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Blog posts by Rosanna ETC

Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Dahl With Coconut Milk

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A warm and creamy red lentil and sweet potato dahl with coconut milk, spinach, and fresh lime that hits all the flavor jackpots and is deliciously healthy too.

Packed with nutrition from a rainbow of vegetables, seeds, and spices, this spicy red lentil dahl has a velvety chunky texture and the most amazing taste. A fragrant spice mix adds earthy heat and lashings of fresh lime juice squeezed in at the last minute giving it a zing that elevates the whole dish.

A red lentil, coconut and sweet potato dahl in a bowl topped with fresh lime wedge and coriander.
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Why you'll love this sweet potato red lentil dahl

  1. It's healthy: The list of vitamins and nutrients in this sweet potato dahl is endless, it just contains so many superfoods. A serious-sized portion of it comes in at well under 400 calories and it is naturally vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
  2. It's delicious: I like to refer to this dahl as 'stealth health' because it's simply so tasty you'd never know you were eating something so nutritious. It's thick and velvety and has so many flavors popping out at you with every bite, it's one of my favorite things to eat.
  3. It's easy: There are no complex techniques, you literally need two pieces of equipment and a toddler could follow the step-by-step instructions. I make this vegan sweet potato dahl in big batches and freeze it so it also works well as a make-ahead recipe.

Ingredients

The ingredients for sweet potato dahl on a large plate. Sweet potato and squash, red lentils, coriander, chilli, bell pepper, shallot, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, garam masala and ginger.
  1. Red lentils: Red lentils are a protein-packed legume that's naturally low in saturated fat. They break down when cooked in water so add a delicious velvety thickness to soups, stews, and curries.
  2. Sweet potato: Use large or medium sweet potatoes because we need to peel them, and the bigger size makes that easier.
  3. Butternut squash: You could use any squash in this recipe, for example, acorn or butternut. Squash is great for adding a nutty depth to curries or soups like this squash soup with crispy sage.
  4. Tinned tomatoes: Use canned tomatoes without any other flavorings or added sugar. You can also use passata.
  5. Coconut milk: Either full-fat or reduced-fat coconut milk will work, although full-fat will give you a super creamy red lentil dahl.
  6. Vegetable or chicken stock: I use chicken stock in this sweet potato dahl with coconut milk but if you prefer to make this a plant-based curry recipe, use vegetable stock instead.
  7. Bell pepper: Any color bell pepper will do, I like to use red and yellow.
  8. Shallot: I prefer cooking with shallot to onion as it's a more delicate flavor with natural sweetness, but feel free to use white or red onion if it's all you have.
  9. Garlic: Remove any green shoots from inside the garlic clove as this burns easily and can taste bitter.
  10. Ginger: Fresh ginger root will always taste better than ground ginger
  11. Chilli: You can choose the type of fresh chili to suit you, I used jalapenos most often but if you prefer it spicy, pick a chili like a habanero or scotch bonnet to add some fire!
  12. Garam Masala: Garam masala is a spice mix, rather than a spice in its own right and it lends a beautiful warmth to curry recipes.
  13. Turmeric: Known for its vibrant color and numerous health benefits, turmeric is another curry staple that tastes delicious and adds color too.
  14. Ground cumin: Powdered cumin or ground cumin seeds are a cornerstone of curry making, adding that signature curry taste and earthy, aromatic flavor. If you don't have ground cumin, a teaspoon cumin seeds will do the job perfectly instead.
  15. Chili flakes: I add a pinch of chili flakes too as they have a delicious smoky flavor that adds some more depth to the flavor profile of this red lentil dahl.
  16. Spinach: Adding spinach to stews, soups, or curries is a great way to add more fiber and nutrition at the last minute. It's full of vitamins and tastes delicious too.
  17. Lime: Fresh lime juice squeezed into this coconut and sweet potato dahl is my favorite thing about it.
  18. Coriander/cilantro: Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs, and one of the most useful as you can use the leaves, the stalks, and the seeds in cooking! In this dish, we use fresh cilantro leaves and stalks.

See the recipe card for all of the quantities and complete directions. If you do not have all the different spices you can use curry powder as a backup, but I always find it tastes better when you make the spice mix from scratch.

How to make lentil and sweet potato dahl

  1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Peel and slice the sweet potato and squash into small 1-inch cubes. Place onto an oiled baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes until browned at the edges.
  3. Prepare the other vegetables. Slice the bell pepper and shallot into small pieces, and finely dice the garlic, ginger, and chili.
  4. Fry the peppers and onion in oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or casserole until softened and then add the garlic, chili, and ginger and continue to fry for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Add the spices and dry fry until fragrant for around a minute.
  6. Stir in the lentils and coat them in the spice mix.
  7. Pour in the stock, coconut milk, and tomatoes, and bring to a simmer.
  8. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the lentils have cooked and broken down to thicken the dahl.
  9. Squeeze in the lime juice and stir through the spinach and chopped coriander before serving.

Top tips for making sweet potato dahl

If the dahl needs a bit of a lift, add a dash of fish sauce, or soy sauce for a plant-based option. It elevates the flavors and adds some umami, and even a tiny amount makes a big difference.

Red lentil, coconut and sweet potato dahl with a spoonful of yogurt on top.

How to serve

A spoonful of yogurt (either plain yogurt or coconut yogurt) is a delicious way to make this sweet potato lentil dahl even creamier and cool it down slightly if you've added a lot of spice! I also serve it with a lime wedge, some more fresh chili, and finely chopped cilantro. A bit of mango chutney is also a favorite of mine with sweet potato curry, and perhaps a piece of naan bread on the side to scoop up the sauce.

I sometimes stir through some frozen peas in the final 5 minutes of cooking to add even more vegetables, fiber, and nutrients to this easy dahl recipe. If you want a more intense tomato flavor, you can also add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste.

Love curry recipes and spicy food? Try this spiced eggplant masala or habanero pineapple hot sauce.

Wine pairing

A crisp, chilled glass of Gewürztraminer is always a great white wine pairing for curry. It's an aromatic grape variety that has tropical tones to it so works well with spicy food.

Equipment

The thing I really love about this sweet potato, red lentil, and coconut dahl is that you hardly need any equipment. I roast the sweet potato and squash on an oven tray lined with a non-stick silicon baking mat and make the curry in a large saucepan. That's it!

I do recommend buying a decent kitchen knife though, I have always used Robert Welch which are the knives I trained with at chef school.

Storage

Store leftover sweet potato dahl in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 3-4 days.

This dahl also freezes really well, so I tend to use this as a batch cook recipe and freeze individual portions of it.

FAQ

Is dahl good for gut?

Eating a balanced diet that is rich in fiber, vitamins, and prebiotics is excellent for gut health and this dahl recipe contains all of those things. So yes!

Can you freeze sweet potato dahl?

You can freeze dahl easily in an air-tight container. Defrost and consume within one month.

Will kids enjoy this homemade sweet potato dahl?

I have served this sweet potato curry at family events and the kids all loved it. I think it's the vibrant colors, they are like moths to a flame. I do hold back on the spice levels, however, to make it more suitable for younger children.

What makes this sweet potato dahl healthy?

It is packed full of nutrition and vitamins like vitamins A, B6, and C, and contains protein and fiber whilst being low in saturated fat. Sweet potatoes are high in antioxidants, and turmeric contains curcumin which is known to promote heart health and has been used to treat inflammation and many other conditions throughout history.

Try these other recipes

Red lentil, coconut and sweet potato dahl.

Red Lentil, Coconut & Sweet Potato Dahl

Rosanna Stevens
A warm and creamy red lentil and sweet potato dahl with coconut milk, spinach, and fresh lime that hits all the flavor jackpots and is deliciously healthy too.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 330 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Oven tray/baking sheet
  • 1 Large saucepan

Ingredients
 
 

  • 200 grams sweet potato
  • 200 grams squash (like butternut, acorn)
  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 400 grams tinned tomatoes
  • 250 ml chicken stock (or ude vegetable)
  • 1 banana shallot or use white onion)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 jalapeno chili
  • 2 inches ginger root
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 4 tablespoon cilantro
  • 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 200 grams spinach

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Peel and slice the sweet potato and squash into small 1-inch cubes. Place onto an oiled baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes until browned at the edges.
  • Prepare the other vegetables. Slice the bell pepper and shallot into small pieces, and finely dice the garlic, ginger, and chili.
  • Fry the peppers and onion in oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or casserole until softened and then add the garlic, chili, and ginger and continue to fry for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the spices and dry fry until fragrant for around a minute. Stir in the lentils and coat them in the spice mix.
  • Pour in the stock, coconut milk, and tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the lentils have cooked and broken down to thicken the dahl.
  • Squeeze in the lime juice and stir through the chopped cilantro just before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 7gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 276mgPotassium: 1012mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 12854IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 6mg
Keyword Red lentil dalh, sweet potato dahl
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Diaries: My Summer As A Private Chef In Provence

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I thought I'd start chronicling some of my chef jobs, and working as a private chef in Provence over the summer was certainly one of my favorites!

People often ask me about being a private chef, what is my day-to-day life like and what I do. It's a lot of hard work, but creating delicious food in a beautiful setting like the south of France is definitely a dream, especially as I can learn so much whilst I'm there and develop new recipes. The fresh produce was amazing, the clients were delightful and all in all, it was such a wonderful way to spend a few weeks in the summer.

A market stall on a bridge in Isle Sur La Sorgue in Provence.
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A day in the life of a private chef in Provence

My days started early before it gets too hot. The south of France in the summertime can be steamy, and it really pays to get ahead of the heat. I would discuss that day's menu with the client the previous evening and have my shopping list ready, so I quickly set up the breakfast table and then hop in the car to get to the grocery store at 8 am when it opened. At first, it took me a long time to find everything I needed in stores, but once I got the hang of where everything was it was a much faster trip.

Freshly baked French pastries on a wooden table next to jars of jam.

Breakfast

On the way back, I'd swing by the boulangerie to pick up pastries for breakfast. We would make overnight oats the previous evening for a few guests, but really the only thing that most people wanted was a freshly baked croissant or pain au chocolat which made life easier for me! I'd also pick up bread for lunch and dinner, a few baguettes and other loaves that looked (and smelled) good that day. The cost of a French baguette is actually a highly contentious issue in France as it is considered such a staple in the country. Changes in price get media attention, it's that major an issue!

Once I got back to the house I'd lay out the breakfast items ready for everyone to wake up and lazily come down. Guests would spend the morning playing tennis, lounging by the pool or they'd perhaps take a slow cycle through the orchards and go into town. I'd have a quick swim and then get on with lunch prep.

An overhead shot of a dining table with fresh flowers and various salads.

Lunch

We kept Mediterranean hours so lunch would be served late. I would always serve 3 dishes with at least one hot option, perhaps an heirloom tomato salad with hot honey and feta with a baked Spanish tortilla omelette, courgette fritters and a trusty French baguette on the side. If it was really hot, I'd make a gazpacho to cool everyone down, I love this cucumber gazpacho, it is so unbelievably refreshing. Sometimes I'd make a dip, or some homemade pineapple habanero hot sauce to go with everything which blew everyone's heads off but they loved it.

Occasionally we'd throw a pool party for lunch, light up the BBQ and eat next to the swimming pool rather than the dining area in the courtyard. I'd make jugs of Frose (rose wine blended with ice and watermelon) and serve dishes like black garlic BBQ chicken and buttered sweetcorn.

After lunch, it was time to relax and I'd read a book by the pool, do some writing work or catch up with some video editing for my social media channels. TikTok especially loved my content at that time, although I did get trolled for not folding salami in the right way which was apparently highly offensive to some.

Cocktail hour

There was a beautiful vantage point in the garden where you could watch the sunset and play Pétanque, and this is where guests had pre-dinner drinks in the evenings. I'd make some simple canapes like this beetroot and walnut hummus or pick some fresh figs from the trees in the garden and make fig and goat cheese crostini drizzled in local honey. Depending on how complex my dinner menu was, I would sometimes join everyone for a quick drink but often had to scamper back to the kitchen. Things were not helped by a little stray kitten who kept trying to sneak into the kitchen, eventually, we got her rehomed with a local friend and she happily lives with that family now. But there was an entertaining interlude where the police showed up to collect her which was rather alarming. A story for another time, perhaps.

Fig and goat cheese crostini canapes.

The drink of choice was, of course, locally produced wine from a vineyard near Isle Sur La Sorgue or a simple cocktail. Gin and Tonics also went down well and I even made these vodka greyhound frozen cocktail popsicles once!

Dinner

I served dinner at 9 pm once it was dark and a bit cooler. Dinner was usually just two courses as I'd served canapes during cocktail hour, and sometimes I'd serve dinner family-style with everything on the table and guests help themselves, or I'd plate up in the kitchen and do a more restaurant-style service. I'd make dishes like chicken paella, roast pork loin, or a fresh risotto with mint and prosciutto.

A mint and prosciutto risotto in a bowl.

For dessert, everyone loved an Eton Mess with the sweetest most delicious summer berries or prosecco, raspberry and elderflower jelly. Provence was also where this pain au chocolat pudding was created, which works a lot better in winter but it didn't stop us from enjoying it in the summer. Of course, no meal in France is complete without a cheese platter and I kept a healthy supply in the fridge at all times to bring out after meals.

Menu planning is one of my favorite parts of my job. This family and their guests were also real foodies and generally ate anything so I could really stretch my legs and have fun with local produce. We had a notebook in the kitchen where I'd write my ideas and guests could jot down any particular requests or dietary requirements I needed to be aware of.

The number of guests fluctuated throughout the weeks I was there, ranging from 8 to 18, which also dictated my planning somewhat. When cooking for a smaller group I could play around with plating more, and serve in a restaurant style. But when cheffing for 18, it was a case of keeping the high quality whilst bulk cooking in large quantities and that's when we ate more in a family-sharing style. I am a huge fan of edible decor though and had fun using food as a tablescape to make the table as pretty as possible.

A Provence style tablescape.

Grocery shopping

Certain items were specialities to the area, like cantaloupe melons (and rose wine) and often I'd see things in the grocery store that I couldn't resist like colourful heirloom tomatoes or an amazing new cheese. One strange thing I discovered in le supermarché was that there was one section of fridges with cold meats that were very reasonable in price and one section where they were all astronomically expensive but they all looked the same. I never quite worked out why!

Some meats were more readily available than others too, for example, lamb and beef were extremely expensive, but duck was very well priced as was chicken and pork. However, the cut of chicken was not the same as I was used to in the UK, and I had to be careful to buy the right kind or it was all bones and no meat. Discovering these French grocery shopping quirks were a lot of fun, and as my French is decent but not fluent, google translate was definitely my friend.

Time off

I was lucky in that the family included me in a lot of their trips and excursions, for example to vineyards for wine tastings, or if they decided to go out for a drink before dinner I'd get swept along. We had one particularly enjoyable outing to Ridley Scott's winery, Mas des Infermières which is near Oppède.

Wine tasting at mas des infermieres.

There are props, costumes and memorabilia from his films like Alien, Gladiator and House of Gucci all around the tasting room that you can admire whilst sipping on a delicious glass or two.

