Description
Classic almond and vanilla macaron shells, filled with salty pistachio American Buttercream, and drizzled with dark chocolate and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Macaron Shells
- 212 g Almond Meal
- 212 g Powdered Sugar
- 172 g Egg Whites (separated into 82 g and 90 g)
- 235 g Granulated Sugar (plus a pinch)
- 158 g Water
For the Pistachio Buttercream
- 1/2 C (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 2 C Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 TBSP Pistachio Butter
- 2–4 TBSP Heavy Cream, at room temperature
Instructions
For the Macaron Shells
- In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and 82 g of egg whites. Will be thick and paste-like. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine water and granulated sugar.
- Heat over medium, stirring occasionally and use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add 90 g of egg whites and a pinch of sugar.
- Once the sugar syrup has reached 200 degrees F, begin whipping the eggs in the mixer on medium speed. Whip until soft peaks.
- Once the sugar syrup reaches 248 degrees, remove from heat.
- With mixer on low, slowly pour in the sugar syrup. Keep mixing until combined, them turn the mixer up to high and whip until stiff peaks. Add vanilla and any food coloring you’d like to use.
- Add the whipped egg whites to the almond flour mixture 1/3 at a time, folding to combine with each addition.
- Once combined, continue to fold until you reach a ribbon-like consistency.
- Fit a piping bag with a small round tip and fill with macaron batter.
- Prepare baking sheets with silicone macaron mat or parchment paper.
- Pipe macarons onto baking sheet and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour.
- Bake at 320 for 17 minutes on silicone mat. (If using parchment paper, they will bake faster, about 13-14 minutes)
- Allow to cool completely, then remove from sheets.
For Pistachio Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter alone for 7-10 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract, mix to combine.
- Add the powdered sugar 1/2 at a time, mixing for 3 minutes after both additions.
- Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the pistachio butter, mix to incorporate.
- Add the heavy cream, 1 TBSP at a time until you reach the consistency you like.
- Fill a piping bag with buttercream, and them pipe the buttercream onto half of the macaron shells.
- Press matching shells together.
- Optional: Drizzle with dark chocolate and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.