Pistachio Chocolate French Macarons

Name: Pistachio Chocolate French Macaron
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 62 min
Ingredients: 200 grams Powdered Sugar ((1 1/2 Cups)); 115 grams Almond Flour ((1 Cup)); 90 grams Egg Whites ((3)); 8 grams Egg White Powder ((1 Tablespoon)); 30 Grams Powdered Sugar (1/4 Cup); Green Food Coloring; 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature); 1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening; 4 Cups Powdered Sugar; 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract; 1/4 Cup Pistachio Paste; 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream; 1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

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Pistachio Chocolate French Macarons are made of two bite size cookies sandwiched together to make the perfect chewy and crunchy consistency and filled with a creamy pistachio buttercream and chocolate ganache filling and are naturally gluten free.

a clear glass filled with green cookies and crushed pistachios

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The flavor of pistachio cream reminds me so much of the very best gelato in Italy. There is something so pure about the nutty and buttery flavor that pairs perfectly with chocolate and the sweet almond macaron base.

The History of The French Macaron

French Macarons are a fun yet intimidating cookie to make, but after patience and practice you will be enjoying each and every crunchy and chewy bite. These bite sized cookies were originally called the "gerbet" macaron and was created by Pierre Desfontaines of the famous French bakery Ladurée in the 19th century. Two colorful cookies sandwiched together, traditionally with ganache, but now with a variety of flavors and fillings, such as kid friendly Cookies and Cream French Macaron or a more elegant Raspberry Rose Macaron. Each cookie is made with a meringue base and almond flour that creates a beautiful crunchy exterior and chewy interior.

What Makes The Perfect Macaron

There is something call the "feet" of the macaron. This is an important part of making an authentic macaron and will take some practice but can be easily achieved with two simple steps. Start by making sure your meringue is at soft peaks in the mixing process. This allows the cookies to rise perfectly and will give the nice ruffled edges. Once the cookies are piped onto a baking sheet the next step is to let them sit for 20-30 minutes and make sure the tops are not sticky anymore. This stage allows the cookies to dry out and create a slight crust on the top of the cookie and when baked will give the cookies a flat and shiny top and ruffled bottom, also known as the "feet".

green cookies stacked on top of each other with crushed pistachios sprinkled around them.

Ingredients

Powdered Sugar-Processing the powdered sugar is very important in this recipe to be sure that there are no course pieces that will come through when baking
Almond Flour-Blanched almonds that have been ground to make a flour like consistency, but slightly different than Almond Meal that is ground up with the skin on. This ingredients is naturally gluten free.
Egg White Powder - This is simply powdered egg whites that act as a stabilizer for the macarons shells. Using egg white powder will give them a beautiful consistency of crunchy on the outside and soft in the center
Pistachio Paste-aka "cream of pistachio" is pure pistachios processed to become a smooth spread. This is a great addition to macarons or the left overs can be used over ice cream.

Step-by-Step Instructions

a food processor with almond flour and powdered sugar next to a mixer with egg white meringue.

In the bowl of a food processor combine the almond flour (115 grams) and the powdered sugar (200 grams) and pulse for one minute or until all is combined and smooth (Step 1)

In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the egg white and egg white powder and whisk on high speed until the egg whites are soft peaks (Step 2)

a mixer with meringue with green food coloring next to a bowl with a sifter of powdered sugar and almond flour.

Lower the speed of the mixer and add one to two drops of green food coloring to the stiff egg whites and then add the powdered sugar (30 grams). Continue mixing for 30 seconds until fully combined! (Step 3)

Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the almond flour and powderd sugar mixture over the top of the meringue (Step 4)

a bowl of green batter next to a sheet pan with a piping bag of green batter.

Gently fold the meringue until smooth and you can make ribbons with the batter, but do not overmix (Step 5)

Transfer the batter into a piping bag and pipe 1.5 inch rounds about 2 inches apart (Step 6)

a sheet pan of macaron batter piped next to a sheet pan of macaron batter baked.

Let the macarons sit on the baking sheet for 20-30 minutes to dry out before baking (this is very important...do not skip this step) (Step 7)

Bake each baking sheet for 11-12 minutes, turning the baking sheet half way through. Remove the macarons from the oven and allow them to cool completely for 20 minutes before filling (Step 8)

A sheet pan of macarons filled with pistachio buttercream and chocolate ganache next to a sheet pan of macarons sandwiched.

On a parchment lined baking sheet, flip half of the macaron shells over to have the flat side up. Using a piping bag with star tip (#18) pipe the pistachio buttercream around the perimeter of the cookie leaving a small opening in the center; repeat until all cookies have pistachio filling. Using another piping bag with a small hole cut out, pipe the chocolate ganache in the center of the pistachio buttercream; repeat to fill all the cookies with ganache (Step 9)

Using the remaining macaron shells, sandwich the macarons together. Refrigerate for 10-20 minutes to allow the filling to set and place on a serving platter and enjoy (if you are not serving immediately, macarons can stay in the refrigerator but remove them about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve them) (Step 10)

green cookies sandwiched together and one with a bite out of it.

Expert Tips and FAQS

For a more exact measurement I like to weigh my ingredients using the metric system and this cookie is worth taking the time to do that.
Use a silpat with the macaron template, this will help you get each cookie to be the same size and they come off much easier than parchment paper
Do not skip the food processing and sifting stage for the dry ingredients. This will make your cookies smooth and shiny.

What is the difference between the macaron with one "O" or two "O's"

These are very different cookies made with very different ingredients. The Macaron with one "o" is an almond based cookie sandwiched with a filling. The Macaroon with two "O's" is a coconut based macaroon.

Are French Macarons Gluten Free?

Most french macarons are gluten free as long as the filling is also gluten free. This recipe is gluten free!!!

Is the shell of the macaron a flavor or is it jus the filling?

The shell of the macaron is just changed by food coloring, the flavor is in the filling!

How long will macarons last?

Fresh made macarons are best enjoyed the same day, but will last for 2-3 day in the refrigerator. After a few days they start to lose their perfect texture.

Can I freeze macarons?

Yes! obviously best enjoyed fresh but you can freeze these cookies in a ziplock bag or airtight container for one month.