The village of Gordes in Provence, at sunset.

In the evenings we would occasionally go over to one of the nearby villages like Gordes, and enjoy a glass of rose in the square. Gordes is perched on the edges of a hill overlooking the Luberon is simply one of the most beautiful places on earth

The village square in Gorde.

Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue market

At weekends I would also borrow a bike and cycle into town for the famous Sunday market in Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue to pick up extra ingredients and things for myself. I got to know several market sellers who cater to other private chefs in the area and this was helpful to me as well! It is advisable to go early, at 9 30 am or 10 am to avoid the crowds which build up very fast. I recommend getting there early, speeding around and then stopping for a coffee and a croissant at Café de France in the main square, watching the bustling world go by.

A market stall selling lavender in Provence.

You can buy local specialities like soaps, lavender and linens. I'd cycle back laden with cheese, herbs, spices and gifts for my friends and family which was hard enough, but packing it all into my suitcase was an ordeal in itself.

A market stall selling handmade soaps.

What is it like being a private chef in Provence?

I had a wonderful experience private cheffing in the south of France, it is a beautiful part of the world and my clients were a dream. I was fortunate in that they were all adults, catering for children's meal times in addition to grown-ups can be extremely time-consuming, and this meant I got to enjoy my time there a lot more. Working as a holiday private chef is a great way of travelling and seeing the world whilst getting paid, and I'm not sure what can beat that!

Private chef FAQ

How to become a private chef in Provence?

If you are a trained chef like me, you can sign up for job noticeboards or agencies to get notified of clients in search of a private chef. When something comes up, simply apply for the post, giving your experience, references and style.

Why do people hire personal chefs?

Some people don't like to cook, some people don't consider themselves very good at it and some people don't have time! Especially on holiday with a large group of guests, a private chef can give you valuable time to actually relax and enjoy yourself rather than spend all your time in the kitchen.

Are the French rude?

Some will say that the French have a reputation for being rude, but I have always found this to be untrue. In my experience, everyone there likes, and expects, a simple 'bonjour!' before getting down to business and reeling off your order for 17 pain au chocolat and I don't think this is unreasonable at all. So be sure to extend some simple courtesies before asking for what you want!

Cast Iron Skillet Turkey And Ham Pot Pie

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What could be more deliciously hearty than a turkey and ham pot pie, cooked in a cast iron skillet?

We make a creamy pot pie velouté filling with turkey, ham and leeks in a skillet before topping it with a golden brown and crispy layer of easy shortcrust pie crust on top. It's a delicious way to use up leftovers and cooked in just a skillet, so minimal washing up!

A cast iron skillet turkey, leek and ham pot pie on a kitchen worktop.
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Why this is the best recipe

  1. It's versatile: A skillet pot pie recipe is a useful one to have up your sleeve, you can adapt it to suit you with different fillings and flavors. It's a great way to use up leftover ham or other meats you might have in the fridge.
  2. It's easy: A cast iron skillet pot pie is a simple way of making dinner with minimal washing up. Start on the stove, then pop it in the oven and before you know it you've got a delicious ham and turkey pot pie and only used one pan for the whole thing.
  3. It's fast: Shortcrust pastry is so simple, it takes minutes to make and whilst it's resting you can make the turkey and ham pot pie filling. This pot pie prep time is minimal and it can be ready and on the table in an hour but it looks and tastes impressive.
  4. It's delicious: A creamy and velvety smooth savory pie filling with ham, leeks and turkey and then a crunch of golden buttery pastry on top, this easy ham pot pie skillet is so tasty.

What is a pot pie?

A pot pie is the ultimate comfort food! It's a pie that traditionally only has a pastry topping, as opposed to being completely enclosed in pastry pie crust on all sides. It makes it lighter and gives you more space to fill it with a creamy and delicious pie filling.

How to make a thick pot pie filling?

To make a thick pot pie filling, make a velouté filling which is thick and velvety smooth. A velouté is made by adding a white stock like chicken, turkey, veal or even fish to a blond roux. This creates an incredibly delicious sauce for the pie filling, which is then made even more rich and decadent with a splash of heavy cream.

Ingredients

Ingredients for shortcrust pastry on a table. All-purpose flour, unsalted butter, egg yolk, water and salt.

Shortcrust pie crust

  1. All-purpose flour: AP flour (sometimes known as plain flour) is a medium-strength flour that s readily available and perfect for making homemade pie crust.
  2. Unsalted butter: Always try to use good quality butter, and buy unsalted as this helps you to control both the quantity and quality of the salt in a recipe. The butter needs to be cold.
  3. Egg yolk: Egg is a binding agent and egg yolk in particular also adds a delicious richness to pastry dough. Here's what to do with the leftover egg whites! You should always use room-temperature eggs in baking.
  4. Water: We mix the egg yolk with a small amount of water to add more moisture to the pie crust dough, help it bind together and prevent it from drying out.
  5. Salt: Salt is a flavor enhancer and brings out the buttery taste in the pot pie crust.
  6. Egg wash: Mix an egg together and brush it over the turkey and ham pot pie dough before baking to give a golden brown, shiny finish and even more crunch.
Turkey and ham pot pie filling ingredients on a table. Turkey and ham, leeks, shallot, cream, butter, shallot, flour and chicken stock.

Leek, turkey and ham pot pie filling

  1. Cooked turkey: This is the perfect recipe to use up leftover turkey. Simply cut it into chunks and add it to your pot pie.
  2. Ham: The delicious taste of ham with its juicy taste and natural saltiness brings out all the other flavors and works well with the turkey.
  3. Leeks: Leeks are from the allium family and have a deliciously sweet, very mild onion flavor. They add great depth when used in pie or quiche fillings and work so well with the other flavors.
  4. Shallot: Shallots have a sweeter and more delicate taste than onions, and due to the fact we are also using leeks that have a mild onion flavor profile, it makes more sense to use shallot in this cast iron pot pie recipe.
  5. Unsalted butter: We make a veloute for the pot pie filling which starts with butter.
  6. All-purpose flour: A small amount of flour thickens the ham pot pie filling
  7. Chicken stock or broth: High-quality chicken or turkey stock (or low-sodium chicken broth)
  8. Cream: Finally, a dash of heavy cream gives a rich, creamy decadence to the filling of this cast iron skillet pot pie.

Check out the turkey and ham pot pie recipe card at the bottom of this post for the quantities.

Instructions

You can use a variety of different pie crusts for pot pie, I like using shortcrust as it gives a nice contrast in texture to the smooth and creamy filling.

Pot pie crust

A large mixing bowl with flour and chunks of butter in it.

Sieve the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into chunks.

A large mixing bowl with a flour and butter mixture in it that has the consistency of breadcrumbs. Next to the bowl is a small jug with egg yolk and water in it.

Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs as quickly as you can so that the butter stays cold.

A small jug of egg yolk adn water being poured into the flour mixture to make shortcrust pastry dough.

Mix the egg yolk into the water and slowly add it to the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time until it comes together into a ball. If you are using a stand mixer, put it on low speed.

A disk of pastry dough wrapped in food wrap.

Wrap the dough in plastic food wrap, flatten it into a disk and chill in the fridge.

Top tip

You may not need all of the water and egg yolk mixture. Add it slowly and give it time to incorporate before adding more. We want the dough to be slightly moist to the touch, but not wet or sticky.

Ham, leek and turkey pot pie filling

  1. Dice the shallot into small pieces and slice the leeks into rounds.
  2. Heat the small amount of butter in the cast iron skillet over medium heat and fry the shallots until translucent. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes until they soften.
  3. Make the velouté. Push the leeks over to one side of the skillet and add the larger amount of butter. Once it stops bubbling, quickly stir in the flour so it forms a pale, thick paste, known as a blond roux.
  4. Gradually pour in the chicken stock whilst continuing to stir so it loosens the roux and forms a velvety sauce.
  5. Now incorporate the leeks into the velouté and mix it all together.
  6. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes to cook out the flour and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  7. Stir in the cream and bring it back to a simmer before removing the skillet pot pie filling from the heat.
A cast iron skillet with turkey, leek and ham pot pie filling in it, next to a large piece of rolled out pie crust dough.

Assembling and baking the cast iron skillet pot pie

  1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius / 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Remove the pastry disk from the fridge and allow it to soften just until pliable.
  3. Roll dough into a circle just wider than the skillet.
  4. Gently but quickly place the pastry circle over the skillet and carefully press into the edges (which will be hot, so take care).
  5. Brush with an egg wash and immediately bake the turkey and ham pot pie for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Top tip

The skillet will be very hot so it is important to put the pastry on fast and bake straight away. Alternatively, you can wait for the skillet to cool to room temperature before adding the pastry and baking.

A close up photo of the inside of a slice of turkey and ham pot pie, showing the creamy filling and pastry topping.

Wine pairing for skillet ham and turkey pot pie

A bold southern Italian red wine from Puglia, for example, would pair beautifully with this skillet pot pie recipe.

Variations

I'm obsessed with making this creamy pot pie in a cast iron skillet as a way to use up turkey or ham leftovers, you could add other vegetables like frozen peas or green beans too if you had some, or swap out the turkey for chicken.

You can use store-bought pie crust dough to save time or even puff pastry to add a flaky lightness to the pot pie crust.

Try serving this refreshing blackcurrant mousse cake as dessert, it's light and zingy and is the perfect dish to follow pot pie.

Equipment

The genius of a one-pan skillet recipe is that you only need one pan! I use a 26cm/10ince Le Creuset cast iron skillet. It's the perfect size for so many recipes, and does not require seasoning so is a lot easier to maintain than raw cast iron.

Weigh the ingredients for the cast iron pie using a digital scale, and try to avoid using the cup system in baking as measuring by volume is not precise enough.

I use Robert Welch knives.

Storage

Store leftover one skillet pot pie in the fridge. It may be easier to transfer it into an airtight container.

You can freeze pot pie filling and freeze pastry easily separately, or assemble the pie and then freeze it all together. But once baked, this turkey and ham pot pie skillet will not freeze well as the pastry can go soggy.

FAQ

How long is ham pot pie good for?

Pot pie will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days.

How to make pot pie thicker?

Add cream, or make a blond roux and whisk it into the pie filling if you have already made it.

Is pot pie healthy?

Pot pie is healthier than traditional pie in that it has less pastry, but anything is healthy if enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced diet!

Can you bake a pie on the stove top?

No, the pastry will not cook unless it is in the oven so you cannot bake a pie on the stove top.

Can you bake a pie in an iron skillet?

Yes! If your iron skillet is oven safe then you can bake a pie in it.

What makes a pot pie a pot pie?

A pot pie is a pie with a pastry topping, which could be puff pastry, phyllo pastry or shortcrust pastry.

Cast iron skillet turkey and ham pot pie.

Cast Iron Skillet Turkey And Ham Pot Pie

A delicious skillet pot pie with velvety smooth filling made with turkey ham and leeks and a crunchy pie crust on top.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 35 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 915 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 digital scale
  • 1 cast iron skillet 26cm/10inch

Ingredients
 
 

Pot pie crust

  • 230 grams all purpose flour or plain flour
  • 115 grams unsalted butter
  • 1 egg yolk at room temperature
  • 4 tablespoon water
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Turkey and ham pot pie filling

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot
  • 3 leeks
  • 250 grams cooked turkey
  • 250 grams cooked ham
  • 75 grams unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon all purpose flour or plain flour
  • 350 ml chicken stock
  • 100 ml heavy cream

Instructions
 

Shortcrust pie crust

  • Sieve the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Break the butter into small chunks. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs.
  • Mix the egg yolk into the water and slowly add it to the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time until it forms a ball with no crumbs left in the bowl. If you are using a stand mixer, put it on low speed.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic food wrap, flatten it into a disk and chill in the fridge.

Turkey, leek and ham pot pie filling

  • Dice the shallot into small pieces and slice the leeks into rounds.
  • Heat the small amount of butter in the cast iron skillet over medium heat and fry the shallots until translucent. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes until they soften.
  • Make the velouté. Push the leeks over to one side of the skillet and add the larger amount of butter to the other half. Once it melt and stops bubbling, quickly stir in the flour to make a blond roux.
  • Gradually pour in the chicken stock whilst continuing to stir so it loosens the roux and forms a velvety sauce. Mix it into the leeks, bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes.
  • Stir in the cream and bring it back to a simmer before removing the skillet from the heat.

Assembly and baking

  • Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius / 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Roll dough into a circle just wider than the skillet.
  • Gently but quickly place the pastry circle over the skillet and carefully press into the edges (which will be hot, so take care).
  • Brush with an egg wash and immediately bake the turkey and ham pot pie for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 915kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 37gFat: 59gSaturated Fat: 34gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 277mgSodium: 1244mgPotassium: 659mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2843IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 6mg
Keyword ham pot pie, skillet pot pie
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Spiced Eggplant Masala

· 6 Comments

A spicy and aromatic eggplant masala with spinach and chickpeas that makes a hearty, nutritious and delicious plant-based meal. Packed with flavor from spices including garam masala, cumin, fennel seeds and ginger, this is one of my favorite spicy recipes to make when I want a vitamin punch as well as a tasty dinner.

A bowl of eggplant masala with yogurt on top, surrounded by herbs and spices.

I like to make a large batch of this spicy chickpea eggplant curry and freeze portions of it. It's great when you need a healthy dinner at short notice or would like to have a meat-free meal.

Why this is the best recipe

  1. It's easy! This eggplant masala recipe is so simple to make and does not require any fancy kitchen equipment.
  2. It's healthy: Full of nutrition, this recipe has so many health benefits from the vegetables, pulses and spices.
  3. It tastes amazing: Sometimes healthy food compromises on taste, but this aubergine and chickpea curry is so delicious.
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Ingredients

Get ready to raid your spice rack. There may seem like a lot of different spices in this eggplant masala recipe but it's worth getting all of the right ingredients to create a curry with a real depth of flavor and aromatic profile. Aside from the spice mix, it's a very simple recipe with basic ingredients!

Ingredients for eggplant masala: aubergine or eggplant, chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, garlic, ginger, spinach and a spice mix made from garam masala, cumin, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper and chilli flakes.
  1. Eggplant: Also known as aubergine, eggplant is a nutritious vegetable from the nightshade family
  2. Chickpeas: Sometimes referred to as garbanzo beans or chana, chickpeas are a delicious way to bulk out a vegetable dish and are used a lot in Indian curry recipes. For ease, I used canned cooked chickpeas which are so easy to throw into dishes as you cook and add instant flavor, protein and texture. Keep the water, we use it as well.
  3. Spinach: I love adding spinach to stews and curries, it's an easy way to make a meal more nutritious. You can use fresh or frozen spinach.
  4. Garlic: This dish is heavy on the garlic, which I love but you can tone it down if you're not such a fan (or a vampire).
  5. Ginger: Fresh ginger root gives a spicy warmth to this eggplant masala.
  6. Canned tomatoes: You can use tinned tomatoes, or passata if you prefer a smoother texture. To make this curry thicker with less sauce, use tomato paste.
  7. Cooking oil: I use neutral cooking oil for curries, or you can use Ghee.

