Pistachio French Macarons

Macarons are very difficult to make. All attempting this should know that from the beginning. Without the proper tools, it may well be impossible to make them, but if you are dedicated enough, they are very rewarding to try.

Recipe and step-by-step instructions with pictures after the jump.

Pistachio Macarons (adapted from Food Nouveau)

Ingredients:

For cookies:

3 egg whites (separated and refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days prior to use and brought to room temperature)
210 g powdered sugar
85 g finely ground almonds
40 g finely ground pistachios
30 g regular granulated sugar
food coloring (optional)

For filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites
1 stick of butter
3 heaping tbsp finely ground pistachios
2 heaping tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
pinch of kosher salt
food coloring (optional)

For cookies:

1. Assemble all of your equipment and materials:

kitchen scale
food processor
fine mesh sieve
electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whip attachment
Big mixing bowls, prep bowls
Silicone spatula
Pastry Bag w/ round tip
Baking sheets
Parchment paper

2. Weigh out all of your ingredients and keep in separate prep bowls.

3. Add ground nuts to powdered sugar in food processor and pulse for 2 minutes. Scrape sides and pulse for another minute. If it doesn’t all fit in one batch, split it up.

4. Sieve the fine powder into a bowl and discard bits that don’t sift through.

5. Add eggs to a clean and dry mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high for about 4 minutes, until it thickens up a bit. It should be frothy and the tines from the whisk should be visible in the foam. Then add the granulated sugar and whip on medium-high for another 5 minutes or longer, until it is glossy and stiff peaks form. The below picture shows a soft peak, about 2-3 minutes away from the end result stiff peak.

6. Add the food coloring and 1/3 of the dry nut/powdered sugar mixture. Fold quickly with a silicone spatula until mostly combined.Then add the next third, combine, and then the rest. Work quickly and delicately so the whites don’t deflate too much.

7. The final mixture should be glossy and viscous, like the below picture:

8. Put into a piping bag and pipe very small and evenly sized rounds onto a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper. Don’t be too discouraged if they come out flat, because they will puff up once you make them.

9. Preheat the oven to 300º F and allow the cookies to sit out for 20 minutes or so. Then put them in the oven and bake for 13-14 minutes, until they puff up.

10. Each batch you make, be sure to take them off the parchment paper and scoop them onto a cooling rack.

For Pistachio Buttercream:

1. Whisk together egg whites and sugar in a bowl on top of a pot of boiling water.

2. Keep whisking until more combined. We don’t want the eggs to seize up. Once the eqq white mixture is hot to the touch, remove from the heat and use the electric whisk to whip on high speed until the mixture is cool, about 7-10 minutes.

3. Once the mixture is cool and shiny and white, add a soft stick of butter ans whip on medium high for about 4 more minutes or longer. Add the pistachio and powdered sugar, almond extract and salt. Continue to whip until proper consistency is achieved.

Assembling the macarons

1. Match up the macaron halves by size and shape, and pipe a small dollop of buttercream on one of the halves. Then sandwich them gently so the buttercream just about peeks through the halves.