Pistachio & White Chocolate Macaron

These pistachio macarons are filled with lusciously silky French meringue shells, a silky smooth rich pistachio ganache filling, and a decadent nutty pistachio core in every bite.

It is the method I use for these homemade pistachio macarons, and as a French baker, I can confirm it gives smooth shells, stable batter and consistent results each time.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Heavenly rich pistachio ganache and filling
• Made with French meringue, smooth and crisp shells
• The Perfect Gifting & Desser Elegant Bakery Styleessert

What Are Pistachio Macarons?

Pistachio Macaron (French cookies filled with a pistachio filling) I must say pistachio is one of the favorite macaron flavors, and for a reason!

The base for macaron shells is mostly egg whites, almond meal and sugar. They can get really sweet as sugar is one of the main ingredients. Pistachios’ earthy nutty flavour balances well with the sweetness of the shell to make a taste that everyone loves!

Just think of the number of pistachio flavored desserts. Be it a slice of baklava or a swirl of gelato, throwing all make equally yummy. These macarons are completely desirable, especially if you love pistachio

My Experience Making Pistachio Macarons

This past December, all my baking went to the kitchen, where I baked macarons, cakes and desserts of varying types. Most were gifted, some would be shared and some, we indulged at home when friends came over for the crimbo. And my horrible baking is beginning to take a toll on my waistlines as well. Well this time around this year, I am planning to take my cooking on a slightly new direction, not baking desserts and cakes but more of curries and savoury stuffs. That is not me, but that is what my family need. If there is no occasion to celebrate I am not going to bake more of those pound cakes for my men to nibble or leave the whole lot for me. This year, I am thinking to do that and so far, I have honored the bargain. I hope it stays longer.

Pistachio macaron was most likely the first macarons I wanted to try. Shelled ones aren’t very budget friendly, so I figured I’d wait for a special occasion to endeavor to try these and not on the bloody spur of macaroon temptation. I was baffled on what filling to put in as my instinct alluded to citrus or cardamom based fillings. Since the gifts were going out for the teachers of my son and also for all my neighbour friends who are white too, I dint know if they would appreciate cardamom flavour as it is something quite unusual for them. Hence, I quizzed myself with something easy and stacked ground pistachios to the white chocolate Ganache for a surprise. Everyone who had it loved it and I was even told to make more.

I always bake 3-4 flavours of macarons together when I make them for someone because my biggest joy in baking is to present them all in one delightful gift box filled with colourful delicacies. It really is a visual treat and would definitely wow anyone who has never had macarons before. This pistachio macaron here is another one to add to my favourite macaron list.

The Best Pistachio Macaron Filling

I am a wee bit of a snob when it comes to filling macarons. The shell itself, though, can be quite bland and the filling must come hard. And for the fact that it is usually quite sweet on its own merits a shell, and we need something like this in order to balance the cookie.

Most pistachio macaron recipes use a white chocolate ganache and I have personally found that it adds too much sweetness to the cookie. No, I go for a pistachio cream cheese buttercream filling. The cream cheese has a little enamel making it take some of the sweetness out of them shells, but is not too overwhelming over the pistachio flavor. This creates a perfect balanced macaron!

Tips for the perfect buttercream

Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature

Room temperature ingredients are essential for whipping up a smooth buttercream. Chilled butter and cream cheese have the tendency to clump up and can cause your buttercream to be chunky.Looking for more classic bakes? Try our Lemon Drizzle Cake, a soft and moist cake bursting with fresh lemon flavor.

I’d recommend taking your ingredients out of the fridge when you start making your shells, that way there is enough time for them to soften.

Process your pistachios until a paste

The secret behind the flavor punch of pistachio is making a pistachio paste. By blitzing the nuts you are able to concentrate the pistachio flavor down into a delicious paste.

You will need a food processor or blender to make this, but there are some specialty stores where you can find premade pistachio paste or pistachio butter which you can use instead.

If you find that the pistachios and sugar aren’t forming a paste you can help it by adding a splash of vegetable oil. Then continue blending until a thick paste forms.

Don’t add too much sugar

If you give your buttercream a taste, you’ll realize that it isn’t very sweet. This is intentional! The buttercream will balance out the sweet shell for the perfect level of sweetness once assembled.

Don’t be tempted to add more sugar, as it may make your cookies overwhelmingly sweet.

Beat until light and smooth

Make sure you give your butter and cream cheese enough time to whip up. I recommend using an electric mixer as you are able to incorporate air much quicker.

If you don’t beat it enough the buttercream will feel thick and greasy.

Chef-Recommended Kitchen Tools

• Electric Hand Mixer
• Piping Bag
• Food Processor
• Baking Tray

FAQS