Spice mix

  1. Garam Masala: Garam masala is an Indian spice mix, the name translates simply as 'hot spices' although isn't actually spicy at all!
  2. Ground cumin: Cumin is one of the base spices used in most curries, it has an unmistakable curry flavor. You can add cumin seeds for a more intense cumin flavor instead of ground cumin if you prefer.
  3. Cayenne pepper: Let's add some heat! Cayenne pepper (or Capsicum annum) is a medium-heat chilli powder so it's ideal to add to curries that you still want to be able to taste.
  4. Chilli flakes: I also add a pinch of chilli flakes, just to dial up the spice a little, and you can add as much or as little as you prefer.
  5. Tumeric: The health benefits of turmeric have been well-publicized recently, it's anti-inflammatory, good for the digestive system and boosts the immune system. But mainly it's here in this chickpea aubergine curry recipe for the delicious taste!
  6. Coriander seeds: Whole coriander seeds add a pop of intense flavor to a bite of eggplant masala curry.
  7. Fennel seeds: I like to add fennel seeds which give a very subtle hint of aniseed.
  8. Sesame seeds: The sesame seeds are more of a garnish so you can omit them if you prefer, but they do add a bit of crunch and texture which I love.

Check the recipe card for full quantities and directions.

How to make eggplant masala

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Remove the stalk and cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Toss with some oil, salt and pepper and place on a lined baking tray.
  3. Roast the eggplant for 30 minutes or until tender inside and slightly browned on the outside.
  4. Finely dice the garlic and ginger into small pieces and measure out your spice mix.
  5. Heat oil in a large saucepan or casserole dish over medium heat.
  6. Fry the ginger and garlic plus a pinch of salt, and cook for a few minutes until translucent and fragrant.
  7. Add the spice mix and dry fry it with the garlic and ginger for a minute. It is important to fry the spices to bring out their flavor before adding the other ingredients.
  8. Stir through the tinned tomatoes, then add the roasted eggplant and chickpeas including their water.
  9. Cook the eggplant curry at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
  10. Stir through the spinach, cook for a further 2 minutes and then spoon into warm bowls and serve.
A serving of eggplant curry in a bowl.

Wine pairing for eggplant curry

The best wine to serve with eggplant masala is a Gewurztraminer which is an aromatic white grape variety that works incredibly well with curry and spicy foods.

Variations

Serve this vegan eggplant masala with a spoonful of yogurt on top as it cools the heat and makes it taste creamy and delicious.

Stir some coconut milk or coconut cream through the curry to create more sauce and add a touch of sweetness.

Leftover chickpeas? Try making this beetroot and walnut hummus.

Did you know chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans, and also Egyptian peas?

Equipment

You will need a baking tray to roast the eggplant, and I use silicon baking mats to minimise kitchen waste.

The only other piece of kitchen kit you need for this easy vegetable curry recipe is a large enough saucepan or casserole dish to cook it in! I use Le Creuset, which are expensive but they will last your entire life, so I think they are worth the investment if you are a serious home cook who will use them often.

I use Robert Welch knives, and highly recommend them!

Storage

Store leftover eggplant masala in the fridge in an airtight container, and consume it within 3-4 days. You can also freeze this recipe, defrost and consume it within a month.

Top tip

Always fry your spice mix for 1-2 minutes before adding the other ingredients, they need to cook and become fragrant before being combined with the rest of the ingredients to achieve the best flavor.

FAQ

Can you freeze eggplant curry?

Yes, you can freeze eggplant masala curry, place it in an airtight container and consume it within 1 month.

Is eggplant curry healthy?

Yes, this eggplant curry is full of nutrition as well as flavor, as well as being vegan and naturally gluten-free.

Is aubergine eggplant?

Yes, aubergine is eggplant! Aubergine is the French name for eggplant and is how it is referred to in parts of Europe.

Eggplant masala

Spiced Eggplant Masala

A spicy and aromatic eggplant masala with chickpeas and spinach. Hearty, delicious and nutritous!
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 288 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Baking tray
  • 1 silicon baking mat
  • 1 large saucepan or casserole dish

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 eggplants /aubergine
  • 800 grams tinned chickpeas
  • 400 grams tinned tomatoes
  • 120 grams spinach
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 inches ginger root

Spice mix

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon tumeric
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Remove the stalk and cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Toss with some oil, salt and pepper and place on a lined baking tray.
  • Roast the eggplant for 30 minutes or until tender inside and slightly browned on the outside.
  • Finely dice the garlic and ginger into small pieces and measure out your spice mix.
  • Heat oil in a large saucepan or casserole dish over medium heat. Fry the ginger and garlic plus a pinch of salt, and cook for a few minutes until translucent and fragrant.
  • Add the spice mix and dry fry it with the garlic and ginger for a minute.
  • Stir through the tinned tomatoes, then add the roasted eggplant and chickpeas including their water.
  • Cook the eggplant curry at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
  • Stir through the spinach, cook for a further 2 minutes and then spoon into warm bowls and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 15gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 723mgPotassium: 1338mgFiber: 19gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 3296IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 172mgIron: 6mg
Keyword aubergine curry, eggplant curry, eggplant masala, vegan curry
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Rich Madeira Sauce

· Leave a Comment

This Madeira sauce with rich umami undertones is a delicious sauce recipe to add to your cooking portfolio. It elevates a roast dinner and tastes incredible with so many dishes and I love how this easy sauce recipe can be adapted in so many ways to suit you. It works with red meat and chicken recipes too so is a great all-rounder, you'll love it!

A close up of food on a plate, with rich Madeira sauce bring poured over it.

One of the best ways to add flavor to sauces and risotto is to use the liquid from rehydrating dried mushrooms. It adds the most deliciously rich depth to the jus and will completely level up your dinner. In this luxury Madeira wine sauce, we use the liquid from rehydrating porcini mushrooms which gives the most deliciously rich umami undertones.

We don't actually put the dried porcini mushrooms into the sauce, we rehydrate porcini mushrooms and then use the liquid as part of the sauce base. It gives that rich porcini flavor but means we can use the porcini mushrooms for other recipes, like a pork wellington or mushroom quiche.

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What is Madeira?

Madeira is a fortified wine from the Portuguese islands of Madeira. It is strong and sweet in flavor and is often used as a dessert wine or digestif after dinner. Madeira wine adds a rich sweetness to sauces that work well for beef and other red meat like pork or lamb or with mushroom-based dishes. Madeira is a red wine, so this sauce works perfectly as a red wine jus for lamb dishes like this lamp rump roast.

Which stock to use for Madeira jus? 

Use the corresponding meat stock for the dish you are serving the Madeira wine sauce with. For example, if serving this porcini mushroom Madeira sauce with steak, use beef stock. If you do not have different stocks readily available, use chicken or vegetable stock. Here are some helpful notes on which stock can be used for what:

  • Chicken stock has a mild but deliciously savory flavor and can be used for all soups, stews, and sauces.
  • Vegetable stock can also be used for all dishes and is suitable for those on plant-based diets. 
  • Beef stock has a heavier, deeper, and richer flavor and is best used for red meat dishes like steak or beef stews and can also work with venison-based dishes. 
  • Game stock has a strong gamey flavor so it is best only matched with game dishes.
  • Fish or shellfish stock has a very light and delicate yet fishy flavor so is best for seafood dishes only. This champagne sauce for seafood is a great one to make.
  • Lamb stock has a very strong lamb flavor so is recommended for use only in lamb dishes.

How to make homemade stock for sauces 

Stock is made by boiling meat or fish bones (or shellfish shells like crab shells) with water, vegetables like onion, celery, carrot, and herbs like rosemary or thyme. If making meat stock we boil the bones, vegetables, and herbs for several hours depending on the animal, but for fish stock, only 30 minutes to an hour is needed. You can use cooked or uncooked bones, and the better quality of the bones the better the stock will be.

The best stocks go really solid and gelatinous when chilled due to all the collagen in the bones.  If there is meat on the bones as well when you boil them, you will be making a broth rather than a stock, and the two are often used interchangeably in cooking.

If you are vegetarian and want to make vegetable stock, simply omit the bones and just use vegetables and herbs with water.  I like to add old Parmesan rinds too to add umami flavor! Do not use vegetables from the brassica family like broccoli in vegetable stock as they can make it taste bitter.

Dried Porcini mushrooms in a bowl.
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Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this easy Madeira sauce recipe.

Beef stock

  • Beef bones: Use high-quality, raw bones for meat stock.
  • Water: Tap water is fine!
  • Onion: I use yellow or white onions, but you can use red onion if you prefer.
  • Celery: Celery adds flavor to the stock.
  • Carrot: Similarly, carrots add flavor and depth to the stock as well as added nutrition.
  • Bay leaves: You can use fresh or dried Bay leaves. Bay leaves are a cooking staple, it is a good idea to grow a Bay tree in your garden if you can so that you have an endless supply!
  • Parsley: Parsley is a great all-round herb
  • Salt and pepper: Salt is a flavor enhancer and pepper is a spice, and they work perfectly together to elevate any dish.

Alternatively, you can use a store-bought stock for this Madeira wine sauce recipe.

Madeira sauce ingredients

  • Madeira wine: You can buy Madeira wine in larger grocery stores, online, or in liquor stores.
  • Dried porcini mushrooms: If you cannot find dried porcini mushrooms, dried wild mushrooms will be fine.
  • Shallot: Shallots have a lighter, sweet taste than onions so are perfect for sauce recipes.
  • Unsalted butter: Always use good quality unsalted butter in cooking to control the level of salt.
  • Fresh or dried thyme: If using dried thyme, use half the amount of fresh thyme.
  • Heavy cream (optional): If using cream in this sauce, get a high-quality heavy cream (or double cream)
  • Salt and pepper

See the recipe card for the full instructions and quantities.

Instructions

Beef stock

  1. Prepare a large saucepan big enough for all the bones to be covered by the liquid. 
  2. Place the beef bones into the saucepan with all of the other stock ingredients.
  3. Pour in the water, bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 hours. Add more water as and when necessary.
  4. Remove from the heat and strain the beef stock through a sieve covered in a piece of muslin cloth into a large bowl or jug. Wait for it to settle and skim off any fatty residue from the top. 

Madeira sauce recipe

  1. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in boiled water for 15 minutes and then strain and reserve the water.
  2. Finely dice the shallot.
  3. Sautee the shallot in butter in a saucepan over medium heat until softened.
  4. Pour in the Madeira wine and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the volume by a third.
  5. Pour in the Porcini mushroom water and beef stock, add the thyme and bring back to a boil and reduce down by half.
  6. Season the Madeira sauce at this stage with salt and pepper. 
  7. Sieve the Madeira jus to remove the shallot, return to the pan, and heat gently to bring the temperature back up to just below the simmering point.
  8. Turn the heat off and whisk a few extra cubes of cold butter into the Madeira sauce to get a smooth and glossy finish.

Top tip: If adding cream and making a Madeira cream sauce, add it at the end and bring it back to a simmer for 5 more minutes.

A jug of Madeira sauce next to a saucepan.

Serving suggestions and variations

A decadent and rich Madeira sauce is perfect if you're looking for a sauce to serve with winter food. You can also stir in heavy cream at the last minute to turn it into a Madeira cream sauce.

You can also add sauteed mushrooms to add more texture and added mushroom flavor.

And if you don't have Maderia wine to make sauce, you can use Port instead for an equally rich and decadent Madeira jus. Normal red wine will work as well, although the flavors won't be as intense and less sweet.

Equipment

You only need a few bits of equipment to make this rich Madeira sauce. All you need is a saucepan, a sieve and a measuring jug. That's it!

And a good set of knives will always do you well, I use Robert Welch knives which are of fantastic quality and value.

Storage

Store leftover rich Madeira sauce in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days. reheat thoroughly before use. You can also freeze Madeira jus easily in a large ice cube tray to create personal-size portions for use at a later date or in Tupperware.

Top tip

Now that you have the basics of sauce-making, you can play with it. Keep to the formula of shallots, then wine, then stock and you can have fun with other flavors at home.

FAQ

Is Madeira wine sauce alcoholic?

When we make a sauce with alcohol like Madeira wine, we cook off the alcohol content so the resulting rich Madeira sauce is not alcoholic.

What does Madeira sauce go with?

Madeira sauce goes with very well steak, roast lamb, pork, and venison. It also goes very well with mushroom recipes.

What is Madeira sauce made of?

Madeira wine is a fortified wine from the Portuguese islands of Madeira, and to make a sauce with Maderia we reduce it down before adding meat stock and sometimes cream too.

What does Madeira wine sauce taste like?

Madeira wine sauce is rich, deeply flavored, and very slightly sweet so it works perfectly as a sauce for meat.

Other recipes to try

A close up of food on a plate, with rich Madeira sauce bring poured over it.

Rich Madeira Sauce

Rosanna Stevens
A luxuriously rich Madeira jus to elevate your home cooking and create a fine dining experience at home.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 4 hrs
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine French
Servings 6 servings
Calories 89 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large saucepan/stock pot
  • 1 bowl or large jug
  • 1 Sieve
  • 1 muslin cloth

Ingredients
 
 

Beef stock

  • 1 kg Beef bones (uncooked)
  • 800 ml Water
  • 1 handful Parsley
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Peppercorns
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 stick Celery

Madeira sauce

  • 550 ml Madeira
  • 350 ml Beef broth
  • 30 grams Dried porcini mushrooms
  • 400 ml Water
  • 50 grams Butter
  • 1 Shallot
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

Beef stock

  • Prepare a large saucepan big enough for all the bones to be covered by the liquid. 
  • Place the beef bones into the saucepan. Cut the lemon in half, roughly chop the celery and cut the onion into quarters (keeping the skin). Put it all into the saucepan along with the bay leaf, parsley, salt and peppercorns. 
  • Pour in the water, bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 hours. 
  • Remove from the heat and strain the beef stock through a sieve covered in a piece of muslin cloth into a large bowl or jug. Wait for it to settle and skim off any residue from the top. 

Madeira sauce

  • Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in boiled water for 15 minutes and then strain and reserve the water.
  • Finely dice the shallot.
  • Heat butter in a saucepan and when it stops crackling, add the shallot and gently fry until softened. 
  • Pour in the Madeira wine and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the volume by a third.
  • Pour in the Porcini mushroom water and beef stock bring back to the boil and reduce down by half.
  • Season the Madeira sauce at this stage with salt and pepper. 
  • Sieve the Madeira jus to remove the shallot, return to the pan and heat gently to bring the temperature back up to just below the simmering point.
  • If adding cream and making a Madeira cream sauce, add it at this stage and bring back to a simmer for 5 more minutes.
  • Turn the heat off and whisk a few extra cubes of cold butter into the Madeira sauce to get a smooth and glossy finish.

Nutrition

Calories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 237mgPotassium: 123mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 14IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 0.4mg
Keyword Madeira wine sauce, Maderia jus, Maderia sauce
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Classic Profiteroles With Chocolate Truffle Filling

· 1 Comment

Serve these classic profiteroles with chocolate truffle filling at your next dinner party or special event and become everyone's favorite host. Delicate homemade choux buns piped with a rich chocolate filling and smothered in a chocolate sauce and lashings of heavy cream, this is what dreams are made of.

