Pistachio Macarons with Coconut Jam (kaya) fillings

Yippie!!!! Got my new digital kitchen scale. Thanks to my wonderful hubby.

Macarons! Marcarons! Macarons! I have been craving for these irresistible dessert for sometime now. They are expensive and hard to find in Dallas. The perfect solution is try to make some at home.

Well, when I first looked up the ingredients, I thought it would be an easy task but after scouting numerous stores for blanched almond flour/meal and couldn't find it, I knew, I would have to grind my own...which I think, is the most troublesome part of the entire process.

I bought bulk blanched slivered almonds, grind them in my food processor. After sifting, grind some more until really fine.

I have not had a Pistachio with Kaya Macaron before. (not sure if anyone else ever did !) I thought it would be fun to just try it out. With so many left overs egg yolks, Coconut Jam sounded just perfect for the fillings.

I combined both Bakerella's & Martha Stewart's basic macarons recipes for these macarons.

Ingredients:

The Shell:

70g Blanched Almond Flour

40g Pistachio Flour/Meal

200g Custor Sugar

90g Egg whites (about 3 )

25g Granulated Sugar

2 drops of Green Coloring (Kelly green)

Whisk together ground almond flour & pistachio flour with Castor Sugar until all well mixed.

Beat egg whites until bubbly. Add granulated sugar, beat until form peak.

Add dry flour mixes into egg white mixture. Fold in green coloring, mix until all well blend.

Pour into piping. Pipe onto lined (parchment) tray, let stand for 30 minutes.

Bake in 300F for 18 minutes 1 tray at a time. When ready, remove from oven, spray bottom of parchment paper with water, remove the shell immediately but carefully. Set aside to cool.

Continue baking the other trays until all done. In the meantime, start preparing the jam fillings.

The fillings:

Coconut Jam (kaya)

4 egg yolks

1 egg yolk & white

75g Castor Sugar

75g Brown Sugar

1 cup coconut cream

3-4 screwpine (pandan) leaves, knotted

Heat double boiler, reduce to low/medium heat when you are ready to cook.

Beat eggs with sugar using a whisk until well blended. Place it in double boiler, start stiring with whisk. add screwpine leaves and slowly stir in coconut cream.

Continue stiring until mixture turns thick (about 30-45 minutes).

Set aside to cool.

Drop a tablespoon of the jam on one shell, sprinkle some grounded pistachios on it and sandwich it with another shell and your MACARON is ready!!! Indulge...:)