Adore the flavor of black sesame... or perhaps you're allergic to nuts? Look no further! These Black Sesame & Apricot Macarons are the perfect combination as it's a nut-free macaron bursting with flavor!
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⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I've known a few friends throughout my life that have said to me... "I've never tried a macaron before, I'm allergic to nuts!"
To which I naturally respond...
WHAT A TRAGEDY!
So these macarons are dedicated to those that cannot enjoy a macaron due to an allergy or sensitivity! When you replace almond meal with black sesame powder, the macaron shells still retain their shape, have a developed foot, and honestly look exactly the same as the almond meal macarons I've made.
The most challenging aspect of using black sesame powder instead of almond meal is making sure that the seeds are ground fine enough. Using a food processor is key - you'll need to grind the powder into fine and even pieces so that it resembles almond meal!
For more tips on making homemade foolproof macarons, check out my complete guide here!
📖 How to Make Apricot Buttercream
When it comes to buttercream, I am a die-hard fan of using swiss meringue. I find that the texture is incredibly smooth and velvety while the flavor is not overly sweet allowing the flavoring of your choosing to shine. In this case, we'll be making Apricot Buttercream - let's jump into how it's made!
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Process
To make apricot buttercream, we start with making a basic swiss meringue buttercream. This tends to be composed of a 3-2-1 ratio of butter-sugar-egg whites.
First, add your sugar and egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer and place over a saucepan of boiling water. Make sure that your bowl is not touching the hot water! Your goal is to simply whisk the egg whites and sugar together until the sugar has completely dissolved, then attach your bowl back to the standing mixer. The temperature should reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Start whisking the mixture at a low speed and gradually increase speed until medium peaks form. Continue mixing until the meringue has cooled, then switch to using the paddle attachment and start adding your softened butter bit by bit. When you've reached the point where the buttercream is glossy and smooth, turn the mixer speed back to low. Add the apricot jam, continuing to mix until completely combined.
⏲️ Flavoring Buttercream Variations
The flavoring for buttercream can be modified and adapted easily! Here's a few ideas to get you started:
- Various Alcohols or Liquors
- Juice
- Jam/Marmelade
- Brown Butter
- Citrus Zest
- Spices
- Chocolate
- Cookie Butter
- Herbs
- Fruit Powders
- Ground Nuts (for texture and crunch)
- Nut Butter
- Mascarpone
- Coconut Cream
- Cream Cheese
❄️ Maturation & Storing
Technically, allowing your completed macarons to sit overnight in the fridge allows for the best texture for consuming! If you have the patience, place your macarons in the fridge overnight and enjoy the following day.
Macaron shells can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for a month and still taste as good as new! Take the frozen macarons out of the freezer and let them sit for 10-15 minutes before enjoying, In the fridge, filled macarons should be stored in an airtight container for no more than 3 days.
Related Recipes
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Black Sesame & Apricot Macarons
Equipment
Ingredients
Black Sesame Macarons
- 76 g (⅓ cup + 1 teaspoon ) Granulated Sugar
- 90 ml (About 3 egg whites) Room Temperature Egg Whites
- 80 g (¾ Cup + 1 Tbsp) Black Sesame Powder, Ground Black Sesame Seeds
- 150 g (1 ¼ Cup ) Confection’s Sugar, Powdered Sugar
Apricot Buttercream
- 75 g (⅓ Cup + 1.5 Tbsp) Egg Whites
- 150 g (1.5 tablespoon) Granulated Sugar
- 225 g (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 70 g (⅓ Cup) Apricot Jam
Instructions
Macarons
- Line each baking sheet with your prepared parchment templates and prepare your piping bags along with your piping tips. I like to use a small, round piping tips for piping.