Classic profiteroles with chocolate truffle filling in a bowl.

Rather than fill profiteroles with pastry cream and dip them in chocolate, I pipe them full of a thick and rich chocolate truffle filling to double down on the flavor. It's also an easy profiterole filling to make, which takes less time.

A classic profiteroles recipe is a kitchen staple, once you know how to make choux buns you can make a batch and whip them out at any opportunity to fill and serve at parties.

What are profiteroles?

Profiteroles are a French dessert made from choux pastry. Choux pastry is a light pastry, and in profiteroles' recipes, it is piped into little balls known as choux buns that puff up as they cook, forming a pocket in the middle that can be filled. Profiteroles are traditionally filled with pastry cream and dipped in chocolate ganache.

Chocolate profiteroles in a bowl covered in cream and chocolate sauce.

Why this is the best recipe

  1. It's easy: People think that making homemade profiteroles from scratch is hard, but actually, I find choux pastry to be one of the easiest to make.
  2. It's basic: You don't need fancy ingredients or equipment either, all of the items are pantry basics you will probably already have
  3. It's tasty: There's nothing like home-baked profiteroles! Dark chocolate profiteroles made from scratch taste so much better, full of buttery richness and gooey chocolate filling. Way better than storebought.

I also make some other profiteroles with goat cheese and honey, and Christmas profiteroles with brie and cranberry so profiteroles aren't just for dessert! They make great canapes too and freeze well so you can make choux pastry shells ahead of time so easily.

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Ingredients

Ingredients for profiteroles on a table: Flour, water, butter, sugar, salt and eggs.

Choux bun pastry

  1. Unsalted butter: Butter gives choux pastry a deliciously rich flavor, and essential fat for the perfect texture. Always use unsalted and high-quality butter in baking to control both the quality and quantity of the salt.
  2. Salt: Salt is a flavor enhancer so brings out the buttery taste in the chocolate-filled profiteroles. It also balances the sweetness.
  3. White granulated sugar: The small amount of sugar in choux pastry is mainly there for balance, we generally want them to be neutral and let the fillings be the main attraction.
  4. All-purpose flour: Flour is our structure giver, and we use all-purpose, or plain flour in choux pastry which is a medium-strength all-rounder perfect for baked goods.
  5. Water: Steam is the rising agent in choux pastry and is what enables profiteroles to puff up and allow space for fillings.
  6. Eggs: Eggs are a binding agent, and add richness, moisture, color and taste so we love them! A real baking superstar.

Chocolate truffle filling

  1. Unsalted butter: Butter gives our truffle filling a richness as well as helps to thicken it up.
  2. Chocolate: Use good quality chocolate that is between 50% and 70% cocoa solids. Anything higher than this will not set into a thick truffle and will go too liquid.
  3. Heavy cream: Also known as double cream, use a high-quality product with high butter fat content.

Chocolate sauce for profiteroles

  1. Chocolate: You can use a higher percentage of chocolate for the chocolate profiterole sauce, but note that very high percentages will be slightly more bitter. I like to use 85% to contrast against the sweetness of the filling.
  2. Heavy cream: I make a thin chocolate ganache for the sauce so include some cream in it, it makes the sauce super glossy and even more delicious! I then use more cream on top, because why not.

See the recipe card for all the quantities and the full step-by-step instructions on how to make these classic profiteroles with chocolate truffle filling.

Chocolate profiteroles step-by-step instructions

It's easy to make homemade classic chocolate profiteroles if you have all the ingredients and equipment, here's how.

Choux buns

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Make the choux pastry. Heat the water, butter, sugar and salt together in a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a simmering point before removing it from the stove.
  3. Sift the flour into the mixture off the heat whilst stirring vigorously to form a smooth paste.
  4. Put back onto medium heat and cook out the flour. Stir the choux pastry constantly to avoid it burning. As the mixture comes together it will form a smooth, shiny ball that holds its shape if you roll it around the saucepan (see video).
  5. Cool it down in the fridge or by turning out onto a cold, clean surface.
  6. Add the eggs into the pastry mixture slowly, stirring continuously so it incorporates into a silky smooth and glossy mixture.
  7. Put the mixture into a piping bag and cut 1cm from the end.
  8. Pipe choux buns onto lined baking trays, leaving a small gap in between each one.

Expert tip: Ensure you cook out the flour properly or the profiteroles won't rise as they are meant to. The choux pastry needs to cook in the saucepan for a good 5-7 minutes before turning it out to cool and adding the eggs.

Choux pastry piped onto a baking tray.

How to bake choux pastry for profiteroles

  1. Flick water over each tray of choux buns and gently dab the tip left by the piping bag with your finger to flatten it.
  2. Bake the profiteroles in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  3. Make a piping hole in each choux bun with a knife and then put them back in the oven for a further 2 minutes to dry out.

Expert tip: Be governed by color rather than time, as all ovens vary and your choux buns may take slightly more or slightly less time to bake. We want to achieve a golden brown profiterole color.

Baked choux buns on a baking tray showing their piping holes.

Chocolate truffle filling

  1. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering hot water.
  2. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to steam.
  3. Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the cream, stirring to incorporate it all into a thick and glossy mixture.
  4. Pour the chocolate profiterole filling into a piping bag.

Chocolate profiterole sauce

  1. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a steaming point, do not boil.
  2. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Agitate it so that the chocolate melts into the cream and forms a glossy chocolate ganache sauce.
  3. This can also be added as a chocolate glaze by dipping the filled profiteroles into it.

Expert tip: Wondering how to fix split ganache? If your mixture looks grainy rather than glossy, it has split. Heat some more cream separately and stir the split ganache into it. The stable mixture will help bring the split together again. Remember though: always add split into stable, not stable into split.

How to make profiteroles

  • Pipe each profiterole full of chocolate truffle filling and place into serving bowls.
  • Pour over the chocolate sauce and extra cream if desired.
  • Serve warm, chocolatey and gooey and expect praise.
Chocolate classic profiteroles on a wooden chopping board cut in half to show their filling.

Serving suggestions for classic French chocolate profiteroles

Grate some orange zest into the choux pastry to make chocolate orange profiteroles.

Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to give a slight coffee aroma and a rich mocha taste.

Make it spiced! Add grated nutmeg and ground cinnamon to the chocolate truffle filling.

Vanilla bean paste makes another tasty addition to the classic profiterole filling, or you could use vanilla essence.

You could also plate this as a profiterole tower all in one large serving bowl, and make it a wonderful statement dessert.

Wine pairing for chocolate profiteroles

I'd serve classic chocolate profiteroles with a Tokaji or a sweet Muscat due to their rich taste and flavor profile. We need something to stand up to the cream and the pastry as well as the chocolate. Or go off-piste and try hazelnut liquor!

Classic Profiteroles with Chocolate truffle filling.

Equipment

This classic profiteroles recipe does not need any fancy equipment, it is remarkably simple!

You will need a medium saucepan to make your choux pastry in its first stage. Then, a large mixing bowl to incorporate the eggs. I use a semi-flexible spatula to work the choux pastry and make the chocolate ganache and truffle filling.

Piping bags will always come in handy, especially if you love baking and make a lot of macarons like me.

Decent oven trays and silicon baking liners are another kitchen staple and reduce waste.

Storage

Store profiteroles in the fridge and consume them within 1-2 days. Take note: filled profiteroles will go soggy fast. So best to keep the choux buns empty until needed.

You can freeze profiteroles easily before they have been filled. Store in an airtight container and use within 1 month. Defrost profiteroles thoroughly before use, and you can also reheat them to crisp them up again if preferred.

Top tip

All the components for this classic profiteroles recipe can be made ahead of time but they are best filled at the last minute or they will go soggy.

FAQ

Can you make choux pastry in a stand mixer?

You can add the choux pastry to a stand mixer to incorporate the eggs, but personally, I do not think it is necessary.

How to freeze profiteroles?

Place your empty profiteroles into an airtight container and freeze, then defrost and consume within 1 month. Reheat profiteroles in the oven to crisp them up again before filling.

What kind of flour for choux pastry?

Use all-purpose, or plain flour for choux pastry.

A bowl of chocolate truffle profiteroles.

Classic Profiteroles With Chocolate Truffle Filling

Rosanna Stevens
Decadent and classic chocolate profiteroles with a rich chocolate truffle filling that make the best dinner party dessert.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Filling time 10 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 6 servings
Calories 808 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 medium size saucepan
  • 2 lined baking trays
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 2 piping bags

Ingredients
 
 

Savoury profiteroles

  • 50 grams unsalted butter
  • 150 ml water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 65 grams all purpose flour
  • 2 eggs use large, room temperature eggs

Chocolate truffle filling

  • 50 grams Unsalted butter
  • 200 grams Dark chocolate 50-70% cocoa solids
  • 200 ml Heavy cream

Chocolate sauce

  • 200 ml Heavy cream
  • 200 grams Dark chocolate

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Heat the water, butter, sugar and salt together in a saucepan and bring it to boiling point. Break the butter into small chunks so that the water doesn't boil before it has melted into it. 
  • Sieve the flour and add it into the water mixture off the heat, stirring vigourously to form a smooth paste. 
  • Return the saucepan over medium heat and continue to stir the mixture for a few minutes to cook out the flour.
  • Cool the mixture by turning it out into a glass bowl and put in the fridge for a few minutes, or spread it out onto a cool, clean surface.
  • Whisk the eggs together and add slowly into the choux pastry mixture, stirring continuously so it incorporates and forms a silky, glossy mixture that just drops off a spoon.
  • Pipe your profiteroles. Put the choux pastry into a piping bag and cut 1cm from the end. Pipe small mounds of the choux pastry onto a lined baking tray, leaving a gap between each one.
  • Flick a tablespoon of water over the choux buns to help them rise.
  • Bake the profiteroles in the oven for 20 minutes until they are golden brown.
  • Take the profiteroles out of the oven and carefully make a piping hole in the bottom rising the end of a sharp knife. Put the profiteroles back in the oven to dry out for one or two more minutes with the holes facing upwards.
  • Make your chocolate truffle filling. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
  • Heat the cream until it reaches a steaming point.
  • Stir the chocolate mixture into the hot cream off the heat until thick, glossy and thoroughly incorporated. Move the mixture to a piping bag.
  • Pipe the profiterole filling: Pipe the chocolate profiterole filling into the profiteroles and place them into bowls.
  • Heat the remaining cream and when it reaches a steaming point, stir the remaining chocolate into it to form a smooth and glossy chocolate sauce.
  • Serve the profiteroles with chocolate truffle filling. Pour the chocolate sauce over the profiteroles and finish with more heavy cream.

Video

Notes

Cut the butter into small pieces to make it easier to work with.
Break the chocolate into small pieces to make it easier to melt into the truffle filling and sauce. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 808kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 10gFat: 68gSaturated Fat: 41gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 249mgPotassium: 576mgFiber: 8gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 1508IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 9mg
Keyword chocolate profiteroles, chocolate truffle filling, profteroles with chocolate
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Cranberry & Whipped Brie Christmas Profiteroles

· 6 Comments

These delicious cranberry and whipped brie Christmas profiteroles are the perfect holiday appetizer. Hand them around as a savory Christmas canape at parties and watch as guests expect a sweet filling and get Brie cheese and cranberry instead!

This is a great festive appetizer to serve at parties as you can make the Christmas profiteroles ahead of time and freeze them until you are ready to pipe them with the savory choux bun filling and serve.

A canape platter with cranberry and whipped brie profiteroles on it surrounded by Christmas decorations.
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What are profiteroles?

Profiteroles are small, round balls made from choux pastry piped with a creamy filling that originated in France. Traditionally, profiteroles are a dessert, and the choux buns have a sweet filling (usually a Creme Diplomat) and are then dipped in chocolate ganache.

However, profiteroles can be savory too! Savory profiteroles are a favorite party canape of mine, I also make a whipped goat cheese profiterole recipe that goes down a storm!

Why this is the best recipe

  1. Festive: Brie and cranberry are such a traditional Christmas flavor combination, but these whipped brie and cranberry bites are a bit more unusual and perfect for a special occasion.
  2. Bite-size: These Christmas profiteroles are the perfect bite-sized canape and they are self-contained so a lot less messy than other cheese appetizers.
  3. Simple: Choux buns can panic a lot of people, but I find choux pastry to be a lot simpler than some other patisserie work. You'll get the hang of this easy choux pastry recipe in no time!
  4. No complex kit or ingredients: You will already have all the ingredients for choux pastry in the fridge or pantry, and you don't need any fancy equipment either.

Ingredients

Choux pastry does not contain any difficult ingredients, and is actually a lot simpler to make than people think! This easy choux pastry recipe is ready in about 20 minutes and then the choux buns can be stored until you need to fill them.

Ingredients for cranberry and whipped brie Christmas profiteroles on a table. Plain flour, eggs, brie, butter, water, salt, sugar, cream cheese and cranberry sauce.

For the choux buns

  • All-purpose flour: Also known as plain flour, all-purpose flour is a medium-strength all-rounder that provides structure and form to these Christmas profiteroles with savory filling.
  • Butter: There is a small amount of butter in profiteroles that adds delicious flavor, richness and tenderness to the choux pastry. Always use unsalted butter to control both the quantity and quality of salt in a recipe.
  • Water: Steam is the rising agent in profiteroles so the water in choux pastry plays an essential role in making them puff up and create space for the cranberry and whipped brie savory filling.
  • Salt: To enhance the buttery flavors in the choux buns we use a small amount of salt in the pastry.
  • Granulated sugar: We also use a pinch of sugar, to balance it all out perfectly. Choux pastry is traditionally neutral in flavor, so the fillings are the main characters, even if making sweet desserts like chocolate profiteroles!
  • Eggs: Eggs are a binding agent and have leavening qualities too, in addition to moisture and richness. Eggs are essential in making choux buns, and you should always use room-temperature eggs in baking.

For the whipped brie and cranberry filling:

  • Brie: Deliciously strong Brie cheese is the main event in these Christmas profiteroles with savory filling.
  • Cream cheese: To make the whipped brie filling richer and easier to whip, we mix it with cream cheese. Use full-fat, good-quality cream cheese.
  • Cranberry sauce: It is best to use a smooth cranberry jelly or sauce in this savory profiteroles recipe as otherwise the bits can get stuck in the piping bag and cause you problems. If you only have chunky cranberry sauce, blend it with an immersion blender or food processor first.

See the recipe card for quantities and full directions on how to make savory profiteroles with whipped brie and cranberry filling.

Instructions

Easy choux pastry

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Heat the water, butter, sugar and salt together in a saucepan over medium heat and bring it just to boiling point.
  3. Sieve the flour and add it into the water mixture off the heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula to form a smooth paste. 
  4. Return the saucepan to the stove and continue to stir the mixture for around 5 minutes over low heat to cook out the flour. It will form a smooth, shiny ball that holds its shape together if you roll it around the saucepan (see video).
  5. Cool the mixture down by turning it out into a glass bowl and put it in the fridge for a few minutes, or spread it out onto a cool, clean surface.
  6. Whisk the eggs together and add slowly into the dough, stirring continuously so it incorporates and forms a silky, glossy mixture that is loose enough to slowly drop off a spoon.
Choux pastry in a bowl with a rubber spatula.

