These Ras Malai and Barfi Macarons are perfect for Diwali. They have the flavours you crave from Indian sweets and are effectively luxe versions, I think.

I have two filling recipes for you. One is made with white chocolate for Ras Malai and one is buttercream for Rose & Pistachio Barfi.

Though I have made macarons using the Swiss method, I find it easier with the French one and this is my go-to recipe. The recipe has never failed me, and I tested quite a few. I find the sweet balance in these is also perfect.

French Macarons Recipe (16 Macarons)

Ingredients:

• 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)

Method:

1. Beat egg white until foamy (just under 2 minutes)
2. 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.
3. Add in the gel colour you want and whisk for a few seconds until the colour is combined.
4. Mix the almond and icing sugar together in bowl (**see Tip below) then slowly fold with into the mixture above using a spatula. Don’t overmix this bit – just combine the two using 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.( **see tip below about macaronage).
5. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag
6. Pipe the mixture onto your silicone baking sheet (Silpat is the best one) or greaseproof paper. Both of these should be on a baking tray too. To get the round shapes, draw circles onto a paper then put this under the silicone mat that you will be piping onto. 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. Lift you piping bag horizontally between each circle to stop the mixture from dripping out.
7. 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.
8. Let the macarons dry at room temperature for about 45 minutes. When you touch them they should also have a layer on top and the mixture will not be how it was before.
9. 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.
10. Take them out of the oven and let them cool. They should then just peel off easily.

My Top Tips:

• For smoother macarons always blitz the almonds with icing sugar and sift it again. It seems like a long process but trust me this is what gets to the fine Macarons. You will notice my Barfi macarons have little specks of brown on them. This is because are used whole ground almonds that were ground rather than peeled ground almonds. Taste and texture wise it was not different. They just they look a bit speckled which I quite like.
• You must be patient when it comes to the stages of making the macarons. It does not take long but you do not want to rush it. This includes the drying part and the cooling part.  Don’t overdry them before baking.
• If you over macoronage then the mixture will be runny and you cannot rescue it. After 20 folds to the lava/figure of 8 test. You will feel the mixture getting looser compared to when you first combined it.  
• Once you fill your Macaron shell with cream or ganache cover with another shell and gently twist. This insures they stick together.
• Always chill your Macarons once you’ve made them even if it’s for 6 to 8 hours. Take them out 10 – 20 minutes before enjoying. They should have a light crunch on the top and should be slightly chewy inside.
• Use gel food colouring for best results

Rose & Pistachio Barfi Buttercream

This combination works perfectly together. The buttercream has the rose flavour and the pistachio comes from adding chopped pistachios to the filling. I also used a small amount of pistachio butter on the top of the macaron for the garnishes to stick on.

Rose Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 125g softened butter
• 225g sifted icing sugar
• 30g whole milk powder
• 2 tbsp milk mixed with a generous pinch of saffron 
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp rose essence 

Other ingredients required

• Chopped Pistachios
• Rose Petals
• Edible Silver Balls
• Pistachio paste (or a bit of the buttercream) to stick garnishes
• Pink coloured macaron shells

Method:

1. For the buttercream, whip the butter until its fluffy and almost white in colour then gradually add in the icing sugar. Once this has combined, add in your infused milk, whole milk powder, cardamom powder and rose essence. Whisk until almost double in size. If you find it on the stiff side add in a little more milk.
2. To assemble the macaron, pipe some buttercream on the inside of one shell, top with some chopped pistachios then cover with another shell and lightly twist.
3. To garnish the macarons, I put a tiny amount of melted pistachio paste/butter then added on some more chopped pistachios, a rose petal and silver ball.
4. Let these chill for 6-8 hours and take out about 10-20 minutes before enjoying. Chilling them almost makes them set. They last for about 4 days. Just store them in the fridge.

Ras Malai Macarons

For these macarons I used a white chocolate ganache infused with cardamom and saffron. I generally prefer ganache fillings. I find it is not as sweet as buttercream.

For the macaron shells:

I went with pale yellow macarons. As soon as I piped them, I sprinkled saffron on some and pistachios on others. This is before they start to dry or else the toppings will not stick.

I put a drop of ganache on the top, once I filled them and decorated it with rose petals and gold leaf

Ras Malai Ganache

Ingredients

• 100ml double cream
• 125g good quality white chocolate
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp of crushed cardamon seeds
• Chopped pistachios – about 2-3 tablespoons

Method

1. Warm up the double cream until it starts to get steamy. Make sure the cream does not boil
2. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over some simmering water
3. Once your cream with warm add in saffron and crushed cardamom seeds and mix
4. Slowly combine the cream and chocolate together and add in chopped pistachios.
5. Let the mixture chill in the fridge until it’s piping consistency. If you want to use it the next day, just take it out 30 minutes before hand.

To assemble, pipe the inside of one macaron shell with the ganache, add on the top shell and lightly twist. I put a drop of ganache on the top and decorated it with rose petals and gold leaf.

Hope you get to try these. Here are some examples of how I started. If you have any questions, send me a message.

Neha