- Pour your egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and start whisking on medium speed. Once they start to foam, slowly add your sugar and bring up your speed to medium for about three to four minutes.76 g Granulated Sugar, 90 ml Room Temperature Egg Whites
- While your meringue is whisking away, grind together your measured powdered sugar and black sesame flour using a food processor for one minute. Sift these dry ingredients into a large bowl with a fine sieve and set aside. If you find that there are remaining large pieces of black sesame powder remaining, throw them back into the food processor for a few more moments and sift again.80 g Black Sesame Powder, 150 g Confection’s Sugar
- Your meringue is complete when it holds stiff peaks - add desired food coloring and gently whisk for a few additional seconds to incorporate,
- Now it’s time for the ever so important Macaronage! This is the act of mixing your dry ingredients into your french meringue and folding these ingredients enough to allow for the perfect desired consistency. To start, pour your dry mixture onto the meringue and slowly start to fold with a spatula. While rotating the bowl, continue to fold ingredients together. Press mixture on the side of your bowl until the batter flows off your spatula rather slowly and smoothly. You should see that the batter will drip off the spatula back into the bowl, and rest on top for a moment. Then, the batter from your spatula will slowly sink back into the mixture. One too many folds and your batter could be over mixed leading to it being impossible to work with, so be careful not to overmix!
- Pour your macaron batter into your prepared piping bag and pipe in circles onto your templated parchment paper. In order to get rid of any air bubbles within your piped shells and to even out your tops, tap your baking sheet firmly on a flat surface. You can always use a toothpick to gently pop any extra air bubbles that you see hovering on top of your shells.
- Allow the shells to rest for approximately 30 minutes. Once the top of your shells are dry to the touch they are ready to bake!
- Place your macarons in your oven that has been preheated to 310 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 9 minutes, then rotate the baking tray and bake for an additional 2 minutes.
- You will know that your macarons are ready to remove from the oven when you gently touch the upper shell, and it barely moves, while the developed foot of the macaron stays set to the parchment paper. Remove from the oven to cool completely before removing shells from the parchment paper.
Apricot Buttercream
- Add your sugar and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a saucepan of boiling water. Make sure that your bowl is not touching the hot water! Your goal is to simply whisk the egg whites and sugar together over a gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, then attach your bowl back to the standing mixer. The temperature of your egg whites and sugar should reach 170°F75 g Egg Whites , 150 g Granulated Sugar
- Whisk mixture starting at a low speed and gradually increase until soft peaks form and the mixture has cooled. Switch to using your paddle attachment, then start adding your butter bit by bit.225 g Unsalted Butter
- When you’ve reached the point where the buttercream is glossy and smooth, turn the mixer speed back to low.
- Add apricot jam, and mix on low until combined to complete.70 g Apricot Jam
Assembly
- Once cooled, the shells will peel easily off of your parchment paper. Find each shell’s matching half and pipe approximately two teaspoons of buttercream to the bottom shell. Finally, top with the matching half, place in the fridge overnight for the perfect texture and taste before enjoying!
Notes
- Mise en place - Macarons are time-sensitive! Prepare your mise en place (meaning to set up your working space in preparation for an activity) before you get started so your ingredients and equipment are ready to go.
- Use a piping template - A foolproof way of making perfect macaron shells every time is to trace identical 1-inch diameter circles onto the parchment paper to use as your piping template.
- Use an oven thermometer - Baking the shells at the right temperature is important, so I highly recommend using an oven thermometer.
- Weigh the ingredients - While macarons only use 4 ingredients, if one isn’t measured correctly, your odds of macaron success are considerably lower. I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale so everything is precise!
- Storing your macarons - Technically, allowing your completed macarons to sit overnight in the fridge allows for the best texture for consuming! If you have the patience, place your macarons in the fridge overnight and enjoy the following day. Macaron shells can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for a month and still taste as good as new! Take the frozen macarons out of the freezer and let them sit for 10-15 minutes before enjoying, In the fridge, filled macarons should be stored in an airtight container for no more than 3 days.
- Practice makes perfect - It’s no secret that making macarons can be tricky. Just keep practicing and experimenting with different macaron flavors, and you’ll be a pro in no time!
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