Expert tip

It is important to completely cook out the flour once you have added it to the water and butter mixture, do not rush this stage or the profiteroles will not rise properly. Only then can we add the eggs and finish the choux pastry.

Baking profiteroles

  1. Pipe your profiteroles. Put the choux pastry into a piping bag and cut 1cm from the end. Pipe small mounds of the choux pastry onto a lined baking tray, leaving a gap between each one.
  2. Flick a tablespoon of water over the choux buns to help them rise and dab a wet finger onto the tip left by the piping nozzle to flatten them out.
  3. Bake the profiteroles in the oven for 19 minutes until they are golden brown. Be governed by colour rather than time, as all ovens vary, they may need more time.
  4. Take the profiteroles out of the oven and carefully make a piping hole in the bottom rising the end of a sharp knife. Put the profiteroles back in the oven to dry out for one or two more minutes with the holes facing upwards.
Empty choux buns on a baking tray.

Filling profiteroles

  1. Make your Christmas profiteroles filling.  Cut the rind off the brie and then cut it into small chunks. Whisk it together with the cream cheese until smooth and fully incorporated, and place it in a piping bag. Put the cranberry sauce in another piping bag.
  2. Pipe the profiterole filling. Pipe a small amount of cranberry sauce into the savory profiteroles first, and then pipe in the whipped brie.

Expert tip

If you are struggling to whip brie, separate the mixture into two parts and do them one by one. Brie is a very thick cheese, so it can be hard to blend. Using an immersion blender can sometimes be easier than an electric hand whisk.

A platter of whipped brie and cranberry profiteroles with wine glasses, napkins and Christmas decorations around it.

Wine pairing for Brie and cranberry profiteroles

Enjoy your festive profiteroles with a glass of Beaujolais from the Southern Burgundy region of France, the perfect wine pairing for Brie and cranberry profiteroles.

Equipment

You will need a large mixing bowl to combine your ingredients for these savory Christmas profiteroles, as well as a medium-sized saucepan to cook your choux pastry in the initial stage.

I weigh all of my ingredients on a digital scale for accuracy and I do not rely on measuring by volume (like the cup system) as it can be imprecise.

You will also need several piping bags to pipe choux buns onto a baking tray and for the savory profiterole filling.

Love cheese and cranberry flavors? Try these goat cheese and cranberry macarons.

Storage

Store leftover whipped brie and cranberry Christmas profiteroles in an airtight container for 2-3 days before filling, otherwise store any filled profiteroles in the fridge.

You can freeze choux buns easily, and I like to defrost them thoroughly and then warm them in the oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp them up again before filling them. Filled choux buns do not freeze well.

FAQ

Why did my profiteroles not rise?

This is probably because you did not cook out the flour enough in the saucepan before adding the eggs to the choux pastry mix. Also check that you added the correct amount of water, as steam is the rising agent in profiteroles so they need moisture in the bake.

Will profiteroles keep overnight?

Filled profiteroles will go soft within a few hours, so are best enjoyed straight away.

Can you freeze profiteroles?

You can freeze profiteroles before they are filled. Do not freeze filled profiteroles.

What pastry for profiteroles?

Profiteroles are made with choux pastry, which is a rich pastry made from flour, water, butter and eggs.

What is choux pastry?

Choux pastry is a rich, high-moisture pastry. The moisture in choux pastry evaporates and creates steam as it bakes, puffing it up and forming pockets.

I'm making profiteroles, which flour?

All-purpose or plain flour is the best flour to use in profiteroles.

Other festive recipes

Cranberry and whipped brie Christmas profiteroles.

Cranberry & Whipped Brie Christmas Profiteroles

Delicious savory profiteroles with whipped brie and cranberry filling. These Christmas profiteroles make the perfect Christmas appetizer or canape.
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Filling time 10 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine French
Servings 30 profiteroles
Calories 123 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 medium size saucepan
  • 2 lined baking trays
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 3 piping bags

Ingredients
 
 

Savoury profiteroles

  • 50 grams unsalted butter
  • 150 ml water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 65 grams all purpose flour flour
  • 2 eggs use large, room temperature eggs

Savoury profiteroles filling

  • 400 grams Brie cheese
  • 400 grams Cream cheese
  • 150 grams Cranberry sauce
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Heat the water, butter, sugar and salt together in a saucepan and bring it to boiling point. Break the butter into small chunks so that the water doesn't boil before it has melted into it. 
  • Sieve the flour and add it into the water mixture off the heat, stirring vigourously to form a smooth paste. 
  • Return the saucepan over medium heat and continue to stir the mixture for a few minutes to cook out the flour. It will form a smooth, shiny ball that holds its shape together if you roll it around the saucepan (see video).
  • Cool the mixture by turning it out into a glass bowl and put in the fridge for a few minutes, or spread it out onto a cool, clean surface.
  • Whisk the eggs together and add slowly into the choux pastry mixture, stirring continuously so it incorporates and forms a silky, glossy mixture that just drops off a spoon.
  • Pipe your profiteroles. Put the choux pastry into a piping bag and cut 1cm from the end. Pipe small mounds of the choux pastry onto a lined baking tray, leaving a gap between each one.
  • Flick a tablespoon of water over the choux buns to help them rise.
  • Bake the profiteroles in the oven for 20 minutes until they are golden brown. Be governed by colour rather than time, as all ovens vary, they may need more time.
  • Take the profiteroles out of the oven and carefully make a piping hole in the bottom rising the end of a sharp knife. Put the profiteroles back in the oven to dry out for one or two more minutes with the holes facing upwards.
  • Make your Christmas profiteroles filling. Cut all of the rind off the Brie cheese and then cut it into small chunks. Place the brie and cream cheese into a bowl with the cream cheese and use an electric whisk to blend them together until smooth. Move it in a piping bag, and put the cranberry sauce into another piping bag.
  • Pipe the profiterole filling: Pipe a small amount of cranberry sauce into the savory profiteroles first, and then pipe in the whipped brie.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 169mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 318IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword cheese profiteroles, Christmas profiteroles, Savory profiteroles
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Pistachio, White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Cookies

· 4 Comments

Soft yet crunchy pistachio, white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies that are sweet, nutty, and utterly irresistible.

Baking fresh homemade cookies is incredibly easy and they taste so much better when you make them yourself using simple, uncomplicated ingredients. These white chocolate chip cookies have a deliciously soft center, but then the pistachio and rich macadamia nuts give them a nutty crunch too as well as delicious flavor.

A plate of pistachio, white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies with a glass of milk, and a tray with more cookies on.
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Why these are the best cookies

  1. The texture: These are such soft cookies, with gooey chocolate chips, crispy edges and crunchy nuts. Cookie texture heaven.
  2. The flavor: I often find white chocolate too sweet, but the pistachio and macadamia nuts in this white chocolate cookie recipe temper the sweetness and balance the flavors perfectly.
  3. The simplicity: This simple cookie recipe is really easy to make, and just needs a short rest in the fridge before being baked to perfection. There are no special ingredients or equipment needed, it can all be done by hand.

Ingredients

Baking homemade cookies is not hard, you can knock up this macadamia nut, pistachio and white chocolate cookie recipe in minutes before leaving it to rest in the fridge and bake when needed. Here are the ingredients you will need:

Cookie ingredients in bowls on a table. Butter, flour, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, white sugar, white chocolate chips, pistachio nuts and macadamia nuts.
  • Plain flour or all-purpose flour: A medium-strength flour ideal for baking.
  • Baking powder: A leavening agent.
  • Baking soda: Another chemical leavening agent that works in a slightly different way.
  • Salt: To balance the sweetness in this pistachio, white chocolate and macadamia nut cookie recipe.
  • Unsalted butter-Always use unsalted butter in baking to control the salt levels.
  • White granulated sugar: For that sweet kick!
  • Brown sugar/golden sugar-Brown sugar interacts differently with baking soda which is why we need it.
  • Egg and egg yolk: The eggs in cookies give moisture and structure, act as a leavening agent and help to bind all the ingredients together. Always use room-temperature eggs in baking.
  • White chocolate chips: Use good quality white chocolate chips to get the best flavor and texture.
  • Pistachio nuts: You can buy pre-shelled pistachio nuts or do it yourself. They add delicious flavor, a light crunch and pretty green color too! Pistachio nuts are small enough to leave whole in the cookie batter.
  • Macadamia nuts: Macadamia nuts have a really creamy flavor and a more dense texture, adding more complexity to your cookie.

See the recipe card for all the quantities and full instructions.

Instructions

Cookie batter

  1. Weigh your ingredients using a digital scale - baking needs precision.
  2. Roughly chop the pistachio and macadamia nuts into small pieces, or you can leave them whole to give a chunkier cookie texture.
  3. Combine the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together so they are thoroughly combined.
  4. Soften the butter by taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before use.
  5. Cream the butter and sugars together with a spatula until they are thoroughly combined and no grainy crystals are visible.
  6. Slowly add the egg and egg yolk to the creamed butter and sugar whilst stirring to incorporate it completely. You will end up with a rich, thick and gloopy batter.
  7. Now add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt mixture to the wet mixture whilst stirring to thoroughly combine. It will thicken and become much stiffer.
  8. Add the white chocolate chips and chopped nuts and stir until you have smooth and slightly sticky cookie dough.
  9. Turn the cookie dough out onto a piece of plastic food wrap/cling film and shape it into a long log. Wrap it up and chill in the fridge for 4 hours.

Expert tip

Using both baking powder and baking soda in baking cookies works so well, it creates the perfect texture and the right amount of lift.

A mixing bowl full of cookie dough.

Baking white chocolate pistachio cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/355 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Slice the cookie dough log into 1-inch thick pieces. Place the pistachio, white chocolate and macadamia nut cookie dough slices on lined baking sheets with a gap in between each one.
  3. Press each cookie down slightly with a fork or your hands to help them to spread as they bake.
  4. Bake the pistachio, white chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies for 10 minutes or until they are golden and crispy at the edges but still slightly gooey in the middle. Leave them to cool for 20 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Cookie dough formed into a log and sliced into pieces ready to be baked.

Hint: You can use a cookie scoop to portion your white chocolate, macadamia and pistachio cookie dough if you prefer. I like to shape my cookie dough into a log as it makes it incredibly easy to chill or freeze and doesn't take up much space. Both methods give perfectly round cookies.

Freshly baked pistachio, white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies on a cooling rack.

How to enjoy these cookies

I love to eat these pistachios, white chocolate chip and macadamia cookies with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. These brown butter pecan cookies are delicious to make too if you're on a cookie roll.

Equipment

A good set of digital scales is essential in baking - don't try and bake without them!

You will need a large mixing bowl to make your white chocolate chip cookie batter and a silicon spatula and a wooden spoon for stirring and combining ingredients.

I always sieve my flour to get the finest possible texture and avoid any lumps.

Cookie sheets or low-sided baking trays are an essential bit of equipment for baking cookies, as they don't build up too much steam around the cookies as they bake. I always bake with silicon baking mats as it reduces kitchen waste and they are nonstick too!

A cooling rack allows the white chocolate chip cookies to come down to room temperature without any condensation forming underneath them, making them soggy.

How to store cookies

Store your pistachio, white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies in an airtight container and consume them within 3-4 days.

You can freeze cookie dough logs or cookie dough balls easily, wrap them securely and defrost them thoroughly before baking.

FAQ

Can you freeze cookie dough?

You can freeze cookie dough very easily, but I do not recommend freezing cookies once baked as they can go soggy when defrosted.

What do macadamia nuts taste like?

Macadamia nuts are a medium size, pale-colored nut from the evergreen Macadamia tree. They have a creamy dense texture and rich taste.

When baking cookies what can I substitute for eggs?

Eggs play several roles in baking so it is important to make the right swap. There are several egg substitutes you can use and I recommend reading this article if you want to bake without eggs.

How to know when cookies are baked?

Cookies are baked when the edges look golden brown and crispy but the center is still slightly gooey looking. The residual heat will continue the bake once they are out of the oven and you'll avoid overbaking.

Other recipes to try

Pistachio, white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies.

Pistachio, White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Cookies

Rosanna Stevens
Irresistibly soft white chocolate chip cookies with crispy edges and a delicious crunch from chopped pistachio and macadamia nuts. The perfect afternoon snack!
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Chill time 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12 cookies
Calories 236 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 set of digital scales
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 silicon spatula
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 2 silicon baking mats
  • 2 baking trays or cookie sheets

Ingredients
 
 

  • 85 grams unsalted butter
  • 150 grams all purpose flour or plain flour
  • 110 grams brown sugar or golden caster sugar
  • 60 grams white granulated sugar or caster sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg use a medium size egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 50 grams white chocolate chips
  • 50 grams pistachio nuts
  • 50 grams macadamia nuts

Instructions
 

  • Roughly chop the pistachio and macadamia nuts into small pieces.
  • Combine the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together so they are thoroughly combined.
  • Soften the butter by taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before use.
  • Cream the butter and sugars together with a spatula until they are thorougly combined and no grainy crystals are visible.
  • Slowly add the egg and egg yolk into the creamed butter and sugar whilst stirring to incorporate it completely.
  • Now add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture whilst stirring to combine.
  • Add the chocolate chips and chopped nuts and stir until you have smooth and slightly sticky cookie dough.
  • Turn the cookie dough out onto a piece of plastic food wrap/cling film and shape it into a long log. Wrap it up and chill for 4 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/355 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Slice the cookie dough into 1-inch pieces and place on a lined baking tray with a gap in between each one. Press down slightly to help them to spread.
  • Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until they are golden and crispy at the edges but still slightly gooey in the middle. Leave them to cool for 20 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Video

Notes

Weigh your ingredients on a digital scale.
Use room temperature eggs in baking.
The cookies are done when the edges are golden brown and crispy but the middle is still soft. 

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 126mgPotassium: 104mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 237IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Keyword pistachio, white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies, white chocolate cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Snowman Macarons With Cinnamon Buttercream Filling

· 6 Comments

The cutest snowman macarons with cinnamon buttercream filling that taste so festive and are seriously fun to make this holiday season.

We make macaron batter as usual (and I always use Italian meringue to make macarons) but pipe them into a snowman shape on the baking tray or cookie sheet so that as they bake they fuse together and create the sweetest snowman macarons.

A cinnamon buttercream filling makes them deliciously festive and the cinnamon tempers the sweetness, too. I decorate mine with chocolate chips, royal icing, and more cinnamon buttercream. The perfect Christmas party food idea or Christmas cookie to give as a gift.

Snowman shaped macrons on a wooden table decorated with chocolate chips and icing, surrounded by candy canes.

I always make macarons with Italian meringue because it gives the mixture so much more stability and makes it a lot harder to overmix. If this is your first time making homemade macarons, check out my guide to making Italian macarons with Italian meringue first which has a detailed breakdown of the whole process.

