Black Sesame Matcha Macarons

UPDATE 2019 I now use 55 g almond flour, 50 g powdered sugar, 45 g egg whites, 45 g granulated sugar and bake for 25 min at 285F.

Update Jan 2020, lately I’ve been doing 305F for 20min. once again you just nead to learn your oven (going to leave this recipe at 285 though). See my notes in my General Macarons Recipe for the most up to date.

I’ve been super digging black sesame. Matcha goes so well with it, so decided to make some macarons as always.

1. Black Sesame Macaron Shells: For about 10 1.5 inch macarons:

• 35 g almond flour (sift, no big almond pieces)
• 11 g black sesame powder
• 43 g powdered sugar
• 35 g egg whites (room temp)
• 25 g granulated sugar

1. Oven to 325F. Measure out and sift your powdered sugar and almond flour. Whisk together and set aside.
2. Make your meringue. I speed warm up my egg whites by putting them in a small container and then putting that container in a bowl with hot water. Takes about 5 min to bring up the temp and doesn’t cook them.
   Beat/ whisk your egg whites until frothy and start to incorporate the granulated sugar a bit a time. Beat until stiff peaks.
3. Macaronage. Look up on Youtube if you’re unfamiliar on how to do so.
   • Fold about half your dry ingredients into the meringue until just incorporated and then add the rest and continue folding until just incorporated. Now would be the time to add food coloring. Gel or powder, not liquid. Fold until you get a lava like consistency. Fold by scraping along the edge of the bowl to deflate the meringue a bit and then scooping the batter. Repeat. You should be able to pick up the spatula and have the batter fall down in a ribbon. The ribbon should incorporate back into the main blob after about 10ish seconds. If it doesn’t fall correctly, I do a few more folds.
   • Put into a piping bag with a tip.
4. Pipe out your macarons. I use a silpat (would highly recommend). Rap the baking sheet against the table a few times. Pop any air bubbles with a toothpick and swirl the toothpick around a bit to have that hole close up.
5. I hate waiting for the shells to dry, so I cheat and dry the shells using the oven heat. I do this by opening the oven and holding the tray in the oven, rotating it every 10 seconds or so for about a minute. My hands usually get hot at that point. I take them out for about a minute. Then back in again, rotating, for another 30 seconds. This quickly dries out the shells and makes a skin without having to wait 30 minutes at room temp (especially if it’s humid!) :p.
   You want to be able to touch the shell and have it not be sticky. Make sure it doesn’t shine and you’re probably good to go.
6. Bake for 9 minutes at 315F and rotate the pan and drop to 300F for another 9 minutes.

2. Matcha Ganache:

• 70 g white chocolate
• 25 g heavy cream
• 3-4 g matcha

1. Add the matcha and cream and mix together in a small saucepan. Heat over low.
2. Add the white chocolate to a bowl and set over a double boiler. Turn off heat as soon as the white chocolate melts a bit.
3. As soon as the cream starts to simmer, turn off heat and add into the white chocolate bowl. Let sit for 30 seconds - 1 minute, then start mixing together with a silicone spatula.
4. Mix thouroughly and then add to a piping bag. Cool to room temp, so it can hold it is not runny.
5. Pipe onto the macaron shells and assemble.
6. Dust some matcha over the top of the black sesame shells. Enjoy!
   -Mario