Richard Sève’s macarons | Camille Pâtisserie
These French macarons pair crisp, delicate shells with dark chocolate ganache or flavoured buttercream. The recipe makes pistachio- and rose-coloured versions, with a few days of chilling to let the filled shells mature.
Ingredients
- 105 g, about 6 egg whitesegg whites
- 150 gground almonds
- 250 gicing sugar
- 7 gpure cocoa powder, to add to the macaron mixture
- a knife-tip amountgreen food colouring
- a knife-tip amountpink food colouring
- 80 gcream
- 100 gextra-dark chocolate
- 25 gbutter
- 87 gegg whites
- 25 gsugar
- 175 gbutter
- 40 gpistachio paste
- 4 grose syrup
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the whites
Put the egg whites in a mixer bowl and whisk gently until foamy, then increase the speed and beat until firm. Add the food colouring at the end.
- 2
Add the mixture
Add the macaron mixture in two batches, folding each in with a flexible spatula.
- 3
Finish the batter
Use a pastry scraper to fold the batter from the bottom over the top and smooth it with a flexible spatula.
- 4
Colour the shells
For the pistachio macarons, mix in the green colouring. For the rose macarons, mix in the pink colouring.
- 5
Pipe the shells
Pipe the batter on to baking parchment using a piping bag fitted with a 9 mm nozzle.
- 6
Bake the shells
Bake at 160°C for 18 minutes.
- 7
Make the ganache
Bring the cream to the boil in a saucepan. Pour it over the chocolate in three additions, blending after each addition. When the mixture reaches 37°C, add the butter in pieces and blend until smooth and glossy.
- 8
Set the ganache
Leave the ganache to crystallise for about 20–30 minutes.
- 9
Cook the syrup
Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and cook the syrup to 121°C.
- 10
Whisk the whites
Put the egg whites in a mixer bowl and whisk at speed 4. When they are about halfway whipped, add the sugar and keep the mixer running.
- 11
Finish the buttercream
With the mixer at speed 3, pour the 121°C syrup over the egg whites and leave the mixture to cool to 40°C. Add the butter in pieces and mix until smooth and creamy, then add either the pistachio paste or the rose syrup.
- 12
Fill the macarons
Pipe either the ganache or the buttercream onto the shells, then sandwich them together.
- 13
Rest the macarons
Leave the filled macarons in the fridge for 3–4 days.
What are macarons?
Macarons are French almond-meringue sandwich biscuits, with smooth shells and a filling between them. This recipe is credited to Richard Sève, a pastry chef associated with Lyon’s Sève chocolate shop.
Two fillings are offered here: dark chocolate ganache and buttercream flavoured with pistachio paste or rose syrup. The different colours help distinguish the flavours.
Nutrition and macros by portion
The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 100 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.
| Portion | Adjustment | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighter | Choose ganache filling | 70 kcal | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| This serving | As written | 100 kcal | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Hungry | Serve a larger portion | 150 kcal | 0g | 0g | 0g |
The almond shells and sugar provide most of the carbohydrates, while butter and cream contribute much of the fat. Egg whites add protein, with further fat from the chocolate and buttercream. Pair a macaron or two with fresh fruit or unsweetened tea for a more balanced snack.
The shell mixture
Almonds and sugar: the ground almonds and icing sugar form the dry base of the shells, while the cocoa is added to the macaron mixture for a chocolate note.
Egg whites: beat them first gently to foam, then at higher speed until firm. Folding the dry mixture in gradually helps avoid knocking out too much air.
Getting the batter right
Macaronage: folding and smoothing the batter with a scraper brings the mixture together and makes it pipeable. Work it until it flows smoothly, without taking it so far that it becomes runny.
Colouring: the recipe colours pistachio shells green and rose shells pink. Add each colouring to its respective portion of batter.
Piping and baking
Piping: use the specified 9 mm nozzle to make the shells on baking parchment. Keep the portions similar in size so they pair neatly when filled.
Baking: the recipe calls for 160°C for 18 minutes. Let the shells cool before filling so the ganache and buttercream do not soften against warm biscuits.
Making the ganache
Hot cream: pour it over the chocolate in three additions, blending each time to form an even emulsion. Adding the butter at 37°C helps it blend into a smooth, glossy ganache.
Setting: allow about 20–30 minutes for the ganache to crystallise before using it to fill the shells.
Making the buttercream
Sugar syrup: cook the water and sugar to 121°C, as directed, and pour the syrup over the egg whites while the mixer runs at speed 3. Take care when handling the hot syrup.
Finishing: let the mixture cool to 40°C before adding the butter in pieces. Mix until smooth, then flavour with pistachio paste or rose syrup.
Filling and serving
Filling: pipe either ganache or one of the flavoured buttercreams onto the shells, then sandwich them together. Keep the filling centred so it does not squeeze out around the edges.
Resting: the recipe asks for 3–4 days in the fridge before serving. Their small size makes macarons a natural choice alongside coffee or tea.
Recipe notes & tips
- Weigh the egg whites rather than relying only on the approximate number of eggs.
- Fold in the dry mixture in two batches, as directed, to keep better control of the batter.
- Use separate portions of batter for the green pistachio and pink rose shells.
- Keep the mixer speeds and syrup temperatures in the buttercream method in mind before starting.
- Wait until the shells are cool before piping on the filling.
Variations
- Pistachio filling: flavour the buttercream with the listed pistachio paste.
- Rose filling: use the rose syrup in the buttercream for a floral filling.
- Chocolate shells: include the cocoa in the macaron mixture as listed.
- Chocolate filling: use the ganache between the shells instead of buttercream.
- Mixed batch: make shells in both listed colours and fill them with either ganache or buttercream.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Overwhipping the whites: beat until firm, then stop so they do not become dry.
- Adding the dry mix all at once: fold it in two batches for more even incorporation.
- Overworking the batter: fold only until it is smooth and pipeable, not runny.
- Filling warm shells: let them cool first so the filling stays in place.
- Skipping the rest: allow the filled macarons the stated 3–4 days in the fridge.
How to store
Keep the filled macarons in the fridge during the recipe’s 3–4 day resting period. The recipe does not specify storage beyond that period.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make both pistachio and rose macarons from this recipe?
Yes. The method assigns green colouring to the pistachio version and pink colouring to the rose version, with the corresponding flavour added to the buttercream.
Can I use the ganache for every macaron?
Yes. The assembly step says to pipe either ganache or buttercream onto the shells, so you can choose one filling for the batch.
How do I know when the ganache is ready for the butter?
The method says to add the butter when the ganache reaches 37°C, then blend until smooth and glossy.
How long do the macarons need to rest?
The recipe calls for 3–4 days in the fridge after filling.
What temperature should I bake the shells at?
Bake them at 160°C for 18 minutes, following the recipe.
Is water missing from the ingredient list?
The buttercream method calls for water and sugar to make a syrup, but the ingredient list does not give an amount for the water. The listed sugar quantity is 25 g.
Cook it from the original
This recipe comes from camille-patisserie.com. Their page has the author’s own photos, notes and tips — the best place to cook it from.
Open the recipe on camille-patisserie.com