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Ingredients

The art of making macarons can seem complex but once you get the hang of it you'll be a pro! The ingredients for macarons are very specific and it is important to weigh all ingredients precisely using a digital scale. Measuring by volume (for example the US cup system) is not recommended for baking macarons.

The ingredients for Italian macarons measured out in Tupperware. Icing sugar, granulated sugar, egg whites, water and ground almonds.

Here are the ingredients you will need to make these cute snowman macarons with cinnamon buttercream filling.

Snowman macaron shells

  • Ground almonds, also known as almond flour
  • Powdered sugar
  • Egg Whites
  • Granulated sugar

Cinnamon Buttercream filling

  • Unsalted butter
  • Powdered sugar
  • Ground cinnamon

Snowman decorations

  • Powdered sugar
  • Hot water (to mix with the powdered sugar)
  • Dark chocolate chips

You can add food colouring to your icing (we make royal icing for this snowman macaron recipe) to get certain colours and have fun with it!

See the recipe card for all the quantities and full instructions.

Instructions

Macaron batter

  1. Prepare and weigh out the ingredients, separating the egg whites from egg yolks if necessary. 
  2. Sieve the ground almonds and icing sugar to remove any lumps, then blend them together and place them in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Make the almond paste by stirring the egg white into the ground almond/powdered sugar mixture until it is fully incorporated.
  4. Dissolve the granulated sugar in the water in a saucepan over medium heat, and once it starts boiling place the sugar thermometer into the mixture. 
  5. When the sugar syrup reaches a soft boil temperature of 115 degrees Celsius/240 degrees, start whisking the egg whites to form soft peaks and make the Italian meringue by immediately pouring in the sugar syrup a little at a time util it is all incorporated and the meringue is a smooth, glossy and opaque white.

Expert tip

Always use room-temperature egg whites when baking macarons and not eggs straight from the fridge.

Macaronage

  1. Mix the Italian meringue into the almond paste in three stages.
  2. Firmly mix in the first third of the Italian meringue with a metal or wooden spoon to loosen the almond paste and fully combine the two mixtures.
  3. Fold in the remaining two-thirds one at a time using the softer spoon or spatula, being more gentle with the final third, do not overmix the batter and make it too slack.
Piping snowman shaped macarons onto a baking tray.

Piping and baking macarons

  1. Move the macaron batter to a piping bag and cut half a centimetre tip from the end.
  2. Pipe two circles next to one another, just touching, with one smaller than the other to form a snowman shape. Fill the trays leaving a gap in between each snowman as they will spread slightly as they bake.
  3. Firmly smack it down onto the work surface twice to settle the Italian macaron batter and get rid of any air bubbles.
  4. Bake the macarons for 17 minutes, then remove them from the oven and allow the snowman macarons to cool on the tray.
Piping cinnamon buttecream onto a snowman shaped macaron shell.

Cinnamon buttercream filling

  1. Cut the butter into small chunks and sieve the powdered sugar and cinnamon together.
  2. Whisk the butter until pale and creamy, then slowly add the cinnamon sugar.
  3. Move the cinnamon buttercream to a piping bag.
  4. Pipe the cinnamon buttercream onto the macaron snowman shells and sandwich them together. To create the effect I did in the photos, use a flower nozzle or closed star in your piping bag.

Decorating macarons

  1. Make the royal icing by mixing sieved powdered sugar with a small amount of hot water until smooth, thick and glossy. Add powdered or gel food coloring as you wish.
  2. Use the icing to stick chocolate chips onto the snowman macarons and create other decorations.
Snowman macarons being decorated on a wooden table.

Equipment

  • Weighing scales. Digital is best. Baking is a science, after all, so we need precision! I do not recommend using the cup system to make macarons.
  • A sieve to ensure that the powdered sugar and almond flour is as fine as possible. 
  • A blender/food processor to thoroughly combine the almond flour and powdered sugar. This ensures a completely smooth finish on your macaron shells. 
  • A small saucepan to make your sugar syrup
  • A jam or sugar thermometer to measure the temperature of the hot sugar syrup. The sugar syrup needs to be at a particular temperature to make Italian meringue and it is impossible to judge without a thermometer. The best thermometers for sugar syrup do not allow the bulb to touch the bottom or sides of the saucepan, thus ensuring you are measuring the temperature of the sugar, and not the pan. 
  • An electric whisk or stand mixer to whisk your egg whites into soft peaks before slowly adding the hot sugar syrup. 
  • Two large bowls, preferably glass. Try to avoid using a metal mixing bowl for the Italian meringue as it will conduct heat and prevent the mixture from cooling. 
  • A metal mixing spoon for combining ingredients more vigorously.
  • A silicon mixing spoon or spatula for further, more gentle mixing. 
  • Baking sheets/trays - not high-sided ones as this builds up too much steam
  • Silicon mat or baking parchment paper (but the silicon mats are better and allow for lower waste as they are not single-use)
  • Piping bags - to pipe your macarons onto a baking tray, and then also to pipe your fillings. 

To create pretty effects when piping buttercream and other fillings, have fun with piping nozzles.

Storage

Store leftover snowman macarons with cinnamon buttercream filling in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 3 days.

You can freeze macaron shells before filling them, but do not freeze them once filled.

FAQ

Is it better to make macarons with the Swiss, French or Italian method?

Everyone has their one opinion, but I believe that the Italian method for macarons is best as it gives the mixture so much more stability, making it harder to overmix the batter and preventing the macarons from going flat.

Do you need to rest macarons before baking?

The opinion is divided here! I do not personally rest my macarons before baking and have not found a difference when I tested it with this recipe. The argument for resting macarons is to allow them to form a skin on top before they bake, which forces any trapped air to escape through the bottom and helps the feet form and prevents cracking.

Why do you like macarons?

I like macarons because they are delicate, exquisitely sweet, and can be flavored in so many different ways. Macarons are also tricky to get right, which gives me an enormous sense of achievement when they turn out well.

Can you use any flour for macarons?

No, you need to use flour that contains fat, which is why they are traditionally made with almond flour from ground-up almond nuts. You can use other nut flours in macarons, like in these hazelnut coffee macarons which are another favorite of mine!

Other Christmas macaron flavors

If you love baking homemade macarons then check out some of these other Christmas macaron ideas...

Other Christmas desserts

Snowman macarons.

Snowman Macarons With Cinnamon Buttercream Filling

Rosanna Stevens
Cute snowman-shaped macarons for Christmas with a delicious spiced cinnamon buttercream filling.
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 mins
Cook Time 17 mins
Filling time 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 17 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine French, Italian
Servings 20 macarons
Calories 200 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Weighing scales
  • 1 Sieve Blender/food processor 
  • 1 Small saucepan 
  • 1 Jam or sugar thermometer 
  • 1 electric whisk or stand mixer
  • 2 Large bowls, preferably glass
  • 1 Metal or wooden mixing spoon 
  • 1 Silicon mixing spoon or spatula 
  • 3 Large baking sheets/trays 
  • 3 Silicon baking mat or baking parchment paper
  • 2 piping bags

Ingredients
 
 

Almond paste

  • 185 grams Powdered sugar (icing sugar or confectioners sugar)
  • 185 grams Ground almonds (almond meal or flour)
  • 63 grams Egg whites

Italian meringue

  • 185 grams Granulated sugar
  • 100 ml Water
  • 63 grams Egg whites

Cinnamon buttercream filling

  • 50 grams Butter
  • 150 grams Powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon

Garnish

  • 100 grams Dark chocolate drops
  • 75 grams powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon hot water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 145 degrees Celsius / 295 Fahrenheit. 
  • Prepare and weigh out the ingredients, separating the egg whites from egg yolks if necessary. 
  • Blend the ground almonds and powdered sugar together until they are a very fine consistency and completely combined. Sieve the mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Italian meringue

  • Place the water and granulated sugar into a saucepan. Gently warm the water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Once it has dissolved, turn up the heat, stop stirring and place the sugar thermometer into the mixture. 
  • When the sugar syrup reaches a soft boil temperature of 115 degrees Celsius/240 degrees, start whisking the egg whites until they form soft peaks and then pour in the sugar syrup a little at a time. 
  • The Italian meringue will turn a smooth, glossy and opaque white. Continue to whisk once all of the sugar syrup has been added to bring down the heat until you can touch the side of the bowl and it feels warm but not hot. 

Almond paste

  • Make the almond paste by mixing the other egg whites with the ground almond/powdered sugar mixture until it is fully incorporated.

Macaronage

  • Now mix the Italian meringue into the almond paste in three stages. 
  • Firmly mix in the first third of the Italian meringue with a metal or wooden spoon to loosen the almond paste and fully combine the two mixtures. 
  • Fold in the remaining two thirds one at a time using the softer spoon or spatula, being very gentle with the final third to not overmix the batter and make it too slack. 

Piping macarons

  • Move the macaron batter to a piping bag and cut half a centimetre from the tip. 
  • Pipe two circles of macaron batter next to one another so that they touch, with one slightly larger than the other to form the shape of a snowman.
  • Firmly smack it down onto the work surface twice to settle the Italian macaron batter and get rid of any air bubbles. 
  • Bake straight away for 17 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow the macarons to cool on the tray. This is a no-rest macaron recipe, but if you cannot fit all of your macarons in the oven at once, it won't harm the remaining macarons to be out on the worktop for 17 minutes. 

Cinnamon buttercream filling

  • Cut the butter into small chunks and allow to soften for 20 minutes. Sieve the powdered sugar.
  • Whisk the butter until pale and creamy and then slowly add the powdered sugar and cinnamon until thick, smooth and fully incorporated.
  • Pipe the cinnamon buttercream filling onto each macaron shell using a flower nozzle before sandwiching it with another.

Snowman decorations

  • Make the icing by mixing the sieved powdered sugar with hot water until you have smooth, thick icing.
  • Use the icing to stick the chocolate drops onto the snowman macarons to make eyes and buttons and to make a scarf, or use further buttercream icing.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 0.3mgSodium: 19mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 0.4mg
Keyword cinnamon buttercream, Snowman macarons
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Food safety

  • Take care when boiling sugar, do not leave it unattended and keep it away from children and animals.
  • Clean all surfaces and utensils thoroughly after handling raw eggs.

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Cookies With Cinnamon & Orange

· 3 Comments

Flavored with orange zest and cinnamon, these sweet shortcrust pastry cookies are delicious Christmas cookies to make for the holiday season.

We make a sweet flavored shortcrust pastry as you would for a sweet pie crust, but then roll it out and use cookie cutters to make fun Christmas cookie shapes and bake them in the oven. Once they're golden brown and fully baked we leave them to cool and then decorate them with icing and buttercream frosting.

Shortcrust cookies are so easy to make; you can eat them plain or decorate them however you like. I got some cute cookie cutters in Christmas shapes like Christmas trees, reindeer, stars and presents but you can experiment and have fun with them!

Sweet shortcrust pastry cookies in Christmas shapes including reindeer, Christmas tree, presents and stars in a cookie tin.
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Why make cookies from shortcrust pastry?

  1. It's so easy: These Christmas cookies use ingredients you will likely already have and no fancy equipment.
  2. You can use up leftovers: I love to make shortcrust pastry biscuits (as we call them in the UK) using leftover pie crust dough if I have some scraps from making a dessert like this white chocolate tart. It's a great way to use up leftover pastry and reduce food waste.
  3. They are easy to decorate: These Christmas cookies have a flat surface making them very easy to pipe decorations onto.
Decorated Christmas cookies on a baking tray.

Ingredients

This easy recipe for sweet shortcrust pastry bakes a beautifully buttery and crisp cookie that melts in the mouth. Here are the ingredients you will need to make them.

Ingredients for orange cinnamon pastry cookies

  • Unsalted butter
  • All-purpose flour/plain flour
  • Powdered sugar/icing sugar
  • Egg yolk (always use room temperature eggs in baking)
  • Water
  • Orange zest
  • Ground cinnamon

Ingredients for orange buttercream frosting

  • Unsalted butter
  • Powdered sugar/icing sugar
  • Orange zest

Ingredients for orange icing

  • Powdered sugar/icing sugar
  • Water
  • Orange juice

See the recipe card for the quantities and instructions.

Instructions

Here is how to make this easy shortcrust cookies recipe all ready for Christmas.

Orange Cinnamon Pastry

  1. Weigh all of your ingredients and sieve the flour and powdered sugar. Zest and juice the orange.
  2. Take the butter from the fridge, cut it into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl. We always want to use cold butter, but allow it to soften for 20 minutes.
  3. Mix the egg yolk with the water.
  4. Using a spatula, cream together the butter and powdered sugar and add the orange zest. You can use an electric whisk but be careful not to overwork it.
  5. Cut in the flour and cinnamon until the mixture resembles ground almonds and there are no big lumps of butter mixture remaining.
  6. Slowly add the egg yolk and water mixture whilst stirring until it comes together into a ball of slightly sticky pastry dough.
  7. Turn the shortcrust pastry cookie dough out onto clingfilm/food wrap, cover it and then flatten it into a small disk to make it easier to roll out. Chill the dough in the fridge for one hour.
  8. Lightly dust a worktop with flour and turn out the sweet shortcrust cookie pastry dough. Turning it frequently so it doesn't stick, roll out the dough into a circle 5mm thick.
Christmas cookie cutters and a piece of pastry rolled out on a worktop.

Expert tip

Whenever you make sweet pastry, always add the moisture (in this case, egg yolk and water) slowly. The water content in butter can vary, so you may not need the full amount of extra moisture in your dough.

How to bake Shortcrust pastry cookies

  1. Use your cookie cutters to cut shapes and place them on lined baking trays/cookie sheets. Cover with food wrap and rest in the fridge for a further 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. Bake the pastry cookies for 10 minutes or until a pale golden brown.
Sweet shortcrust pastry rolled out on a kitchen surface, with cookie cutters and a tray of cookies ready to be baked.

How to make orange buttercream frosting

  1. Cut the butter into small chunks and leave in a mixing bowl for 20 minutes to soften.
  2. Sieve the powdered sugar to remove lumps.
  3. Using an electric whisk, cream the butter and then slowly add the powdered sugar until you have a thick, creamy buttercream. Stir in the orange zest.
Buttercream cookie frosting in a bowl.

How to make orange flavor cookie icing

  1. Boil a kettle as we need hot water to mix this icing.
  2. Sieve the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl.
  3. Slowly add the orange juice and hot water whilst stirring vigorously to achieve a glossy icing glaze of your desired consistency. For piping defined lines and shapes, it will need to be quite thick.
A star shaped Christmas cookie with buttercream frosting piped onto it.

Decorate your Christmas pastry cookies

  1. For a quick and easy method, simply dip the shortcrust pastry cookies into the orange icing/glaze.
  2. To pipe the orange buttercream frosting onto the cookies, place it into a piping bag first. Use a metal piping nozzle to create shapes, or cut a small tip from the end of the bag to create lines. This useful youtube video shows you how you can create piping nozzle shapes using ziplock bags!

Variations

There are several ways you can adapt this Christmas pastry cookie recipe to suit you.

