Judy and Nick Pistachio Mixed Berry Macarons

 My friend requested for some Judy and Nick macarons and brown sugar cookies for her daughter's birthday. It's the 12th consecutive year I am baking for her! I am sharing the macaron version in this blog post.

The macarons are filled with one of the yummiest flavour combinations I have made: pistachio Swiss meringue buttercream and strawberry raspberry jam. I used only added 10% sugar by weight to the fruit puree to make the jam so it remains very tart and fruity. I reduced the puree to half its original weight over low heat until it is thick before storing in the refrigerator.

According to my friend, the macarons were so yummy even her elderly mother loved it!

The fillings were rather time consuming to make too because I make all the components from scratch.

Here's the recipe for the pistachio Swiss meringue buttercream.

Ingredients:

75g egg whites (about 2)
1/16 tsp salt
65g sugar 
140g unsalted butter, slightly softened*
10g milk powder*
140g pistachio butter*

Steps:
1. Double boil egg whites with salt & sugar, whisking constantly until mixture reaches 71.1C. 
2. Whip till stiff, glossy peak, & cooled to room temperature.
3. Add butter 1tbs at a time. Continue beating 8-10 min on med-high speed until light & fluffy. 
4. Add milk powder during the last min of beating until incorporated. 
5. Stir some buttercream into the pistachio butter to lighten it up before adding it back to the buttercream. Fold the lightened pistachio butter into the buttercream in a few additions. You may use it immediately or freeze in airtight condition until use if making ahead of time. Briefly whip with a spatula after defrosting.

* Additional notes for ingredients

Butter: 

You may replace partially with vegetable shortening if you are not able to serve this in a cool environment. I live in the tropics so the filling may soften quite a lot at 30C non air-conditioned room temperature. But if your environment is cool, use all butter because it's yummier 😋.

Milk powder: 

You may toast the milk powder for a caramel flavour as well! To toast, bake in a thin layer in the oven at 140C, stirring every 8-10 min until golden brown but not too dark.  Total duration depends on whether you are toasting in bulk or small amounts. Milk powder adds stability to the buttercream too.

Pistachio butter: 

Toast shelled pistachios at 150C for 10-15min or until aromatic. Remove the skins first if you wish by blanching and rubbing between a towel. Blend with a little salt to taste. Using a powerful blender helps as you don't need to thin out the mixture with oil.

You may refer to this reel to have a peek at filling the shells:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTh0m2bCULh/?igsh=MXJtMGc3M3RrYzI4OA==

I used my default Swiss meringue method recipe to make the macaron shells.

Here are some pictures of the undecorated macaron shells..

I used edible marker, royal icing and edible paint for adding in the details.

You may see this reel to see how I piped Nick:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTunc8PCVpH/?igsh=MXUzZXp6b3UwZXZxZw==

And see this reel to see how I piped Judy:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT1RsuSCVk1/?igsh=MWxkNXM5NzA0dzczZA==

Do read the captions of the reels as I share some technical tips on how to work with complex shaped characters with many colours and details.

with love,

Phay Shing

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Pistachio Chocolate Dinosaur Macarons

 I bought some pistachio flour end of last year which I didn't use so I decided to make some macarons with it. Although many bakers advise against using only pistachio meal for making the shells, they don't mention what happens if you do. To satisfy my curiosity, I made some macarons without using any almond flour at all. Presenting my 100% pistachio macarons as cute dinosaurs!

If this design looks familiar, it's because I re-used my old dino design from some years ago. 

I did a 1:1 replacement of almond flour with pistachio flour by weight to see what happens. Before that, I dried the pistachio meal to pick up excess oil which can ruin the bake. To my surprise, the paper towels didn't pick up as much oil as almond flour. Surprised because some bakers warned about the oil from pistachios ruining the bake. 

I went ahead to make the batter and immediately realised what's different. Besides the obvious visible dark specks from the flour, the batter turns runny quickly despite taking care in making sure the meringue is tight and stable and the batter is not overfolded. I went ahead to pipe and bake the macarons thinking it's a failed bake but they turned out beautiful!  See the awesome feet and full interior! 

