Pistachios Macarons

A little French elegance, one shell at a time. This pure pistachio macaron pairs a delicate almond shell with a silky pistachio ganache, made the traditional way with Italian meringue for the perfect crisp-to-chewy bite. Simple ingredients, precise technique, the way it's always been done.

Yield: approximately 50 macarons (~100 shells) | Preparation time: 30 minutes | Rest time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 12–16 minutes

Equipment:

• Stand mixer with whisk attachment
• Saucepan
• Food processor
• Mixing bowls (must be perfectly dry - no trace of water or fat)
• Pastry bag + round tip
• Baking sheet + parchment paper
• Candy thermometer

Ingredients:

Almond paste (tant pour tant):

• 185 g (6½ oz / 1¾ cups) powdered sugar
• 185 g (6½ oz / 1¾ cups) almond flour (blanched)
• 20 gr cacao powder for chocolate shella
• 70 g (2½ oz / ¼ cup) egg whites (raw)
• Powder food coloring, to taste

Italian meringue:

• 70 g (2½ oz / ¼ cup) egg whites
• 185 g (6½ oz / ¾ cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 55 g (2 oz / ¼ cup) water

Almond Paste:
Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour. For chocolate macarons, add unsweetened cocoa powder at this stage.
Add the raw egg whites and the powder food coloring. Mix until you obtain a compact, smooth paste.
Set aside.

Italian Meringue:
Add the powder food coloring to the second portion of egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer. Do not start whipping yet.
In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and water. Heat over medium heat to 250°F (121°C), without stirring.
Once the syrup reaches 244,5°F (118°C), immediately pour it in a thin, steady stream over the egg whites while whipping at high speed.
Continue whipping until the meringue is glossy, firm, and has cooled to lukewarm.

Macaronage:
Fold the lukewarm Italian meringue into the almond paste in two additions.
Using a spatula, fold and press the batter against the sides of the bowl until it flows like a ribbon and falls off the spatula in a thick, smooth stream.
Do not overmix.

Piping & Baking:
Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe rounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Tap the sheet firmly against the counter to release air bubbles.
Let the shells rest at room temperature for 10 minutes, until a skin forms and they are no longer tacky to the touch.
Bake at 280°F (140°C) for 12 minutes for small shells, 16 minutes for larger ones.
The shells are done when they release cleanly from the parchment. Let cool completely before filling.

Pistachio Ganache: 

Same white chocolate base as above, with pistachio paste replacing the vanilla. Quantity: 10% of total ganache weight (approx. 35 g / 1¼ oz). 

Ingredients:

• 240 g (8½ oz / 1 cup) heavy cream
• 100 g (3½ oz) white chocolate, finely chopped
• 15 g (½ oz / 1 tbsp) honey
• 60 g (1¼ oz) pistachio paste 

Instructions:
Bring heavy cream and honey to a boil.
Pour in three additions over the finely chopped white chocolate, emulsifying as you go.
Once smooth and slightly cooled, stir in the pistachio paste.
Mix well and refrigerate. Whip to a light, pipeable consistency before use.

Assembly:

Once the shells are completely cool, sort them into matching pairs by size. 
Transfer the pistachio ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and pipe a generous dollop onto the flat side of half the shells, leaving a small border so the filling doesn't spill out when pressed.
Top with the remaining shells, pressing gently while twisting slightly to spread the ganache evenly to the edge. Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.