Mini Ice Pop Macarons Recipes

Steps:

• For the pistachio cream filling: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Spread the pistachios onto a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Place the granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat (brush down the sides with water to avoid any clinging granules of sugar and prevent crystallization). Cook the syrup until it reaches 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Add the toasted pistachios to the hot syrup and stir until the nuts are well coated. When all the sugar coats the pistachios and any remaining syrup turns powdery white, pour the nuts onto a baking sheet to cool.
• Once cooled, place the pistachios in the bowl of a food processor with the almond flour. Blend until the nuts resemble a coarse meal, approximately 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continuing to blend the mixture. Add the butter, almond paste, almond extract and 3 tablespoons water. Keep mixing until mixture is a smooth paste, approximately 3 minutes.
• For the macarons: Mix the powdered sugar, almond flour and salt in a bowl using a whisk; set aside. In a separate bowl using a hand mixer, mix the granulated sugar, vanilla, food coloring and egg whites. Whip until the batter has firm shiny peaks. Take one-third of the wet mixture and fold into the dry ingredients. Gradually fold in the remaining batter. Once the dry ingredients have been absorbed, run a rubber spatula over the mixture to create a shine. This process is called macaroning and is key to the overall recipe.
• Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a 1/4-inch round tip. Pipe the mixture in 1-inch rounds onto the cookie sheets. It's important to create a consistent size for each cookie. Let stand for 30 minutes to create a thin crust on the outside.
• Adjust the oven racks: Put one in the lower third of the oven and a second in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake until the macarons puff and rise to form ''feet'' and are crisp, 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets before filling.
• Put about 1 teaspoon of pistachio cream filling between 2 cookies to create the finished macarons.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the almond paste and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the almond paste is softened and the sugar well incorporated, about 5 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and blend just until combined.
• Add the egg whites a little bit at a time, incorporating fully after each addition. Egg whites are difficult to pour in small amounts, so hold a rubber spatula against the rim of the bowl and use it to "cut" the egg whites as they are poured. If you add the egg whites all at once, the mixture will be lumpy because the difference in consistency between the egg whites and the almond paste mixture is too great. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. You may or may not need all of the egg whites depending on the moistness and age of your almond paste. Stop mixing when the mixture reaches a consistency soft enough to pipe (like toothpaste).
• Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 1-inch mounds onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. It will be easier if you hold the pastry bag at a slight angle and allow the tip to touch the parchment as you start to pipe. Once you have formed the mound, stop squeezing and lift the tip straight up, leaving a small tail on the top of each mound. Space the macarons about 1-inch apart to allow for spreading. Pipe carefully: Your macarons will look nicest when they are sandwiched together if they are all the same size.
• Immediately before placing them in the oven, liberally sprinkle granulated sugar over the macarons. This will give them a nice crust that will keep the inside moist and chewy. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. The top of each macaron should be very finely cracked, a characteristic for which they are known. If overbaked, the macarons will be dry and crunchy.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately pour 1/4 cup of water onto the baking sheet under the parchment paper. Be careful: If you get any water on the macarons, they will be soggy. You will need to tilt the baking sheet to spread the water evenly. Let it sit for 2 minutes. The water will loosen the macarons from the paper. Remove the macarons from the paper 2 at a time and stick them together, matching the flat sides. Do not put them back on the hot, wet baking sheet or they will become soggy.
• The macarons can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or well wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 week. Unwrap them before bringing back to room temperature, or the condensation will make them soggy.

Steps:

• Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together.
• Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on low speed until frothy. Gradually add the sugar, and then whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. The egg whites should be glossy and thick.
• Fold half of the almond mixture into the egg whites and then add the rest. Fold the mixture 15 to 20 times; the batter will be thick and fall slowly when dripped from the spatula.
• Pipe 1-inch circles onto baking sheets lined with silicon mats or parchment paper. Let rest until a skin forms on top and is dry to the touch, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. If you are baking two sheets at a time, the bottom and top sheets should be rotated to prevent over browning on the bottom. If only baking one sheet at a time, bake on the bottom rack first for 5 minutes with an empty sheet on top. After 5 minutes, rotate the sheet and move the bottom sheet to the top and the top sheet to the bottom.
• You will know the macarons are done when you can touch them and the top of the macaron is set does not slide around under your finger. The macarons must be set before you take them out of the oven. If the macaron tops slide, put them back in the oven on the middle rack for another 2 minutes.
• Let them cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then take them off. Fill as desired with your favorite chocolate ganache, jams, or whatever creative fillings you can think of!