poked with holes)

40g granulated white sugar

190g powdered sugar

120g almond flour

Up to 5g finely ground pistachios (pulse in a food processor)

Pistachio Buttercream

2 sticks butter, room temperature

2 egg whites, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup pistachios, very finely ground (almost paste-like)

2 drops green food coloring

To make the shells: Grind almonds, powdered sugar, and ground pistachios in food processor until very fine. Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar to make a stiff meringue. Fold together powdered mix and meringue until mixture resembles slowly flowing lava. Fill a piping bag and pipe 1.5 diameter evenly spaced blobs onto lined baking sheets. Decorate the shells when still moist. Let shells sit out for 30-60 min in a cool dry place until they don’t stick when lightly poked. Bake one sheet at a time in the center of a convection oven for 15 min at 280 F till just set (doesn’t wobble when nudged) and not brown (turn down heat if browning before set). Let cool completely, remove shells from sheet, match up the shells according to size and fill them. Store in the fridge overnight to allow macarons to mature in texture and flavor. Serve at room temperature for most intense flavor and creamiest texture.

To make buttercream: Beat the egg whites until foamy, then beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, then add the granulated sugar. On high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff and glossy, about 2-3 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the powdered sugar and turn the mixer on high speed. Beat the buttercream until light and fluffy, then add the pistachios and food color and keep beating for another 1-2 minutes.

To assemble: Stack the macaron shells together based on size and line them up in two rows on two clean baking sheets. Remove the top shells to reveal the overturned bottom shell. Using a rubber spatula, fill a round-tip fitted piping bag with the buttercream. Pipe a dollop of buttercream in the center of each overturned bottom shell. Test the amount of filling by sandwiching the two shells together. Adjust the dollop size as needed to achieve a shell:filling ratio of 2:1 or 3:1.

Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the fridge over night and enjoy the next day. For longer storage, transfer to the freezer and store for up to 2 months. Be sure to defrost at room temperature before savoring.