Best Pistachio Macarons Recipes

PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE MACARONS

Steps:

• Let egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pulse confectioners' sugar and pistachios in a food processor until powdery., Preheat oven to 350°. Add salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Fold in pistachio mixture., Cut a small hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag; insert a star tip. Transfer pistachio mixture to bag. Pipe 1-in.-diameter cookies 1 in. apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned and firm to the touch, 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on pans on wire racks., Place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream and corn syrup just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Whisk in butter. Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until filling reaches a spreading consistency, about 45 minutes. Spread on the bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies.

CREME BRULEE PISTACHIO MACARONS RECIPE - (4.6/5)

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, (think bubble bath foam) gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue (think shaving cream). Do not overbeat your meringue or it will be too dry. Place the powdered sugar, almonds and pistachios in a food processor and give them a good pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add them to the meringue along with some food coloring if using, give it a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. Give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flattens on its own you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (Ateco #807 or #809) with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Let the macarons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 280F. When ready, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool. If you have trouble removing the shells, pour a couple of drops of water under the parchment paper while the sheet is still a bit warm and the macarons will lift up more easily do to the moisture. Don't let them sit there in it too long or they will become soggy. Once baked and if you are not using them right away, store them in an airtight container out of the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer. To fill: pipe or spoon about 1 big tablespoon of butterceam in the center of one shell and top with another one. Prepare the creme brulee filling: Preheat the oven to 300F and position a rack in the enter. Line a 8x8-inch square pan with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray or melted butter. Place this pan in a larger roasting pan and set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat bring the milk, heavy cream and vanilla bean seeds to a simmer. In the meantime, whisk together the sugar and egg yolk together in a large bowl until the mixture is pale. When the milk/cream is hot, slowly pour it over the egg yolk and sugar, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curddling. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, skim the foam on top and pour it into the prepared baking pan. Fill the roasting pan with water so that it comes about halfway up the side of the creme brulee pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. It is ok if the center still appears a little wiggly. It will set as it cools. Let cool to room temperature before refirgerating preferably overnight. Note: to seed a vanilla bean: place it on a flat surface and cut it in half lenghtwise without cutting all the way through. Scrape the seeds inside with a pairing knife. You can add both seeds and pods to the milk and cream as they heat up but remove the pod before whisking the liquids into the eggs and sugar. Do not throw away your bean! Wash it, let it dry and add to some sugar for vanilla scented sugar in a pinch. When ready to assemble the macarons, cut out rounds smaller than the diameters of the shells into the brulee filling and place it on top of a shell. Top with a second one but do not press down.

PISTACHIO MACARONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip. Combine the confectioners' sugar and pistachios in a food processor and grind until powdery. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and whisk in the cardamom. Beat the egg whites and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the food coloring and continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 more minutes. Fold in one-third of the nut mixture with a rubber spatula, then fold in the rest until just combined. Fold the batter a few more times until it slowly drips off the spatula (it will still be thick). Transfer the batter to the pastry bag. Pipe about fifteen 1 1/2-inch circles onto each prepared baking sheet. Tap the baking sheets against the counter to release any air bubbles; let stand at room temperature until shiny and dry, about 15 minutes. Bake 1 baking sheet at a time until the macarons are slightly crisp and the bottoms release from the parchment, rotating the pan halfway through, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Lightly dust the macarons with edible glitter. Sandwich with preserves. Photograph by Johnny Miller