  • Spices - add nutmeg and ground ginger too.
  • Deluxe - dip them in this delicious lemon curd.
  • Chocolate icing - add high-quality cocoa powder to the icing to make it chocolaty.
  • Chocolate cookies - Substitute one tablespoon of flour for a tablespoon of high-quality cocoa powder to make chocolate flavor shortcrust pastry cookies.

Try these brown butter pecan cookies with chocolate chips next if you're on a baking spree...

Equipment notes

I always weigh my ingredients for these sweet shortcrust pastry cookies with a digital scale and I avoid the cup system as measuring by volume is not precise enough for baking, in my opinion.

You will need two large mixing bowls, and a good silicon spatula to mix ingredients with. You can use an electric whisk in this recipe, but it is not necessary. You will also need a sieve to eliminate any lumps in your flour or sugar.

Use baking trays or cookie sheets that have low sides (or no sides at all) as this reduces the amount of steam that can build up around the shortcrust pastry cookies as they bake in the oven.

To pipe my orange buttercream frosting onto these Christmas pastry cookies, I used a flower piping nozzle. This is a great guide to piping nozzles that I find fascinating!

Storage

Store your cookies in an airtight container and use them within 3 days.

You can easily freeze pastry cookie dough and defrost it to bake as needed. Wrap it thoroughly and use it within 1 month.

FAQ

What is shortcrust?

Shortcrust pastry gets its name from the fact that the butter fat shortens the gluten strands in the flour, making a crumbly yet buttery and delicious pastry crust.

Can you use shortcrust pastry for cookies?

Yes! It is easy to use shortcrust pastry for cookies if you have any leftover pastry dough after rolling out pie crust, for example.

Why shouldn't you handle pastry dough too much when working with it?

You want to avoid overworking the gluten, as this will hamper the shortening process. You also do not want to melt the butter, hence why we rest pastry dough frequently in the fridge.

What is the best butter to use in pastry?

Use high-quality butter with at least 82% fat content. Do not use spreadable butter in pastry.

Other delicious baked desserts to try

Sweet shortcrust pastry cookies

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Cookies With Cinnamon & Orange

Rosanna Stevens
Cute Christmas cookies made with orange cinnamon pastry - perfect for the holiday season.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 10 mins
Chilling time 2 hrs
Total Time 3 hrs 10 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20 servings
Calories 142 kcal

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 Sieve
  • 1 silicon spatula
  • 1 electric whisk or stand mixer
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 Cookie cutters
  • 2 baking trays or cookie sheets
  • 1 Piping bag and nozzles

Ingredients
 
 

Orange cinnamon pastry

  • 110 grams all purpose flour /plain flour
  • 50 grams powdered sugar /icing sugar
  • 50 grams unsalted butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Buttercream frosting

  • 75 grams unsalted butter
  • 225 grams powdered sugar /icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

Icing

  • 100 grams powdered sugar /icing sugar
  • 4 tablespoon hot/boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice

Instructions
 

  • Make your orange cinnamon pastry. Cut the butter into small chunks and allow it to soften slightly. Sieve in the flour and cinnamon into a bowl.
  • Sieve the sugar into a separate large mixing bowl and add the softened butter. Cream them together with an electric whisk or stiff spatula until fully incorporated.
  • Cut the flour/cinnamon into the creamed butter and sugar mixture using a spatula, until it resembles ground almonds with no big lumps of butter. Stir through the orange zest. 
  • Mix the egg yolk and water together and add it slowly to the mixture until it comes together into a soft, and just slightly sticky dough. You may not need all of it.
  • Turn out the cinnamon orange pastry onto a piece of cling film/food wrap, flatten it out into a disc about one or two inches thick, wrap it up and rest the pastry in the fridge for one hour.
  • Turn out the sweet shortcrust pastry dough onto a surface dusted with a little flour. Roll it out into a circle, taking care to turn it over and move it around a few times so it does not stick to the work surface.
  • Once you have a round piece of pastry 5 millimetres thick, use your cookie cutters to cut shapes, and move them onto a lined cookie sheet or low sided baking tray.
  • Rest the Christmas cookies in the fridge for 20 minutes, and preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Bake the pastry cookies in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown at the edges and leave to cool.

Orange buttercream frosting

  • Cut the unsalted butter into small chunks and allow it to soften in a mixing bowl with the orange zest.
  • Gradually sieve in the powdered sugar to the butter and orange zest and use an electric whisk to cream them together until you have a smooth and fluffy buttercream frosting.
  • Add the buttercream frosting to a piping bag with a piping nozzle. I used a flower piping nozzle in size 108.

Orange cookie icing

  • Sieve the powdered sugar and then stir in the orange juice and boiling water until you reach the desired consistency. Add to a piping bag or dip the cookies into the icing to coat them entirely.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 12mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 174IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword lemon pastry, whipped white chocolate ganache, white chocolate tart
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Brown Butter Pecan Cookies With Chocolate Chips

· 10 Comments

These brown butter pecan cookies are SO good, I am obsessed! The gooey center of these brown butter pecan cookies is perfectly balanced with a nutty crunch and the melted chocolate chips just work so well with the flavors.

Brown butter cookies are a real game changer, it might take slightly longer to make them but browning butter gives the most amazing depth of flavor that is rich and nutty caramel in tone and really levels up your cookie baking. Achieving gooey cookies is sometimes challenging, baking is a science after all but if you follow my step-by-step guide and I'll get you there.

Brown butter pecan cookies with chocolate chips on a baking tray.

I love to serve these brown butter pecan cookies with chocolate chips at any time of year but they do work especially well in Fall and Winter when pecan recipes are all around us.

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Why you should bake these cookies

Here are five reasons why this is the best brown butter pecan cookie with chocolate chips recipe:

  1. They're so easy: These brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies are really simple, even with the browned butter stage added in. It takes a few extra minutes but makes a massive difference in caramel taste.
  2. They have amazing texture: I love chewy cookie recipes with nuts as it gives extra richness, crunchy texture, and an earthy flavor. Then when you add the molten chocolate chips in amongst all that it's a texture jackpot.
  3. They're thick: These thick and chewy butter pecan cookies do not disappoint, I always feel cheated by thin cookies so I made a point of testing different thicknesses with this recipe.
  4. There's no special equipment: This pecan and chocolate chip cookie recipe does not need anything other than a few simple bits of equipment you'll probably already have.
  5. You can freeze the dough: I like to make batches of this cookie dough and freeze it in logs. It's then so simple to slice up and bake whenever the craving comes.
Two stacks of cookies on a chopping board.

What is brown butter?

Browning butter is when you heat and melt butter in a saucepan until it starts to brown, before then using it in a recipe. It gives a wonderfully deep nutty flavor to baked goods, especially in these easy brown butter pecan cookies.

Butter browns when exposed to heat due to the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs between amino acids and sugars, which are in this case within the milk proteins in butter. Brown butter is used a lot in cooking due to the delicious taste it gives to recipes.

What do brown butter cookies taste like?

Browned butter cookies have a rich and deep butterscotch flavor, and are completely delicious. The brown sugar and brown butter in this recipe lend a nutty, praline taste to it, and coupled with the pecans and chocolate chips, it's chewy cookie heaven.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to bake these delicious brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies.

The ingredients for brown butter pecan cookies in bowls on a table. Egg yolk and whole egg, brown sugar, white sugar, flour, butter, pecans, chocolate chips, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
  1. All-purpose flour/plain flour: We need plain flour, or all-purpose flour for these cookies, which is a medium-strength flour ideal for general baking.
  2. Unsalted butter: I always cook with unsalted butter to control both the quality and quantity of salt in a recipe.
  3. White granulated sugar/caste sugar: We use two types of sugar to get the perfect chewy texture.
  4. Brown sugar/golden sugar: Baking with brown sugar lends more of a caramel flavor to the finished cookie and also provides a bit of acidity that's essential in baking.
  5. Egg: Eggs serve several purposes in baking, and one of the main ones is moisture so that we get deliciously gooey cookies that aren't dry. It's always best to bake with room-temperature eggs to get the best results. This recipe calls for a small to medium size whole egg plus one egg yolk
  6. Egg yolk: Egg yolks contain moisture too, but they also help tenderize these brown butter cookies due to their fat content. Plus they provide yummy richness and help to emulsify the other ingredients together.
  7. Baking powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that helps the cookies to rise and fluff slightly and not go flat.
  8. Baking soda: Also known as bicarbonate of soda, baking soda is another chemical leavener but baking soda is not the same as baking powder. They work differently, and in this brown butter pecan recipe, we use them both to achieve the perfect cookie.
  9. Salt: Using salt in sweet recipes might seem odd, but it really helps bring out all the flavors!
  10. Pecan nuts: Buy plain pecans, not ones that are pre-roasted or coated in salt, sugar, or any spices.
  11. Milk chocolate chips (optional): Buying good quality chocolate chips means they melt evenly and give those lovely pockets of molten chocolate within a perfectly baked cookie. If you want to bake these cookies without chocolate, simply leave the chocolate chips out and double the weight of the pecans.

See the recipe card for instructions and quantities.

Baking Soda vs Baking Powder in cookies

In this brown butter pecan cookie recipe, we use both baking powder and baking soda. Baking powder and baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda) are two different chemical leavening agents. They both play the same function but in slightly different ways, creating carbon dioxide bubbles in a bake that in turn create rise.

Baking soda is much stronger than baking powder, around 3-4 times as strong in fact, but baking powder contains an acid (usually cream of tartar) which can be very beneficial in baking.

In this recipe, the baking soda will react and begin to create a rise as soon as it comes into contact with the brown sugar, whereas the baking powder will react later on in the baking when it is in the oven. Using a small amount of both in this recipe creates the perfect thick chewy cookie texture and crackly top.

Instructions

  1. Weigh out all of your ingredients using a digital scale.
  2. Roughly chop the pecans into small pieces depending on how visible you want them in your cookie.
  3. In one mixing bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together and mix them thoroughly to combine.

How to brown butter perfectly

  1. Cut your butter into small chunks so that it melts evenly.
  2. Put the butter chunks into a saucepan over medium heat - preferably one with a pale bottom and not black so that you can see the color of the butter as it browns.
  3. As the butter melts and heats up, it will start foaming, popping, and crackling, and then start to go quiet, and this is when you need to watch it like a hawk.
  4. Keep stirring the butter as it bubbles away, and watch as brown specks start to form on the bottom of the saucepan and in the butter. You will notice a delicious nutty smell and the foam will start to subside.
  5. When it reaches a pale golden color with brown specks covering around half of the bottom of the saucepan, take it off the stove as the residual heat in the pan will keep the butter browning and we don't want to burn it.
  6. Use a spatula to scrape out the saucepan to get all of those brown specks out which are actually toasted milk solids and contribute a lot to the nutty brown butter flavor!
A log of cookie dough rolled up in plastic food wrap to be chilled.

How to make pecan cookie batter

  1. Pour the browned butter into a large mixing bowl with the brown sugar and white sugar and mix together thoroughly. Allow it to cool slightly before moving to the next step, or we can end up with scrambled egg cookies which are not enjoyable. It can also make the cookies spread too thin if the butter is too hot when mixed with the other ingredients.  
  2. In a small bowl, mix the egg and egg yolk together and then slowly pour the eggs into the brown butter and sugar mixture, stirring with a silicon spatula or wooden spoon until completely incorporated. 
  3. Now stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and pour in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Keep stirring until you have a smooth, slightly sticky cookie dough that is thoroughly mixed. 
  4. Turn the cookie dough out onto a sheet of cling film/plastic food wrap. Using your hands, shape it into a log 25cm or 10 inches long. Then roll it up in the food wrap, using the cling film to keep it in shape. 
  5. Place the brown butter pecan cookie dough in the fridge and chill thoroughly, preferably overnight but for at least 4 hours. 

How to bake cookies

8 slices of cookie dough on a baking sheet.
  1. When you are ready to bake your brown butter cookies with chocolate chips and pecans, preheat the oven to 180 Celsius or 355 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Slice the cookie dough log into pieces 1 inch wide and place on a lined baking tray or cookie sheet with a gap in between each cookie. Press them down to widen slightly and help them spread.
  3. Bake the brown butter pecan cookies for 10 minutes until the edges are looking golden brown and crispy but the center still looks chewy in the middle and slightly underdone. 
  4. Using a small bowl or circular cookie cutter shape, gently swirl it around the edges of the cookie to neaten the edges and make a perfectly round shape cookie. 
  5. Leave the cookies to rest and solidify for 20 minutes, then remove them to a cooling rack. 

Enjoy your cookies with a glass of milk, a cup of coffee, or even a creamy coffee-based cocktail like this mudslide.

To cookie scoop, or not to cookie scoop?

The issue I find with using a cookie scoop is that the unbaked cookie dough balls take up a lot of space in the fridge on trays whilst the dough chills before baking. And my fridge is always full! Similarly, they’ll take up freezer space too if you like to freeze cookie dough before baking. I, therefore, prefer to roll the cookie dough into a log, and then it’s both easy to store and easy to slice up and bake. But if you like to use a scoop, you go for it. This is your rodeo!

A tray of baked cookies, some of which are half eaten.

Expert tips

  1. Chilling the cookie dough thoroughly overnight before baking will give you the best results.
  2. Take the cookie dough out of the fridge 20 minutes before baking if you have chilled it overnight. This helps them spread properly.
  3. Cookies baked with both baking soda and baking powder get the best gooey texture and rise! Don't forget to use both.
  4. It is also important to balance the sweetness in this brown butter pecan cookie recipe with the salt listed in the recipe.
  5. Don't burn your butter! Use a light-colored saucepan to check the color and cut it into pieces so that it melts evenly.
  6. Always weigh ingredients using a digital scale, baking is a science so it's important to be precise.
  7. Oven temperatures are not always reliable but it's an important part of baking, so use an oven thermometer to make sure it's correct.
  8. Egg size matters in this recipe. We need the fat from the egg yolk to tenderize and emulsify the bake, but we don't want to add too much moisture or we end up with cakey cookies. Use a medium size whole egg and a large egg yolk for best results.

Variations

Here are a few ways you can adapt this brown butter pecan cookie recipe to suit you.

  • Nuts - try these brown butter cookies with other nuts like walnuts or macadamia nuts.
  • Chocolate - instead of milk chocolate chips, use dark or white chocolate chips or even butterscotch chips.
  • Spice - add ground cinnamon or even pumpkin spice mix to this easy cookie recipe to give it an extra fragrant kick.

You could also serve these brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies with a scoop of ice cream in between to make ice cream cookie sandwiches as if they weren't delicious enough.

For a quicker bit of sweet comfort food, try this Toblerone lava cake in a mug that is cooked in the microwave and is ready in a few minutes!

Equipment

Always weigh your ingredients for best results, I use a digital scale and measure by the gram.

A few mixing bowls in various sizes will always come in handy when baking!

I love a spatula or wooden spoon for thoroughly mixing cookie batter. You do not need a stand mixer or electric whisk to make these brown butter pecan cookies.

Cookie sheets are oven trays that do not have high sides, as this will trap steam and affects the bake. Use low-sided baking trays or flat cookie sheets for the best result with this recipe.

Storage

Store your brown butter cookies with pecans and milk chocolate chips in an air-tight container and consume them within 3-4 days.

