These black sesame macarons are the perfect parcels of joy and sweetness to end a meal or to gift your loved ones! We’re releasing this exotically unique flavor combination as we’re in the middle of the Chinese New Year celebrations and what better way to get creative than to make asian inspired French Macarons!

We opted for a black sesame white chocolate ganache filling instead of a buttercream filling, as it’s creamier and leaves a less “fatty” – oily texture on your palate. And who doesn’t love chocolate!

Macarons can be daunting to make as they require a lot of care and precision. But don’t worry – our recipe will outline several tips and tricks to ensure that you’re set for success! Practice makes perfect and once you get the hang of it, they are totally worth making!

French Meringue vs Italian or Swiss Meringue

When it comes to making macarons, there’s a constant debate on which method is better. The French meringue or the Italian or Swiss meringue? Each method has its pros and cons, but this black sesame macaron recipe uses the French Meringue technique, which gives you a more “melt in your mouth” texture.

Though this method requires less time and kitchen equipment to whip (you don’t need a thermometer and requires less sugar), it also results in a less stable meringue as the sugar is not pre-cooked, like the other two methods. The French meringue is more delicate and more sensitive to humidity, thus can be more complicated to “nail”. But the final macaron, if made properly will have a better texture.

The Perfect Meringue

1. Ensure your mixing bowl and whisk attachment is clean and dry (no water residue)
2. Start whisking the egg whites on low speed until it’s frothy. At this stage, add 1 tbsp of sugar
3. Continue whisking at low speed until the egg whites are foamy (starts to thicken and turn white in colour). At this point, increase the speed to medium and add in half of the remaining sugar.
4. Keep whisking while gradually increasing the speed to high. You will then reach the “soft peak” stage (that’s when the egg whites are thicker and creamier consistency). Add the remaining sugar and whisk on high speed for another minute or so until stiff peaks.

Tips & Tricks

• Macarons hate humidity! If you’re trying to make them in a tropical and humid country, like us, ensure that you make them in an air-conditioned room. If you have a dehumidifier, turn that on as well! We also suggest drying your macarons next to the dehumidifier.
• Do not open the tap while making macarons. As mentioned above, macarons do not like humidity. So refrain from washing the dishes, your hands or simply using water while making them.
• Age your egg whites for more stability. Since we’re using the French method, aging your egg whites 2/3 days or 1 week in advance is recommended. It is not necessary, but will aid in giving you more stable meringues. Simply crack your eggs, separate the whites from the yolks and allow the whites to age in an airtight container in your fridge.
• Use the best quality ingredients! But most importantly, use the most refined almond meal and icing sugar you can find. As a rule of thumb, blend your almond meal and icing sugar in a mixer and sift them 2-3 times. This will give you a smoother macaron shell!
• Let your finished macarons sit 12 hours in the fridge in an airtight container before eating them. This will allow the shells to absorb the filling as well as soften, giving them that distinct chewy texture.

For more Asian inspired recipes, click here