Banana Macarons (Banana Cream Pie)

Step 1: Combine the custard ingredients. In a small pot, whisk together the flour, milk, egg yolks, and sugar (image 1 below).

Step 2: Cook the custard. Cook, whisking constantly, until the custard is thick and resembles a pudding consistency. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Draw a line through it, the custard should not run into the center (image 2 below)!

Step 3: Chill in an ice bath. Transfer the custard into a bowl and stir in the vanilla and butter. Cover with plastic wrap so that it touches the top surface. Chill the bowl in an ice bath until completely cool (image 3 above).

Step 4: Mix in the butter. In a stand mixing bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar. Add the cooled custard to the buttercream one tablespoon at a time, mixing very well after each addition before adding the next.

Once all of the custard is added, beat it on high speed until smooth and creamy (image 4 above).

Before you start: Flip two baking sheets upside down and line them with silicone baking mats (my preferred method) or parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 5: Sift the dry ingredients. Sift the powdered sugar and almond meal together into a large bowl. Set aside (image 5 below).

Step 6: Make the meringue. In a stand mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the sugar and food coloring. Continue mixing until stiff peaks form. The meringue should look glossy, and shiny, and will hold a stiff peak when the whisk is removed (image 6 below).

Step 7: Fold in the dry ingredients. Add ⅓ of the dry mixture to the egg whites. Fold them in gently with a rubber spatula, then add the next third. Continue with this same process for the last third (image 7 below).

Step 8: Deflate the batter. Scrape the batter along the sides and back down into the center (also known as the macaronage) (image 8 above). Keep folding until glossy. It should fall off the spatula in a slow, continuous ribbon.

You should be able to draw a few figure 8s with the batter. Set a timer for 30 seconds. If the figure 8 has mostly disappeared into the batter but has soft edges, it's ready.

Step 9: Pipe the macaron shells. Pipe the batter into 1 ½-inch rounds spaced 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gently tap the tray on the counter to surface air bubbles. You can pop any air bubbles with a toothpick (image 9 below).

Let the shells rest until they feel dry to the touch, then bake! Let them cool on a wire rack completely before filling.

Step 10: Fill the macarons. Pair up shells of similar sizes. Pipe a dollop of the custard buttercream on the flat side of one in each pair. Add a slice of banana, then sandwich the filling with the other shell (image 10 above).

Place all of the assembled macarons flat on a baking tray. Chill in the fridge.

Step 11: Make the meringue. In a stand mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Fill a piping bag with the vanilla meringue and pipe it on top of the shells (image 11 above).

Step 12: Torch the meringue. Use a kitchen torch to lightly toast the tops (image 12 above). Enjoy your banana macarons!

Store the filled macarons in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You can freeze just the shells or the assembled macarons for up to 1 month in an airtight container or freezer bag.

I always recommend making macarons the day before serving so they have time to mature overnight.