Pistachio Macarons

Spring is here and it’s not fooling around, over night it changed from cool to really warm. I've realised I love changing seasons, well probably not spring to summer, but I'm a big fan of the others.

Things I have loved about the first week of spring- Flowery dresses, no need to wear tights for the first time in months, my garden is going crazy, baby ducks (Mums duck hatched 17 ducklings) and picnics.

Ok so macarons and pink soda is not quite a picnic, but it worked for me. This is the first time I've made non vanilla macarons and was so very happy with the result. The pistachio macarons worked perfectly with the mildly honey flavoured white chocolate ganache.

Pistachio Macarons with Honey White Chocolate Ganache
adapted from I love macarons by Hisako Ogita

For the macarons

2/3 cup (85grams) ground almonds
1 ½ cups pure icing sugar (150 grams)
1/3 cup ground pistachios (45 grams)
3 large eggs whites (room temp)
65 grams caster sugar
Green food colouring
Extra ground pistachio (for sprinkling)

To make the macarons- Line a baking tray with baking paper. On baking paper draw 1 ½ inch circles spaced at least ½ an inch apart.

Sift together the powdered sugar, ground pistachios and almond meal, then sift again.

Beat egg whites in a stainless steel mixing bowl until foamy. Gradually add the caster sugar and beat to form stiff glossy peaks.


Beat in a drop of food colouring. (The pistachios alone make the mix a nice colour already, I just wanted them a touch more green)

Add half of the sifted almond, pistachio and powdered sugar, fold in with a spatula. Stir in second half of dry ingredients till combined.

Spread and scoop the mixture against the side of the bowl, repeat this at least 15 times. (This step is what gives the macarons their shine, doing it too much may leave oily marks on the macaron shell.)


When the mix is firm and runs slowly from the spatula it is done.


Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 0.4 inch tip. Pipe batter into the centre of the drawn circles, keeping the piping tip close to the surface to avoid forming peaks.


Give the base of the baking tray a good tap on a flat surface.

Top each of the macarons with a sprinkle of ground pistachio.


Rest the piped macarons for about half an hour, until the mix no longer sticks to your finger when touched and surface is smooth.

Preheat oven to 160 degrees c. Position racks toward the middle to bottom of the oven.

Bake the macarons for 16-20 minutes until crisp on the outside and soft but cooked inside.


When macarons and completely cool sandwich with ganache.

For the ganache

3/5 cup (100 ml) whipping cream
100 grams white chocolate (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon honey

To make the ganache- place chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan bring honey and cream to the boil. Pour boiling cream over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mix is smooth and glossy. Cool the ganache to room temperature and chill slightly in the fridge. When cool continue whisking until thick and lighter in colour. Spread or pipe between macarons.