In conclusion, unlike what the other bakers warned against, I would say go ahead and make macaron shells out of pistachio flour alone because the aroma and taste is amazing. Just give more room for the batter to spread after piping and intricate shapes are not a good idea due to the runnier batter. Do make sure proper technique in preparing the batter is used and you are good to go!

Here's the reel of the process of making the dinosaur macarons:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHqI39JynMq/?igsh=MXBhc2k4YzhzNml3cg==

I re-used leftover dark chocolate ganache and coffee ganache from a test bake at a new studio as fillings so you may use pistachio ganache or buttercream instead to make the pistachio flavour pop, and pair it with milk chocolate or raspberries if you wish!

with love,

Phay Shing 

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Dubai Chocolate (Kunafa Chocolate) Inspired Log Cake

 Here's my take of the Dubai chocolate in the form of log cake!

Composition:
🌲 Chocolate chiffon sponge brushed with strawberry jam syrup
🌲 Crunchy pistachio kunafa
🌲 Pistachio diplomat cream
🌲 Dark chocolate ganache
🌲 Dubai chocolate Christmas tree decorations (see previous blog post for the recipe)
🌲 Penguin orange chocolate hazelnut macaron

Here's the video of the process:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDjfymJyeAI/?igsh=MTAwazU4Yjg0d2Z6bw==

Chocolate chiffon sponge (12x12")*:

3 yolks

15g Dutch cocoa powder

32g boiling water

35g cake flour

1/8 tsp baking soda

27g oil

1 tsp vanilla

Pinches of salt

3 egg whites

50g caster sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Line 12x12" tray with teflon sheet/parchment. Preheat oven to 160C fan/170C

2. Make chocolate paste. Dissolve cocoa powder in hot water to make a paste. Add vanilla and salt. Mix well

3. Make egg yolk batter. Whish together egg yolks, oil and chocolate paste. Gradually add sifted flour and baking soda, whisk until no trace of flour is seen.

4. Make meringue. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until firm peaks, gradually adding sugar once egg whites are foamy. 

5. Quickly but gently fold meringue into egg yolk batter in 3 additions. Pour into prepared tray.

6. Bake for 10-12 min or until done. Immediately flip the sponge out of the tray and roll it up to cool completely.

Crunchy pistachio kunafa

80g kataifi pastry

16g melted butter

75g white chocolate couverture, melted

85g pistachio paste*, warmed

1. Coat finely chopped kataifi pastry with melted butter. 

2. Fry pastry over low heat until browned and crisp

3. Add melted chocolate and warm pistachio paste. Mix well. You may fry the pastry ahead of time and add the chocolate and paste when you are about to assemble.

Pistachio diplomat cream

2 egg yolks

15g cornstarch

25g caster sugar

1/8 tsp salt

220g milk

15g unsalted butter, softened

45g pistachio paste*

1 tsp vanilla extract 

3g gelatin bloomed in 10g ice water 

100g whipping cream of choice*

1. Heat milk until hot but not boiling. In the meantime, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch in a heavy heatproof bowl/jug. 

2. When milk is hot, pour in a thin stream while whisking the egg mixture continuously. Pour everything back into saucepan

3. Whisk egg mixture while cooking over medium-low heat until it thickens. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Put it back on heat and keep whisking until it starts to bubble/boil. Continue whisking for an additional minute.

4. Remove from heat. Add butter, pistachio paste, vanilla and bloomed gelatin. Whisk until smooth. Press cling wrap onto surface of pastry cream and refrigerate overnight.

5. When you are ready to assemble, whip your whipping cream of choice until firm peaks. Loosen the pastry cream by whipping it briefly. Fold whipped cream into pastry cream in a few additions. Transfer into piping bag and keep refrigerated until ready to pipe.