You can easily freeze cookie dough before baking. Defrost and bake within 3 months.

Top tip

Use room temperature eggs, and allow the brown butter and sugar mixture to cool for 5 minutes before adding them. Using cold eggs will risk ceasing up the mixture and stopping it from emulsifying, and adding them too soon to the hot butter will risk scrambling them!

If you love chocolate and nutty desserts, try these Ferrero Rocher macarons!

FAQ

What does browning butter do to cookies?

Browning butter in cookies gives a deliciously rich, nutty, and deep butterscotch flavor.

What makes cookies moist and chewy?

Resting cookie dough before baking will help make them deliciously chewy. Also, too much moisture in the recipe can have an effect too. In this brown butter pecan cookie recipe, we add one medium whole egg and one egg yolk to lower the water content in the recipe and help get that perfect chewy cookie texture.

Should you refrigerate cookie dough before baking?

For best results baking cookies like these brown butter pecan cookies, the cookie dough needs to be refrigerated before you bake, ideally overnight or for as long as 24 hours.

Can you freeze cookie dough?

Yes, freezing cookie dough is easy. You can freeze cookie dough balls or a cookie dough log easily and use it within 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before baking.

What happens if you don't add enough butter to cookies?

Butter contains both fat and water, generally in a ratio of 80/20. Both fat and water play important roles in baking, they tenderize, add flavor, emulsify and add moisture. Therefore, reducing the amount of butter in a cookie recipe without making a suitable substitution will affect the outcome of your baking. It can be dry, crumbly, and lack flavor.

Try these recent trending recipes:

Brown butter pecan cookies with chocolate chips

Brown Butter Pecan Cookies

Rosanna Stevens
Delicious brown butter pecan cookies with chocolate chips and a gooey center.
5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Chill time 1 d
Total Time 1 d 30 mins
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 14 cookies
Calories 201 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 set of digital scales
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 Saucepan
  • 1 silicon spatula
  • 2 silicon baking mats
  • 2 baking trays or cookie sheets

Ingredients
 
 

  • 85 grams unsalted butter
  • 150 grams all purpose flour or plain flour
  • 110 grams brown sugar or golden caster sugar
  • 60 grams white granulated sugar or caster sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅙ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg use a medium size egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 75 grams milk chocolate chips
  • 75 grams pecans

Instructions
 

  • Roughly chop the pecans into small pieces.
  • In one mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together so they are thoroughly combined.
  • Brown the butter by breaking the butter into chunks and melting it in a saucepan over medium heat. Wait for the butter to stop popping and bubbling, and then watch carefully until brown spots start to appear and it slightly darkens in color.
  • Take the browned butter off the heat and mix it thoroughly with the sugars. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
  • Slowly add the egg and egg yolk whilst stirring to incorporate it into the browned butter and sugar.
  • Now add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture whilst stirring to combine. Add the chocolate chips and chopped pecans and stir until you have a smooth and slightly sticky cookie dough.
  • Turn the cookie dough out onto a piece of plastic food wrap/cling film and shape it into a long log. Wrap it up and chill it in the fridge overnight for best results, or for a minimum of 4 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/355 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Unwrap the cookie dough and slice it into 1-inch pieces. Place the brown butter pecan cookies on a lined baking tray with a gap in between each one and press down sligtly to help them to spread.
  • Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until they are golden and crispy at the edges but still slightly gooey in the middle. Leave them to cool for 20 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Video

Notes

Take the cookie dough log out of the fridge 20 minutes before baking, if you have chilled for the full amount of time. 
Use room temperature eggs in baking. 

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 108mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 190IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Keyword brown butter cookies, Brown butter pecan cookies, chocolate chip cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

10 Best Fall Macaron Flavors To Make

· 3 Comments

A round up of my 10 best Fall macaron flavors to make in cooler weather! These Fall macaron recipes all deliver the perfect blend of flavors associated with Fall. Toasty Fall flavors like pumpkin spice, toffee, chocolate, hazelnut, figs, coffee, cinnamon, and gingerbread encased in beautiful French macaron shells and served next to a roaring fire as the leaves start to turn.

What are Fall macarons?

These Fall macaron recipes all have the same basic characteristics of a crunchy yet chewy macaron shell made from a paste made of nut flour, powdered sugar, and egg whites that is mixed carefully with meringue, baked in the oven, and then piped full of Fall macaron fillings. In some of these Fall macaron recipes, we flavor the shell itself too with spices too for extra intensity and color the macarons with food coloring to get the perfect Fall color palette.

Fall macarons displayed on a table surrounded by pumpkins, nuts, pears and coffee beans.
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How to make homemade macarons

First things, first, if you've never made homemade macarons from scratch before, then be sure to check out my guide to making them perfectly every time. Macaron making is the perfect example of how baking is a science, and homemade macarons can be tricky to perfect but it is so satisfying once you crack it. Macarons can be made with French meringue, Italian meringue, or Swiss meringue and everyone has their own personal favorite. Personally, I use the Italian meringue method but these Fall macaron recipes will work with either.

You will need a fair few bits of equipment to make your own Fall macarons including several mixing bowls, piping bags, and baking trays but if you get your ducks in a row first, you'll be well on your way.

What are Fall flavors?

The turning of the seasons and the Fall harvest bring a whole new flavor profile to the table, literally. Heavier, more intense tastes These are the Fall flavors to look out for:

  1. Spices: After the clean and fresh flavors of summer, think of all the Fall spices that bring warmth and depth to your baking like nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and star anise.
  2. Pumpkin: Pumpkin season is a whole vibe for bakers, I use it in so many of my Autumn recipes like this spiced pumpkin yogurt loaf cake with mascarpone cream cheese frosting.
  3. Apples and pears: Freshly harvested from the trees and ripe for eating, apples and pears work in both savory recipes and desserts like this foolproof Tarte Tatin.
  4. Cranberries: These sweet yet tart red berries come into season and play a huge part in both sweet and savory Christmas and Thanksgiving recipes. They work so well paired with Fall spices and I also love them with cheese and in cocktails like this Cranberry Fizz.
  5. Caramel or Toffee: Rich, silky and deep in flavor and color, caramel and toffee are favorite Fall flavors of mine and work so well as an ingredient in cooler climes.
  6. Coffee: The aroma of roasting coffee beans always evokes the feeling of colder weather, roaring fires, and leaves changing color. Playing with coffee flavors is a must for Fall, like this Panettone Tiramisu.
  7. Maple: Who doesn't love maple syrup? Sticky and sweet yet earthy and less cloying than honey, I love baking with maple syrup. If you do too, try this maple-glazed banana bread.
  8. Chocolate: I go off chocolate slightly in the summertime, so come Fall it's all I want to eat. Thick and creamy chocolate ganache goes with so many cakes and it is the most decadent Fall macaron filling, too.
  9. Gingerbread: If you love the warmth of gingerbread cookies or gingerbread houses, chances are you'll love these other Fall flavor ideas too.

Why you should try these Fall macaron recipes

  1. They're seasonal: Using seasonal flavors will ALWAYS result in the best taste as the produce is the freshest.
  2. They're cute: Macarons are one of the daintiest, prettiest bits of French patisserie around and always look so gorgeous on the plate.
  3. They're Tasty: The light, crispy yet chewy macaron shell and the warm and earthy Fall flavors and spices work so well together and make the ideal sweet snack.
Italian Macarons (with Italian meringue)
A step by step guide to making homemade Italian macarons with Italian meringue.
Read the full step by step guide
Pink Italian macarons with cream filling on a blue surface.

Best macaron flavors for Fall

Try these 10 best Fall macaron flavors and let me know in the comments which is your favorite!

1. Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake Macarons

Pumpkin season is here and what better way to celebrate than by making spiced pumpkin cheesecake macarons? These beautiful Fall macarons are a soft orange color with a delicious pumpkin cream filling made with pumpkin puree and mixed with crumbled digestive biscuits/Graham crackers to get that cheesecake base taste. The perfect macaron flavor for Fall.

Pumpkin cheesecake fall macarons on their sides showing their filling.
Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake Macarons
Homemade macarons with a spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling, the perfect sweet treat with step by step instructions. One of my favourite fall macaron flavours!
Continue reading and get the recipe
Pumpkin cheesecake fall macarons on their sides showing their filling.

2. Fig and Cardamom Macarons

Figs are such a delicious fruit to eat in Fall and these fig and cardamom macarons have a macaron shell spiced with ground cardamom seeds which perfectly complement the sweet fig filling. As Fall macaron flavors go, you can't go far wrong.

Fig and Cardamom fall macarons on a plate with fresh figs.
Fig And Cardamom Macarons
These sweet and fragrant fig and cardamom macarons make a beautiful and elegant treat.
Continue reading and get the recipe
Fig and cardamom macarons.

3. Ferrero Rocher Macarons

Chocolate and hazelnut are a flavor match made in heaven and these Ferrero Rocher macarons have that delicious deep nutty taste from using hazelnut flour in the macaron shells as well as the traditional almond flour. Then a smooth hazelnut chocolate ganache with added Nutella gives the perfect smooth rich chocolatey filling. You won't regret making these!

A gold foil wrapper with a fall macaron inside it.
Ferrero Rocher Macarons
Inspired by delicious Ferrero Rocher chocolates, these Ferrero Rocher macarons are made with hazelnut flour, coated in chocolate and filled with a gooey chocolate hazelnut filling.
Continue reading and get the recipe
Ferrero Rocher macarons in a tray with Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

4. Hazelnut Coffee Macarons

For me, the rich aroma of roasting coffee beans will always evoke Fall. These hazelnut coffee macarons are made with hazelnut flour and a pinch of ground espresso powder in the shell, and then a deliciously intense coffee cream filling. The sweetness of the shell perfectly balances out the slight bitterness in the coffee cream and the result is a deeply satisfying macaron flavor. Out of all the Fall macaron flavors I make, this is my personal favorite.

Hazelnut coffee macarons on a bed of coffee beans.
Hazelnut Coffee Macarons
Delicious hazelnut coffee macarons made with ground hazelnuts and a smooth coffee cream filling. The slight bitterness of the coffee cream pairs perfectly with the sweet hazelnut macaron shells and makes the ideal sweet treat or petit four.
Continue reading and get the recipe
Hazelnut coffee macarons on a bed of coffee beans.

5. Chocolate Cinnamon Macarons

Ah, cinnamon. That fragrant spice works so well with chocolate and these chocolate cinnamon macarons have a slight feeling of biting into a churro with their smooth spiced chocolate ganache filling. A perfectly festive Fall macaron flavor.

Chocolate cinnamon fall macarons on a table.
Chocolate cinnamon macarons
Sweet and fragrant winter macarons for Christmas or thanksgiving with a rich chocolate ganache filling spiced with cinnamon.
Continue reading and get the recipe

6. Festive Macarons With Cranberry and Goat Cheese

These savory macarons might seem like a bit of a curveball, but they work! Creamy whipped goat cheese is layered with cranberry jelly and contrasts perfectly with the sweet macaron shells. A great Fall appetizer option, guests will be surpised by the savory twist!

Savoury macarons with a goat cheese and cranberry filling on a wooden chopping board surrounded by fairy lights and a sparkly Christmas wreath.
Festive macarons with goat cheese and cranberry
A sweet and savory macaron recipe with cranberry jelly and creamy whipped goat cheese filling.
Continue reading and get the recipe
Savoury macarons with a goat cheese and cranberry filling on a wooden chopping board surrounded by fairy lights and a sparkly Christmas wreath.

7. Snickerdoodle Macarons With Cinnamon Sugar Pastry Cream Filling

A snickerdoodle is a vanilla and cinnamon cookie, and the cinnamon spice flavor in these snickerdoodle macarons makes them so moreish, especially with the cinnamon sugar pastry cream filling. Another great macaron flavor for Fall!

Snickerdoodle macarons on a table with cinnamon sticks.
Snickerdoodle Macarons with Cinnamon Sugar Pastry Cream
These Snickerdoodle French Macarons have a vanilla cinnamon shell with a cinnamon sugar filling.
Continue reading and get the recipe
Snickerdoodle macarons on a table with cinnamon sticks.

8. Chai Spiced Macarons

The brown butter chai spiced buttercream filling is what makes these Chai spiced macarons so addictive. If you're a chai lover like me, you won't be able to get enough and the tingly warmth of Fall spices like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and All Spice work so perfectly with the buttercream filling. If you're looking for Chai recipes this is a great Fall macaron flavor to make.

Several chai spice macarons with star anise and cinnamon on a surface.
Chai Spiced Macarons
These chai macarons have lightly spiced macaron shells and are filled with a fluffy brown butter chai spiced buttercream! With all the warming spices, they're the perfect wintery macaron.
Continue reading and get the recipe
Several chai spice macarons with star anise and cinnamon on a surface.

9. Hoppy Citrus French Macarons

I had never considered baking with hops, but these hoppy citrus French macarons are like the Fall harvest bundled up into a Fall macaron cookie. The slight bitterness works perfectly with the sweet macaron shell and the citrusy notes really shine through.

Green hoppy citrus fall macarons on a serving plate.
Hoppy Citrus French Macaron Recipe
These Hoppy Citrus French Macarons may look traditional, but the bright burst of flavour from the hops is anything BUT traditional!
Continue reading and get the recipe
Green hoppy citrus fall macarons on a serving plate.

10. Peppermint Chocolate Macarons

Bright and festive looking Fall macarons with a chocolate peppermint filling, perfect to serve after a Fall dinner party as a petit four. The red is such a color pop and I love the crumbled bits of peppermint candy cane in the chocolate ganache filling. Delicious!

Peppermint macarons for Fall.
Peppermint Chocolate Macarons
Classic French Macarons are festively flavored with chocolate and peppermint.
Continue reading and get the recipe
Peppermint macarons for Fall.

I hope you've found some Fall macaron flavors to try baking yourself at home - if you try any of these please let me know! I love it when readers try my ideas and leave me a comment or tag me in photos on Instagram. Macarons are the most photogenic treat around in my opinion, so defintiely worth a snap. Enjoy!

Try some of my other Fall recipes:

Spiced Pumpkin Yogurt Cake With Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting

· 8 Comments

Pumpkin yogurt cake subtly spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, baked to perfection, and slathered in a decadent mascarpone cream cheese frosting. The perfect cake recipe for Fall using fresh and seasonal Fall ingredients! I'm on a pumpkin recipe roll at the moment and this is the latest dish to come out of the kitchen (and it might be my favorite).

Why this is the best recipe

This spiced pumpkin yogurt cake with mascarpone cream cheese frosting has it all:

  • Moist yet fluffy sponge without heaviness
  • Subtle and fragrant spice
  • Rich and tangy frosting
  • Delicate sweetness

Pumpkin puree is great for baking as it gives both moisture and sweetness, two essential elements. This means we can use slightly less sugar and fewer eggs, plus it has nutritional benefits being high in vitamins A, C, and E, and is also a great source of beta-carotene.

A spiced pumpkin yogurt cake covered in mascarpone cream cheese frosting and dusted with cinnamon, on a bread board surrounded by ornamental pumpkins.