Raspberry Pistachio Macarons Recipe (video)

45 prep + 20 cook

macarons

The best raspberry pistachio macarons recipe, with pistachio buttercream and raspberry centers. The most delicious pistachio cookies!

Start by making the pistachio flour. Place the pistachios into a food processor and pulse to grind the pistachios into a fine crumble. Make sure you don’t pulse them too much, as this can result in a pistachio butter forming.
Transfer the finely ground pistachios into a fine mesh strainer/sifter and sift 60 grams of pistachios into a large mixing bowl. Set the remaining pistachios aside for the filling.

Next, sift in the almond flour and powdered sugar. Use a spoon to gently combine the dry ingredients together.

Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks and place into a mixing bowl. You’ll need approximately 3 large egg whites.
Add in the fine sugar and begin whisking at slow speed for a few minutes, allowing the sugar to dissolve. Increase the speed to high and whisk until stiff peaks form. The meringue should just reach this stage and still be glossy.
Add the vanilla extract and a few drops of green food color; I also add a drop of yellow to achieve a pistachio green color. Fold in the color and extract gently with a spatula.

Transfer the meringue into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a spatula and scoop from the bottom of the mixing bowl, gently folding and combining all the ingredients together.
Once a thick batter forms, begin folding and pressing the meringue against the side of the mixing bowl to deflate the meringue.
Keep mixing and folding until the macaron batter ribbons off the spatula and settles down on itself within 8 to 10 seconds. Be careful not to overmix at this point!

Line two large baking sheets with silicon mats and additional parchment paper, if desired.
Transfer the macaron batter into a pastry bag tipped with simple round tip; I used Ateco tip #806.
Pipe small dollops of macaron batter onto the silicon mat, spacing the cookies about 1 ½-inches apart. Pipe directly from the top to create even dollops.
Once all the cookies are piped, tap the baking sheets a few times against your work surface/counter to release any trapped air bubbles.
Allow the cookies to stand at room temperature for 1 hour to rest and form a thin shell on the outside. The shell will be dry to touch.

Preheat the oven to 300F. Once the macarons a reset, bake them for 18 to 20 minutes, until they come off easily from the mat/paper.
Keep an eye on the cookies and adjust the baking time as needed, every oven bakes differently! Start checking on the cookies around the 16-to-17-minute mark to ensure they don’t brown.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. Pair up the macaron shells by size.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place the softened butter into a medium sized mixing bowl. Beat the butter for a few minutes, until it’s creamy and smooth.
Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cream, and remaining ground pistachios. Beat these together with the butter, until you have a creamy and fluffy buttercream.
If desired, add a few drops of green food coloring. Transfer the frosting into a pastry bag tipped with a simple round tip.

Make sure the macaron cookies have cooled completely before adding the filling and assembling them!
Pair the macaron shells up by size and turn over half the shells. Pipe a generous ring of frosting onto each half, leaving a small center open for the berries. Drop diced raspberry pieces into the center, then top with the second shell and sandwich the cookies together.
These raspberry pistachio macarons can been joyed right away, or you can mature them first. For storing, place the macarons into an airtight container and into the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. When ready to enjoy, remove them and let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
These will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, place the cookies into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 1 month. If freezing the cookies, I recommend using raspberry jam in place of fresh raspberries for the filling.