For the December edition of my 10 Years of SBIF recipe challenge, I finally worked up the courage to attempt Pistachio Macarons from Claire Saffitz.
These were both easier and harder than I expected. Easier because the ingredient list is surprisingly short and the process didn’t take nearly as long as I’d braced for. Harder because macarons are quite finicky – getting the shell, the foot, the proper bake – let’s just say I’m going to need a little bit more practice over here.
The batter starts with egg whites whipped with sugar into a glossy, stiff-peaked meringue that’s then flavored with a little almond extract and a little green food coloring to lean into the pistachio color. You then gently fold in ground pistachios, almond flour, and powdered sugar, knocking out some air, but not all.
I piped my first batch and immediately thought it looked a little loose … and this is where I (mistakenly) went rogue. Instead of trusting the process for my first-ever attempt of macrons, I trusted my gut and tried to whip more air into the remaining batter. Which once baked were a total disaster – cracked, flat and chewy out of the oven
The first tray looked promising (smooth domes, no wobble) but despite appearances, I’d clearly overmixed or underbaked. They baked up hollow with a stubbornly chewy base.
I powered through and made the pistachio buttercream anyway, using pistachio spread (thank you, Sissle and Daughters, for saving me), heavy cream, butter, and vanilla. And WOW. This filling was silky, nutty, lightly sweet, and honestly my new obsession. I piped, sandwiched, chilled the macarons … and while the texture of the cookies wasn’t perfect, the flavor was absolutely there.
I’m happy I tried but I think I’ll be leaving these up to the pros. Although I will be making that pistachio buttercream on repeat!
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That – Skill Level: Difficult
How Easy Is That – Time Involved: 2 hours, 45 minutes (and 24 hours chilling)
Store-Bought Is Fine: pistachio macarons 😉
Pricey Ingredients: Pistachio spread
Hard-to-find: Pistachio spread
Recipe on NYTCooking.com (unlocked)
