The Dubai Pistachio chocolate went viral and for good reason. The textures, the flavours and the concept is brilliant and versatile. It is time toswitch up the chocolate a notch and make a macaron version. I therefore decided to make Pistachio Macarons filled with Pistachio Kunafa Mix and Chocolate Ganache.
I made these for Diwali last year and they went down a treat.
Learn how to make macarons that are nutty, chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside and simply delightful.
The Pistachio Kunafa Macarons are delicate, delicious, have a slight crunch and one of my favourite macarons along side my Ras Malai macarons. Here is why:
- They have so much flavour
- They looks spectacular
- They contain some of my favourite ingredients
The crispy kataifi inside the macaron adds crunch to it and brings out the pistachio flavour well. To balance the sweetness I have used a 54% cocoa ganache.
Macarons are classed as a technical bake and it took me a while to master them. Read about my macaron journey here. However after recipe testing, a macaron class and you tube videos I got my perfect French Macaron Recipe which is below. I am sharing my tips and techniques to perfect your macarons so you don’t have to test too much in your kitchen.
Recipe Inspiration for Pistachio Kunafa Macarons
I use the French macaron recipe. I did learn with the swiss meringue method but I find the one I use quicker and the results similar.
I was inspired by the viral Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate and my most popular post.
Pistachio paste is sweet and needs to be balanced with a darker chocolate. If we have a sweeter tooth I would go with a milk chocolate, maybe a 35% one.
The toasted kataifi or vermicelli adds a beautiful layer of crunch and texture to the macarons.
How to make Pistachio Macarons with chocolate and kataifi
- Start by making your chocolate ganache. Warm up the double cream until it starts to get steamy. Make sure the cream does not boil. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over some simmering water (bain-marie method). My measurements for ganache for filling macarons are 100ml double cream and 125g good quality salted caramel chocolate (Aldi’s Moser Roth range always works great for me)
- Now make your pistachio filling. It is made with kataifi, pistachio paste and tahini. The full recipe is on my pistachio chocolate bar post.
- Once you have the filling ready you can concentrate on the macaron shells.
Ingredients for 16 French Macarons
- 90 grams of sifted ground almond
- 80 grams of sifted icing sugar
- 70 grams of sifted granulated sugar
- 66 grams egg whites (about 2 medium eggs)
- Green gel colour
How to make the french macarons mixture
- Place a silicone baking mat on a baking tray. Depending on the size you may need two. Place your template underneath so you can see the size of the macarons. To get the round shapes, draw circles onto a paper then put this under the silicone mat that you will be piping onto. You can find several macaron templates online too
- Blitz the almond and icing sugar together and sieve into a bowl
- In a steel mixing bowl beat the egg whites until foamy (just under 2 minutes)
- Add in granulated sugar a bit at a time and beat until the mixture forms soft peaks (around 13 minutes). Start at a low-speed then increase. The mixture should just start to get stiff (so you can turn the bowl over and it won’t fall out). The peaks should not be curling in. They should be pointed up.
- Add in some green gel colour you want and whisk for a few seconds until the colour is combined.
- Add in a bit of the almond mixture to the meringue mix and combine. Now add in the rest of it then slowly fold together using a spatula. Use the “Figure of 8″ method until they are combined.
How to make pipe French Macarons and bake them
- Place a piping bag in a tall glass or jug and fold the excess over the edges so it stays straight
- Transfer the mixture into a piping bag. Take the bag out and cut a tiny bit off the end – around 1 cm. You don’t need a special tip.
- Pipe the mixture onto your silicone baking mat. Hold the piping bag vertically. Pipe the mixture gently in the centre of each circle until it becomes the desired size ( between 2 and 3 cm wide) then lift with a swirl action. The mixture spreads to the shape of a circle. Lift your piping bag horizontally between each circle to stop the mixture from dripping out.
- Tap the baking tray to get rid of any air bubbles and flatten the macarons slightly. I normally do this about 5-6 times and with a bit of force.
- Let the macarons dry at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Gently touch the macarons. They should feel dry on top and the mixture will not be how it was before.
- Place in preheated oven at 140 degrees celcius for 14 minutes then leave them in the oven (switched off) for a minute before taking them out. I have found doing this makes them less sticky.
- Take them out of the oven and let them cool. They should then just peel off easily especially if you use a good silicone mat.
- Pair the macaron shells together. You may find even though you piped them the same way, some may be slightly bigger so it’s always good to pair them.
Assembly of Pistachio and Chocolate Macarons
Get the ganache, pistachio mix and macaron shells together.
On one half of the macaron shell pipe some ganache and then add on some kunafa mixture. Sandwich together with the other half and give it a slight twist.
Garnish the filled macarons with gold leaf, drizzled ganache and chopped pistachios. Store in an air tight container overnight for them to mature.
I guarantee you will love these chocolate and pistachio macarons. They are not too sweet. They are dainty and every bite will melt in your mouth.
What can I use instead of Kataifi to make Pistachio Kunafa Macarons
When I made the Dubai chocolate I could not get hold of kataifi and used vermicelli. It worked great and many said it tastes the same once cooked. If you are gluten intolerant vermicelli is a great option cause you can get some made from rice.
What food colours can I use for French macarons
Gel or powder works best for macarons. Never use oil based like colour mill because it breaks the meringue mixture down and you end up with a runny mixture.
How long do French Macarons last
Once you fill the macarons, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for 24 hours to mature. Take them out about 30 minutes to one hour before serving. The chilled macarons will last in the fridge for one week.
