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I have a bit of a weakness for desserts that look almost too pretty to eat, and pistachio macarons definitely fall into that category.
The first time I had one was at Harley’s Fine Baking in Mumbai. I was there one afternoon, and while looking through the display, the pistachio macarons immediately caught my attention. They were these beautiful little pale-green sandwiches, lined up so neatly that I almost didn’t want to disturb them.
But, of course, I did.
I still remember taking that first bite. The shell had that delicate little crunch before giving way to a soft, slightly chewy centre, followed by the creamy pistachio filling. What surprised me most was how beautifully balanced the flavour was. It was sweet, but the nuttiness of the pistachio gave it something deeper and more interesting.
I remember leaving Harley’s thinking about them and, as I often do when I really enjoy something I’ve eaten, wondering if I could recreate them at home.
Macarons are not exactly the sort of thing you casually decide to make. They have a reputation for being fussy, and getting those smooth tops, little feet and perfectly chewy centres can take some patience. But that first pistachio macaron had stayed in my mind, so I decided to give it a try.
After a few experiments, I arrived at a version I really love. They are delicate, nutty, slightly crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, with a creamy pistachio filling.
And every time I make them, I think back to that afternoon in Mumbai when a little row of green macarons caught my eye.
Here’s the recipe I keep coming back to.
Macaron shells
- 100 grams icing sugar
- 100 grams almond flour pinch of salt
- 100 grams egg whites (about 3 eggs, reserve the yolks for the buttercream)
- 100 grams granulated sugar
- Green food coloring
Place the dry ingredients into a food processor and blitz for a couple seconds. Sift into a bowl. Put the egg whites and granulated sugar into a mixing bowl. Place over steaming water, and whisk continuously till when you dip your fingers into mixture, it is warm if not hot to the touch, and you no longer feel the sugar granules when you rub your fingers together.
Take off heat and whisk till stiff peaks. Add green food coloring. Add in the dry ingredients and fold till combined. Then continue to fold till the mixture falls like a ribbon off the spatula or you can do a figure 8 shape without it breaking. Place in piping bag and pipe circles on lined baking tray.
Firmly tap tray on counter to get rid of air bubbles.
Place somewhere dry for about a 30-60 minutes till when you touch the surface it is dried and doesn’t stick to your fingers. Can also place in front of a fan!
Bake at 160C/325F for 8 minutes, then open oven and carefully rotate and bake for another 8 minutes or until when you touch the top of shell, it doesn’t wiggle.
Pistachio French Buttercream
- 50 grams sugar
- 18 grams water
- 38 grams egg yolks
- 80 grams butter
- 1 tbsp of pistachio cream (or more to your liking!)
- Green food coloring
- Pinch of salt
Bring sugar and water to boil and bring to 118C. While heating, whisk egg yolks to ribbon stage in another bowl. When temp is reached, pour sugar into the egg yolks and whisk till light and fluffy. Add the softened butter and whisk till combined. Then add the pistachio cream. If using add the green food coloring, and you can also add a dash of almond or vanilla extract.
Raspberry jam
- 50 grams raspberries
- 80 grams of sugar
- 1 tsp of lemon juice
Smash raspberries and bring to boil for 4 minutes. Add the sugar and lemon and boil for a further 4 minutes (to be extra sure, it should reach the temp of 103C/218F)
Once shells have baked and cooled, pipe a ring of buttercream then add the jam.
Sandwhich the cookies and let them mature overnight in the fridge!
Let me know once you’ve tried making them. Meanwhile, do check my Lemon Cake with lemon cream cheese and let me know your views.