Dark chocolate ganache

120g 55% dark chocolate couverture 

50g heavy cream/water

5g honey 

15g butter, softened

1. Melt chocolate. Add heated cream and honey, mix well 

2. Add softened butter and mix well. Press cling wrap onto surface of ganache and let it sit at cool room temperature for 2h. If it is too warm, refrigerate for 15-20 min before spreading on log cake.

*Notes:

- Please refer to my previous blog post for the pistachio paste recipe

- You may choose to use non dairy cream, heavy cream (35-38% fat) or double cream (45-50% fat) depending on preference and climate. You may add a little powdered sugar when whipping the cream if you wish.

- I made a really thin sponge on purpose to enjoy the log cake like an ice-cream cake when frozen. If you prefer to have more sponge to cream ratio and enjoy it chilled instead of frozen, upsize the recipe to 4 eggs and layer with less cream.

Assembly

1. Unroll chocolate sponge. Brush surface with strawberry jam syrup (I just diluted strawberry jam that was previously reduced for the Christmas cookies).

2. Layer a thin layer of crunchy pistachio kunafa 

3. Pipe a layer of diplomat cream and spread it evenly with spatula.

4. Roll it up tightly and freeze for 2h. Slice off both ends for the branches.

5. Attach the branches to main trunk with some ganache. Cover the surface of the sponge with ganache. Use the spatula to create bark patterns. You may use a fork instead if you wish.

6. Dust some snow powder and decorate as you wish

This was before I dusted with snow powder.

I hope to bless my family and friends with this creation! I will be making two more of these but thought of sharing it earlier in case you want to give it a try!

Update 3/1/2025:

This comes a little late but better than never. All who tasted my cakes said they are really tasty, including my relatives who came down to visit from the US after their last visit back in 2017! My elder kid who did a blind taste test at one of the parties that ended up having two log cakes said mine tasted better! With such positive feedback, I highly recommend you to try it out!

with love,

Phay Shing

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Dubai Chocolate (Kunafa Chocolate) Inspired Christmas Trees

 What if the viral Dubai chocolate turned inside out and dressed up for Christmas🤔? You may get these!

Composition:
🌲 Crunchy kataifi pastry coloured with a little pandan paste
🌲 Pistachio ganache
🌲 Dark chocolate ganache 
🌲 Homemade pistachio paste
🌲 Dark/milk chocolate & a little toasted kataifi pastry* at the base
🌲 White chocolate star & tinsel, bauble sprinkles

I made these as log cake decorations. I am sure you can guess what flavour profile of log cakes I am making this year🤭! I will be sharing that in my next post.

You may refer to my reel for the visuals of the process:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDbxcFySarn/?igsh=dnA0bm0xN3pnOWRk

Dubai Chocolate Christmas Trees

Ingredients (makes about twelve-fifteen 5-6cm tall trees):

Green Kataifi Pastry

70g kataifi pastry 

30g butter + 1-2 drops pandan paste (to colour. Feel free to use green colouring)

1-1.5 tbs caster sugar (as pastry binder during baking)

1. Chop kataifi pastry to shorter segments. Add melted butter with pandan paste and sugar a little at a time to pastry. Mix well after each addition to colour the pastry green evenly.

2. Spread the pastry out in small portions in a very thin layer between parchment paper. Press it flat. Freeze until very firm, at least 2h or overnight 

3. Cut paper cones to height of about 5-6cm. You may have trees with different heights for a nicer display contrast. For each size of tree, cut open the paper cone to be used as template.

4. Cut frozen pastry using template to trace. Let it soften slightly and carefully fit it into the prepared paper cone. Press the pastry firmly to the sides and bottom of the cone.

5. Bake at 140-150Cfan/160-170C for 9-12 min and turn it out from the cone. Crisp it up and brown it further by baking for another 5-10 min, checking every few minutes to ensure that the browning is controlled. 

Store in airtight condition until assembly.