Can you freeze French Macarons
Yes you can freeze macarons however I have only tried freezing them once they have matured. Store them in an air tight container in the freezer for about a month. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
Top Tips for the best French Macarons
Here are some of my tips on how to get the best French macarons
- Preparation: Get all the ingredients ready and measured before starting
- Blitz or pulse the icing sugar and ground almonds together to get a smoother powder perfect for less grainy macarons
- Sieve the ground almonds before pulsing and sieve again
- Whisk the meringue mixture until it forms stiff peaks. To ensure they hold their peaks whisk on medium speed. Whisking the eggs in a steel bowl is better than plastic because it keeps the mixture cool.
- Macaronage with love until you get a smooth, shiny lava like mixture. Do this by combining using the figure 8 technique
- Using a good quality baking sheet like Silpat or thick baking paper and place this on a baking tray
- Pipe upwards unlike when piping cakes. You will get little tips on top but they flatten out.
- Tap the piped macarons to get rid of any bubbles and to let them settle before they dry. Tap the baking pan they are on a few times – they are more agile than you think.
- Bake at the correct temperature. Macarons are delicate. The initial heat from the oven enables them to rise and get their feet. If the temperature is not right this may not happen. Also it may mean your macarons burn. 140 degrees Celsius is the ideal temperature to bake macarons. I normally bake them for 14 minutes
- Chill the filled macarons for 24 hours so they set. This is known as maturing the macarons so you get the best texture and taste. Take them out an hour before enjoying
Why are my Macarons not rising
There are several reasons macarons fail hence why they are more a technical bake.
- Not having a stiff meringue base
- Over mixing the batter at the macoranage stage
- Not letting the macarons dry
- Under or over baking them
The best Macaron filling is Chocolate Ganache
My go to filling for macarons is ganache because it holds well, it tastes velvety and you can make whatever flavour you want depending on the chocolate you use. Buttercream can also be used but I have that sweet.
Pistachio Macarons
Ingredients
Ingredients for crispy pistachio kunafa filling
- ½ cup pistachio butter
- 50 ml tahini
- 100 grams vermicelli or kunafa
Ingredients for chocolate ganache
- 100 ml double cream
- 125 g good quality dark chocolate (54%) Aldi’s Moser Roth range always works great for me
Ingredients for french macarons
- 90 grams of sifted ground almond
- 80 grams of sifted icing sugar
- 70 grams of sifted granulated sugar
- 66 grams egg whites about 2 medium eggs
- Green gel colour
Instructions
Macaron Shells
- Place a silicone baking mat on a baking tray. Depending on the size you may need two. Place your template underneath so you can see the size of the macarons. To get the round shapes, draw circles onto a paper then put this under the silicone mat that you will be piping onto.
- Blitz the almond and icing sugar together and sieve into a bowl.
- In a steel or glass mixing bowl beat the egg whites until foamy (just under 2 minutes)
- Add in granulated sugar a bit at a time and beat until the mixture forms soft peaks (around 13 minutes). Start at a low-speed then increase. The mixture should just start to get stiff (so you can turn the bowl over and it won’t fall out). The peaks should not be curling in. They should be pointed up.
- Add in some green gel colour you want and whisk for a few seconds until the colour is combined.
- Add in a bit of the almond mixture to the meringue mix and combine. Now add in the rest of it then slowly fold together using a spatula. Use the “Figure of 8″ method until they are combined. You do not want more than 50 folds. If you take some of the mixture in your spatula it should flow off it into the bowl like lava consistency. Another test you can do is draw a figure 8 with the mixture. The 8 should be easy to draw with the mixture and should be visible too.
- Place a piping bag in a tall glass or jug and fold the excess over the edges so it stays straight
- Transfer the mixture into a piping bag. Take the bag out and cut a tiny bit off the end – around 1 cm. This is your tip.
- Pipe the mixture onto your silicone baking mat. Hold the piping bag vertically. Pipe the mixture gently in the centre of each circle until it becomes the desired size ( between 2 and 3 cm wide) then lift with a swirl action. The mixture spreads to the shape of a circle. Lift your piping bag horizontally between each circle to stop the mixture from dripping out.
- Tap the baking tray gently to get rid of any air bubbles and flatten the macarons slightly. I normally do this about 5-6 times and with a bit of force.
- Use a toothpick to touch up any air bubbles
- Let the macarons dry at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Gently touch the macarons. They should feel dry on top and the mixture will not be how it was before.
- Place in preheated oven at 140 degrees for 14 minutes then leave them in the oven (switched off) for a minute before taking them out. I have found doing this makes them less sticky.
- Take them out of the oven and let them cool. They should then just peel off easily.
Pistachio Kunafa Filling
- Toast the kunafa in a pan until crispy. You can add some butter to toast it or let it work on its own.
- Once it is crispy, let it cool and crumble it.
- To this add in your tahini and pistachio paste and combine well.
Chocolate Ganache
- Warm the cream in a pan until you see steam. It should not be boiling. Take it off the heat. At the same time melt the chocolate. I like to use the bain marie method. Let the chocolate and cream cool for 30 seconds then combine to form the ganache. If you prepared the ganache the day before and it was in the fridge, let it get to room temperature then whisk so it softens and makes it easy to pipe
Assembly of Pistachio Macarons
- Pair the macaron shells. One the inside of one half pipe the ganache then place about 1/4 tsp of the pistachio kunafa mix on top. Form a sandwich with the other half. Twist the macaron slightly so the ingredients combine and the macaron sticks well together
- Decorate each macaron. I went with piped ganache, rose petals, chopped pistachios and gold leaf.
- To get the perfect macarons, let them set in the fridge in a covered container over night. This allows them to mature. Take out the fridge 30 minutes – 1 hour before serving.
