pistachio macarons

I didn't make anything today, but I thought I'd share a recipe anyways. Pistachio macarons! Basically to make other nut variation macarons (hazelnut, peanut, etc.) just halve the amount of almonds you need and replace it with the other nut. You always want a half and half ratio of almonds to other nuts. I'm especially happy with the pistachio buttercream I made! Yeah yeah I know I used butter in the recipe, and I'm actually curious to figure out how to make a filling out of Greek yogurt. It sounds kind of strange especially considering Greek yogurt has a distinct tart flavor, but I'll try it and let you guys know later on :)

 

OH and I found this amazing food blog that has all you need to know about macaron making! I wish I'd found this blog two years ago because it has a ton of tips on how to bake macarons with step by step pictures and informative Q&A. Check out Food Noveau's A Macaron Trouble-Shooting Guide! There are even macaron templates you can use for baking here! Just scroll down a bit and you'll see it :)


Pistachio Macarons

yields 20 shells (10 macarons)

Ingredients:

1 large egg white (room temperature)
1 tbs granulated sugar (I tend to use a little less than a full tablespoon) 
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/8 cup slivered blanched almonds
1/8 cup unsalted pistachios
green food coloring (I use food coloring paste because using a tiny bit of it goes a long way, I used liquid food coloring before but sometimes too many drops don't yield the desired color and it made my meringue too soggy to work with)

Directions:

- Preheat the oven 300° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Have one large egg white at room temperature ready in medium/large bowl.
- Pulse the slivered blanched almonds and unsalted pistachios in a food processor or blender until it becomes finely ground. Sift the almond/pistachio meal with the confectioner's sugar in a small bowl and mix until incorporated.
- Using an electric handheld whisk, whisk the egg white until it is frothy. Add the granulated sugar and continue whisking. Once the egg whites begin to hold soft peaks, add in a tiny bit of the green food coloring (if you're using the paste, if you're using the liquid food color, use about 3-5 drops depending on how deep you want the color) and continue whisking until they hold stiff peaks.
Tip: if you hold the bowl upside-down over your head and the egg white should stay in place
- Use a rubber spatula and gently fold in the almond mixture in tablespoons until incorporated. Be sure not to mix it as it will deflate the egg whites.
- Fill a piping bag with the mixture and use a 1-cm wide tip to pipe circles onto the parchment sheet or silicone mat. Leave enough room between each circle so the edges do not spread and touch.
- Let the batter set about 30 minutes up to 1 or 2 hours. (The macarons should not look shiny when you place it under the light and when you touch it the shell feels somewhat hardened. Once you get the hang of it you'll know when the macarons are ready to bake.)
- Bake 9-10 minutes. You usually see the macaron "feet" start to form about 5-6 minutes into baking.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool, match up the cookies to form sandwiches, then fill with the pistachio buttercream and enjoy! 


Pistachio Buttercream

yields about 1/4 cup

Ingredients:

1/8 cup unsalted pistachios
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

- Pulse the pistachios in a food processor or blender until it becomes finely ground.
- Sift the powdered sugar and cream it with the butter. Then add in the ground pistachio and vanilla extract and cream until you get a smooth buttercream consistency. If you're buttercream is too thick or dry, add in a few teaspoons of heavy cream or milk, and if it's too wet, add in a few teaspoons of confectioner's sugar until you get a frosting-like consistency.