Pistachio Paste*

50g pistachio kernels

10g honey

15g water (more if needed)

* Pistachio paste is typically made from blanched pistachios with skin removed. But because I wanted to increase the pistachio flavour, I reserved a portion of the blanched nuts with skin removed to bake in the oven. I used low temperature to bake for a longer time to avoid browning the nuts too much. If using more baked nuts, you may need to add a little more water when blending as baked nuts are harder and drier than blanched nuts. If using only blanched nuts, you need less water. The resulting paste with baked pistachios is grainier than if only blanched pistachios were used.

1. Bring a saucepan of water to boil. Turn the heat off and blanch pistachio kernels for 3 min. Drain and dry briefly on paper towels. Remove skins.

2. Portion 15g of skinned kernels. Bake in a single layer at 100C for 2h. 

3. Blend all ingredients together until smooth paste forms, gradually adding water only as needed. Use a powerful blender for a smoother paste. This may take several rounds of blending and scraping to get it smooth

Pistachio Ganache

15g pistachio paste

70g white chocolate couverture

15g hot water

Pinch of salt

1. Heat white chocolate until warm, soft and partially melted. 

2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well until smooth. Using immersion blender helps.

3. Press cling wrap onto surface of ganache. Refrigerate 2h or overnight. Transfer into piping bag before using

Dark Chocolate Ganache

50g 55% dark chocolate couverture 

3g honey 

22g hot cream/water

Pinch of salt

1. Follow method for pistachio ganache

Assembly

1. Place baked kataifi pastry cone in mold to hold it in place. 

2. Pipe and spread a thin layer of pistachio ganache followed by dark chocolate ganache

3. Fill the cavity with pistachio paste

4. Cover base with melted chocolate of choice and sprinkle on some kataifi pastry fried with butter (optional pastry). Freeze for 5 min

* To toast kataifi pastry. Coat 15g finely chopped pastry with 4-5g melted butter. Fry over low heat until golden brown and crisp. I used coloured pastry so it appears a little green in the video.

5. Flip the trees upright. Decorate with melted white chocolate and sprinkles/additional decoration of your choice

Here's a look at the trees before the stars are added.

Here's a closer look at the insides!

Here's the log cake version of this flavour combination!

with love,

Phay Shing

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Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Dinosaur Macarons (new filling recipe!)

I had a request for quite a large quantity of dinosaur macarons and I got the chance to try out a new flavour! Pistachio! I will share the recipe for this in the blog post.

Whimsical looking! 

I used the Swiss meringue method to make these dinosaurs and the recipe can be found in this post. I must admit it was a little tricky to get the shade of colour close to the reference. Here's a photo of the piped batter before baking.

Freshly baked shells! 

I used edible marker to add in the details like eyes, mouth, claws, spots and stripes. I used peach coloured lustre dust to brush on the rosy cheeks.

I filled the triceratops and stegosaurus with dark chocolate ganache and salted caramel. I filled the brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus with pistachio white chocolate ganache. I am not familiar with working with nut based filling from scratch so it was a good learning experience for me. You may think that after baking for about six years I would know that nuts have to be roasted before you use them, otherwise the nutty flavour and aroma will not be strong. Well I only realised my mistake after making the filling because I was following a recipe that didn't make any mention about roasting or that roasted nuts were used 🤣. So yes please roast the nuts first! I adapted the recipe from here. My version contains a higher percentage of pistachios and is a lot less sweet because I substitute a substantial amount of white chocolate with cocoa butter.

Recipe for pistachio white chocolate ganache
Ingredients:
100g shelled raw pistachios (unsalted)
180g heavy cream
1 tsp Sea salt
100g cocoa butter chips or shavings
130g white chocolate, finely chopped

Steps:
1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread out the pistachios in a single layer on the tray. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C for about 8 min, keeping an eye on the browning. The nuts should be ready when you can smell the nutty aroma.

2. Transfer roasted pistachios into a saucepan with heavy cream. Heat on medium heat until the cream just starts to bubble at the sides.

3. Remove saucepan from heat and blend the mixture until a thick paste forms.

4. Transfer the paste into a heatproof bowl and add salt, cocoa butter and white chocolate. Set it over a saucepan with freshly boiled water and mix with a spatula until all the white chocolate and cocoa butter are melted and incorporated.

