Pistachio Macarons: To you my sister!

The last time that my sister came to visit me was not a right time for me. After I took her (and her family) to Pattaya, I got a cold and had to stay at the hospital for a week.

So I couldn't keep the promise that I will make the Pistachio Macarons for her. It's her favorite and she really want to try the one that I make because she lives in UK, so she doesn't have a chance to eat mine very often. She always teases me that "You make lovely sweet, but some of them I never had a chance to eat it so I really don't know what its taste like. If you want me to give you a compliment you have to make it for me". And this is the one...
Actually I never made it before, and I planed to make it while she stayed in Thailand. So, it's my unfinished business and I don't like that kind of feeling, haha. I have to make it.
There are many ways that you can turn simple macaron base into pistachio flavor, some just add the color in plain almond macaron. But you know me ^^, I love mine to be packed with pistachio flavor, so I use the pistachio in the macaron shell, by grounding it and mixing it with the almond powder. And there are a lot of pistachio paste in the buttercream to add the pistachio taste too.
I'm happy that I did it at last but I'm so sad that my sister still can't taste it. Anyway my sis you can see it in the monitor and imagine you eating it, haha it's the best that I can do for you in this year. Next year I will make it for sure.


Ps. Roast the nut before grounding it will make it more fragrance and reduce the moisture from the nut too. But remember to let it cool completely before grounding it or it will release some oil.

Pistachio Macarons

Makes about 60 pairs

For the macaron base

69 g ............................ almond powder

69 g ............................ pistachios

125 g .......................... icing sugar

47 g ............................. egg whites

..................................... green food coloring (optional)

For Italian Meringue

125 g ........................... caster sugar

40 g ............................. water

47 g ............................ egg whites

.................................... Pistachio, chopped (for decorating)

Pistachio crème au beurre 

300g ........................... Any kind of buttercream that you like (You can choose from this page, I use La crème au beurre)
110g ............................ Pistachio paste 
...................................... green food coloring (optional)

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Roast the pistachios for 7 minutes and let it cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

  Put almond powder, pistachio,and icing sugarinto a bowl of food processor, process until very powdery. Sift into a bowl, put egg white into the bowl. Use a pastry scrap to bring everything together. Set aside.
Make the Italian meringue:

In a sauce pan, put the sugar and water and bring to boil over medium low heat.
When the syrup reaches 100°C, start whisking the egg whites.

The syrup is ready when it reaches 118°C; pour it over the egg whites and continue whisking until cold.

Whisk in the coloring if using.

  Mix together the base and Italian meringue.

The mixture should be softer and very glossy, a little stiffer then cake batter.

Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm nozzle. Pipe or spoon mixture into 3.5 cm rounds onto baking paper-lined (or Silpat) oven trays. When you’ve pipe out all the macarons lift each baking sheet with both hands and then bang it down on the counter (you need to get the air out of the batter). Sprinkle half of the macarons with chopped pistachio.
Let the macaron rest for 30 -60 minutes until the top of the macarons dry, and ready to bake.
Bake for 9 minutes to 15 minutes depend on your oven. Remove from oven and cool on trays. Slide a knife under each macaron to release.

 Mix together La crème au beurre with the pistachio paste and green coloring if using.

Sandwich the macarons with Pistachio crème au beurre, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pistachio Macarons: To you my sister!