Mini Pistachio Chocolate Macaroons Recipes

PISTACHIO MACARONS

Steps:

• For the pistachio cream filling: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Spread the pistachios onto a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Place the granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat (brush down the sides with water to avoid any clinging granules of sugar and prevent crystallization). Cook the syrup until it reaches 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Add the toasted pistachios to the hot syrup and stir until the nuts are well coated. When all the sugar coats the pistachios and any remaining syrup turns powdery white, pour the nuts onto a baking sheet to cool.
• Once cooled, place the pistachios in the bowl of a food processor with the almond flour. Blend until the nuts resemble a coarse meal, approximately 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continuing to blend the mixture. Add the butter, almond paste, almond extract and 3 tablespoons water. Keep mixing until mixture is a smooth paste, approximately 3 minutes.
• For the macarons: Mix the powdered sugar, almond flour and salt in a bowl using a whisk; set aside. In a separate bowl using a hand mixer, mix the granulated sugar, vanilla, food coloring and egg whites. Whip until the batter has firm shiny peaks. Take one-third of the wet mixture and fold into the dry ingredients. Gradually fold in the remaining batter. Once the dry ingredients have been absorbed, run a rubber spatula over the mixture to create a shine. This process is called macaroning and is key to the overall recipe.
• Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a 1/4-inch round tip. Pipe the mixture in 1-inch rounds onto the cookie sheets. It's important to create a consistent size for each cookie. Let stand for 30 minutes to create a thin crust on the outside.
• Adjust the oven racks: Put one in the lower third of the oven and a second in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake until the macarons puff and rise to form ''feet'' and are crisp, 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets before filling.
• Put about 1 teaspoon of pistachio cream filling between 2 cookies to create the finished macarons.

MINI PISTACHIO & CHOCOLATE MACAROONS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140/gas 3.
• Whizz the pistachios and 25g of the icing sugar in a food processor until fine. Mix with 175g more icing sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, add the remaining 50g icing sugar and whisk again until thick and glossy. Fold into the nut mix. Spoon into a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle and pipe out 10p-coin-size blobs of mixture, well spaced. Poke any pointy tops down with a wet finger. If you don't have a piping bag, just snip the end off a sandwich bag and use that instead.
• Leave to dry for 30 mins, then bake for 12- 15 mins until risen. Cool on the paper. Beat the cream cheese with the chocolate and use to sandwich the macaroons together. Will keep for 1 day filled, or up to 3 days unfilled, stored in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the egg whites, cherries, sugar salt and the vanilla and almond extracts in a large bowl until combined; fold in the coconut.
• Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of the coconut mixture about 1 inch apart onto the baking sheet. Use your fingers to form into pyramids. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on medium-high power in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Dip the macaroons in the chocolate and sprinkle with pistachios, then transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and let cool.

CHOCOLATE MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment or preferably silicon pad.
• Mix egg whites (unbeaten) with the ground almonds, cocoa and powdered sugar until you have a sticky but cohesive mixture.
• Fill a large bowl with cold water and dip your hands in it to wet them before rolling the mixture into little balls the size of small walnuts. You will probably have to redunk your hands to keep wetting them as you go.
• Arrange the macaroon-balls on the lined baking tray and put in the oven to bake for 11 minutes. It's hard to tell when they're ready, as they will seem squishy but they harden up a little as they cool, and anyway, they should be damp within; that's what makes them chewy, so don't worry that the macaroons look sticky underneath.

PISTACHIO-CHOCOLATE MERINGUES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350˚. Spread 3/4 cup pistachios on a baking sheet and bake on the lower oven rack until toasted, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the granulated sugar on one of the prepared pans and bake on the lower oven rack until very hot but not melting, about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 225˚.
• Meanwhile, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. About 30 seconds before the sugar comes out of the oven, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the hot sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, using the parchment paper as a funnel. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the meringue is fluffy, about 30 seconds.
• Reline the baking sheet that you used for the sugar with parchment paper. Gently fold the chopped pistachios and chocolate into the meringue with a rubber spatula until just combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe the meringue into 1 3/4-inch-wide mounds (about 1 1/2 inches tall) about 1 inch apart onto the prepared pans. Very finely chop the remaining 2 tablespoons pistachios, then sprinkle on the meringues.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the meringues are firm to the touch and lift easily off the parchment, 40 to 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the meringues sit in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the meringues to racks to cool completely.

PISTACHIO MACAROONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with the butter.
• Place the egg whites in a clean, dry mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites until firm peaks, adding the sugar, salt and cream of tartar to the mixing bowl halfway through beating. Gently fold the coconut and 3/4 cup pistachios into the egg whites. Dollop the mixture onto the baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining pistachios.
• Bake until firm and lightly golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Place on a cooling rack.