5. Press a cling wrap on the surface of the ganache and refrigerate for 1 h or until firm but not rock hard. You may fill the macarons with this ganache as it is or you may whip it up with a spatula for a lighter texture.

Filling the shells! 

Packing these took quite some time too because there are so many!

Here's a picture of the dinosaurs at the party 😊

With love,
Phay Shing

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'Monsters' Pistachio-Lemon Chiffon Cake

My ‘monsters’ Pistachio-Lemon Chiffon Cake!

This is sooo soo good! I fell in love when Munira posted her Pistachio-lemon sour cream pound cake. The night she posted her recipe, I actually dreamt of grinding pistachios and making a super light chiffon version in my sleep lol! Those who know me, know that I often get my ideas for my cakes through dreams (eg my 6-flavour rainbow hearts chiffon). It also came at a time I was searching for a simple cake to make for a 'monster' party. So I woke up, bought some pistachios, rolled up my sleeves, put on my head band (just kidding =p), and got to work!

The verdict: the rich taste of pistachios combined with a very soft and fluffy cake - the work is well-worth it!! Translated to our singlish - Die die must try! =p

Very soft texture with lovely pistachio taste

Pistachio Lemon Chiffon Cake (18cm/20cm chiffon tube pan)
4 egg yolks
33g castor sugar
52g vegetable/corn oil 

52g water
6g vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp baking powder, sifted
39g ground roasted pistachios (from 42g pistachios without shell)
39g prima cake flour, sifted
Few drops of PME natural coloring, Juniper green

5 egg whites
59g castor sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar


1. Prepare 42g roasted pistachios without shell. Peel off the outer brown covering. Place the pistachios into blender and grind till fine paste (the powder becomes paste due to the oil from the pistachio). Sieve through mesh.

*42g pistachios makes around 39g pistachio paste for me. 
*You can also use store-bought pistachio paste but depending on the purity, you may need to increase your cake flour corresspondingly.

42g pistachios, with brown layer roughly peeled

After being grounded into fine paste

2. Prepare lemon zest by using a fine scraper to gently scrap the outing yellow covering of the lemon, being careful to omit the white parts that may be bitter.

3. Preheat oven to 160°C. *Optional: I used steam baking, i.e. I placed a pan of water under the lowest rack before preheating – to control oven temperature and for moister texture.

4. Whisk egg yolks with castor sugar till pale and light.

5. Add in oil, then water and vanilla extract and whisk well

6. Add in sifted cake flour and whisk till no lumps are found. Then whisk in lemon zest and pistachio paste and mix till mixture is uniform and forms a smooth batter

7. Prepare meringue:

a. In a grease-free, dry metal bowl, using electric mixer, whisk egg whites with cream of tartar till frothy.

b. Add in ½ castor sugar for meringue and whisk at high speed till soft peaks form.

c. Add in rest of the castor sugar for meringue and whisk till firm peaks form, or just the point of stiff peak.

8. Pour the batter into an ungreased 7-inch chiffon tube pan. Gently tap on counter top to remove air bubbles.

9. Bake at 160°C for 15 min, 140°C for 30-35 min, or until skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. **If you use steam baking, you may need to bake for a few more minutes.

10. Invert pan to cool on a wire rack completely.

11. Unmould the chiffon cake by hand (see video tutorial ‘Hand unmoulding Chiffon cakes for a clean finishing’). 

Freshly unmoulded cake - nice and tall!

Side profile of the final cake (after hiding a surprise in the center and covering it up with chiffon sheet cake cut-outs). Isn't it cute? =p

Hope you will enjoy the yummy nutty flavour and light fluffy cake!

With lots of love,

Susanne

Some updates: Popular will be restocking by end of new week, but it's available at Kinokuniya and Times as well. It's in Kinokuniya bestsellers. Very grateful for your support!

Upcoming Kinokuniya book event (more details in link)

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