Pistachio Macarons

Pre-heat the oven to 135 degrees celsius, and line a baking sheet with baking paper or a silpat mat, you can use a printed macaron template to outline circles to create an even size macaron.

In a food processor grind the pistachios fine & set aside 45g for the macaron shells, & 45g for the ganache.

Add the almond flour, 45g ground pistachio and icing sugar to the food processor and grind until smooth.

Place the 50g egg white in a food processor or Kenwood with whisk attachment.

In a separate bowl, add the almond icing sugar mix, and create a well in the centre, pour the 45g egg white into the well and set aside.

In a saucepan, add the water & caster sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, you can turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Cook the sugar 118 degrees celsius (using a sugar thermometer to measure)

On medium speed, slowly pour in the hot sugar mixture down the side of the bowl until it has all been added, and then it should form a stiff glossy meringue after 3-5 minutes. Add in the almond essence and food colouring to create a light green color.

Fold in the almond mix until a smooth thick mixture forms. Fill into a piping back with a large round nozzle & pipe into round shapes. Set the macaroons aside for 30 mins to form a crust. Then bake for 15 mins.

White Chocolate Ganache: Heat the cream in a bowl for 1 minute in the microwave, add in the white chocolate and mix until all melted (you may need to pop it back in the microwave for another few seconds) then add in the butter and mix until melted. Fold in the ground pistachio and almond essence & pour into a piping back. Place in the fridge (or freezer ) until the ganache is thick enough to pipe with.

Match up the macaroon shells, and pipe a layer of ganache inside, then sandwich together.

Macaroons should be stored in the fridge for a few days, or frozen & defrosted for a few mins before serving.

Different flavours: To make different flavours, replace the 45g ground pistachio with almond flour, and add in flavouring in the form of an essence or paste to the shell mix. For the white chocolate ganache, you can add flavourings or swap the white chocolate with milk or dark chocolate, or create your own filling.