Feature Dessert: Saffron Pistachio Macarons

For this week’s Feature Dessert, I’m sharing a recipe based on one of the most gorgeous and unique pavlovas I’ve ever eaten. It was a saffron meringue base, filled with freshly whipped cream and lemon curd, and topped with pomegranate seeds and pistachios. I was drawn to it because I’d never used saffron before. Also, I had just recently seen a video of how to open a pomegranate without it looking like a massacre in your kitchen, and because I’m a sucker for anything including lemon curd.

I’m not sure why, but I’m a little obsessed with saffron. Just the aroma of it as you open the spice jar is warm and comforting. Saffron is known as the most expensive spice in the world, but just a pinch of the dried threads imparts massive amounts of flavor! I paid about $20 for the jar I bought at my regular grocery store, but it’s going to last a long time!

There are several ways you can put together this week’s Feature Dessert, all depending on how “extra” you want to be…

Basic…

You can build this macaron with a plain shell and the ganache! When you make the shells, follow the recipe as written in French Macarons. Then you can either fill with pistachio ganache only, or add a lemon curd center.

Saffron…

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, put a pinch of saffron threads into your meringue during the foaming stage. Even though only some of the cookies will end up with the actual threads, you will get a hint of the flavor – which is all you want – in each cookie. You’ll be able to pair it either with all ganache, or a ganache and curd combo.

Salted Saffron…

If you are feeling adventurous, this is the one I’d suggest! Add a pinch of saffron with the cream of tartar during the foaming stage of the macarons. Once you have them piped onto your trays, sprinkle a pinch of fleur de sel or coarse sea salt on half of the cookies. As they dry and then bake, they will hold on to that salt grain. Fill the baked cookies with ganache, or go all out and do the ring of ganache with a center of lemon curd. This may sound like there’s so much going on, but it’s balanced nicely and totally worth the effort!

The assembly…

Putting these sandwich cookies together is pretty self explanatory, but here are just a couple tips:
1) Match the shells up by size before you start filling them. The goal is to have two shells as close in size and shape as possible
2) If you are doing one filling, such as the ganache, fit a piping bag with round tip, and pipe right in the center of the cookie, in a 90 degree angle, about a half inch above the cookie. Press until filling has expanded towards the edge and release pressure. *Note: ganache should be cool when piped.
3) If you are using two fillings, pipe a circle of ganache/buttercream along the edge of the cookie as a barrier, then fill in the center with the curd/jam/etc.
4) Be careful of how much filling you use, you don’t want it expanding past the edges of the cookies when you schmush it together (yes – that’s the technical term, ;))
5) After you fill them, let them sit in the refrigerator to “mature” for 24-48 hours. This allows the flavors to meld and become one composed cookie.

Which flavor combination will you try? Leave a comment or join the conversation in Rachel’s Kitchen Conversations Facebook group!