Simple & Easy Pistachio Macarons with White Chocolate Pistachio Filling {recipe}

Hello, and welcome! Today I'm sharing here a simple recipe for pistachio macarons. Macarons are not the easiest dessert to make, but they also do not need to be something you are afraid to try just because the process looks overwhelming at first.

And the first misconception that you need to get rid of is that macarons don't need to be window shop perfect. Even if there are little imperfections, they will still be just as tasty.

I didn't take a lot of photos of the process, but I'll try to describe it the best I can below. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments. 

Please note that I never add artificial flavors or food coloring to my recipes. If you want to add any of those, you will need to find the dosage that works for you. 

Ingredients: 

• for the macarons:
• 4 eggs whites
• 1 + 1/2 cups of powdered sugar 
• 1/4 cup of finely ground almond flour 
• 1/4 cup of finely ground pistachios 

• for the filling:
• 3/4 cup of cream 
• 1/2 cup of shelled and peeled unsalted pistachios
• 1 cup of chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips 

Useful tools to have on hand (other than the usual mixing bowls, kitchen scale, measuring spoons, pans, etc.):

• electric mixer (although in theory you can mix everything by hand, it's much quicker to use a mixer)
• food processor or blender (this is used for the filling; if you don't have one, make sure the pistachios you use for the filling are finely ground before starting)
• piping bag and a round, small to medium sized piping tip
• fine mesh sieve
• food thermometer
• a large baking tray lined with parchment paper or a flat baking sheet. Alternatively, you can get a baking mat like the one below:

Macaron Baking Mats

Instructions: 

Start with the filling, since you should chill it for 2 to 3 hours before using.

Place the cream and the pistachios in a pan and heat it until the mixture reaches 90º C, stirring often (this is where the food thermometer is useful, but if you don't have one, keep the pan on the heat just until the mixture begins to bubble). 

Place the white chocolate in a bowl, pour the hot cream and pistachio mixture over it and mix everything together until the chocolate melts. Run the everything through the blender or the food processor until the pistachios are crumbled and fully integrated with the mixture.

Once the filling has cooled down, place it in the fridge for at least two hours. 

In the meantime, start making the macaron shells. 

Mix the egg whites together with 1/2 cup of sugar until they are stiff and form glossy peaks (this is where the electric mixer is very useful). 

You have basically created a meringue, to which you will now add the almond flour, the pistachios and the rest of the sugar (sieving them as you go). Stir everything together really well. 

Pour the mixture into the piping bag fitted and create small circles of batter on the parchment paper or baking sheet. Try to make an even number of macaron shells since you need one pair for each macaron. 

Bang the baking tray on the counter or your kitchen table a couple of times to release the air bubbles in the mixture (or pop them gently with a toothpick). 

Let the macarons dry for 1 to 2 hours (depending or the air temperature, you may need more or less time; in the summer and with low humidity, 1 hour may be sufficient; in the winter or in humid environments the batter takes longer to dry). 

Bake the macarons for approximately 15 minutes at 160ºC, then remove them from the oven let them cool down before removing from the baking tray. 

Assemble the macarons by delicately spreading approximately one teaspoon of the filling onto one macaron shell and then covering it with the second shell. 

This batch was not the prettiest one, since we didn't let the shells dry enough time before baking (the drying time is what gives macarons that double edge look), but they were still delicious and all gone in less than a day...

The macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week (though they usually never last that long...). 

For a printer friendly version of this recipe click the image below and download the pdf file: 

Enjoy, and happy Wednesday,

 

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