 | Pistachio Lime Zest Macaron12-18 macarons Tanya Emerick @scarlet_nantes, Owner of Scarlet Nantes Macaron and Pastry Chef at Bastyr University |
| Ingredients for the Pistachio Lime Ganache: | |
| • | 1 tsp. The Perfect Purée Lime Zest, thawed |
| • | 600 g. Valrhona Ivoire 35% White Chocolate (or your favorite white chocolate), chopped |
| • | 200 g. heavy whipping cream |
| • | 100 g. pistachio paste (you can buy ready-made pistachio paste online) |
| Method: | |
| 1. | Place the chopped white chocolate, pistachio paste, and lime zest in a medium size bowl. |
| 2. | Heat heavy cream on medium until little bubbles form on the rim of the pan, not to a full boil. Pour heavy cream over the chocolate mixture, ensure all the chocolate is covered, and let sit for 2 minutes. |
| 3. | With a rubber spatula, slowly stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted and the ingredients are combined. Cover the ganache with cling film, ensuring it touches the ganache. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to set or 4 hours at room temp. |
| 4. | After the ganache has finished setting, whip it for a few minutes until it reaches a creamy consistency. Pour the ganache into a piping bag to fill the macaron shells. |
| Ingredients for the Macaron Shell: | |
| • | 75 g. of almond flour |
| • | 125 g. powdered/confectioners’ sugar |
| • | 2 egg whites (62 to 68 grams) |
| • | 50 g. of superfine (caster) sugar |
| • | Pinch of cream of tartar |
| Method: | |
| 1. | Optional: use 1 or 8 drops of Leaf Green AmeriColor Gel Food Color or IndiaTree natural colors until you achieve the desired color. Alternatively, you can keep the color of the macaron natural. If you use food coloring, Do Not use more than 8 drops of food color, as this will increase the moisture in the macaron batter. |
| 2. | Move the oven rack to the lower third (of the oven) and preheat the oven to 315°F. |
| 3. | Clean and dry your mixer and whisk the attachment with vinegar or lemon juice to alleviate traces of residual fats from prior use. Liquids and fats can deflate the egg whites. |
| 4. | In a food processor, combine the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar, then process until as fine as possible for about a minute. Be mindful not to overprocess, as the almonds will release oils and start to clump. Pass this mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or onto a piece of parchment paper, discarding any large pieces. |
| 5. | In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and super-fine sugar. Beat slowly at first, then increase speed to medium, 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Then beat on high for 2 minutes or until the mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk from the bowl. |
| 6. | Add your desired food coloring one drop at a time and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds, being careful not to overmix. |
| 7. | Remove the bowl and wire whisk. |
| 8. | Gently add the dry ingredients to the whipped egg mixture. Fold the dry ingredients until the bat-ter flows like lava, approximately 35 to 45 strokes. |
| 9. | Rest a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round Ateco #804 Piping Tip and top folded over a few inches, inside a glass or pitcher, tip-side down. Using a silicone spatula, transfer the batter to the bag. Line two heavy baking sheet pans a Silpat. If you do not have a Silpat, you can line the pans with parchment paper. To keep the parchment paper from lifting when piping the macaron circles, dab a little bit of the batter remaining in the bowl onto the corners of the baking sheets, then line them with parchment paper. |