Almond Apricot Macarons

Trust me: these wee little fellows pack quite the punch. I'd made a fairly large batch of apricot-habanero jam and after consulting flavor wizard Hallie for compatible flavors (I'd half-expected her to text back "CLAMS! CLAM MACARON! NO ONE'S EVER DONE IT BEFORE!") decided to up the almond ante and see what came of it. These sweet and spicy treats are perfect for a little midday pick-me-up, which is probably why I made quite a few bite sized ones (like those pictured here). 

This is another riff on the basic macaron recipe we've already explored a few times in this blog; I'm still feeling around trying to figure out exactly what the most workable combination of ingredients might be. But try this out and see what you think; I really love the sweet-spicy-tangy jam with the nutty, rich almond flavor of the cookie and the jam itself has myriad uses.

Almond Apricot Macarons
Apricot-Habanero Jam:

• 1 lb ripe apricots
• 1 T plain unsweetened storebought applesauce
• 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 habanero peppers (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 1 T orange zest
• 1 cup sugar (taste and see whether it is sweet enough, I like it not as sweet)
• 1 apple
• 1/2 cup water

First, coarsely chop the apple (core, peel, everything) and put it into a saucepan with the water. Cook until the apple is mushy, then put the contents of the saucepan in a sieve and press the applesauce through the strainer. Reserve this fresh applesauce--you're going to use this as pectin for your jam. Pectin is what makes the jam glom together and get thick. They also sell commercial pectin if you're not into doing this extra step, but isn't it more fun to make your own?


Using a lot of care (and preferably gloves), chop the habaneros, discarding most of the seeds and pulp unless you want your jam to have a considerable kick. Process the habaneros and the storebought applesauce in a blender until liquid-y, adding more applesauce if needed. Reserve.

Peel and coarsely chop the apricots, discarding the pits. Place apricots in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat on low until they begin to release their liquids, then stir in sugar, zest, lemon juice, homemade applesauce, and habanero goop. Test for taste and heat, add more sugar or habanero seeds according to your tastes. Bring to a rolling boil, taking care that the jam does not burn. Turning down heat a bit if necessary, continue to eyeball and test your jam's thickness by using the sheet test. The sheet test is when you dip a clean spoon into your jam it should come off the edge of the spoon in a wide, clumpy sheet instead of a single loose drip. Once you feel your jam has thickened enough, take it off the heat, remove to a bowl and allow to cool. It will thicken even more once cooled. This will make more jam than you will need for the macarons, but this jam is great on toast, English muffins, or as a side on a bread, cheese and sausage plate.

Almond Macarons 

• 2 cups powdered sugar 
• 1 1/2 cup sifted almond flour 
• 1/2 cup (scant) room temperature egg whites (from about 3 large eggs) 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract 
• Few drops food coloring

To make macarons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the almond meal and powdered sugar, breaking apart the clumps of meal with your fingers. In a separate bowl, beat eggs to extremely thick, stiff peaks (careful not to overbeat), then beat in granulated sugar. It should have the consistency of marshmallow fluff. Add a pinch of salt.

Sprinkle a little over a third of the almond mixture into the egg whites and with a rubber spatula (and a light hand!) mix just until barely combined and still a bit streaky. Continue with the second third of the almond mix, then the third. Add food coloring and almond extract. Then, fold and gently press the mixture 10 times to incorporate.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag, and pipe out your macarons onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. I find it helpful to make little round stencils on the paper. If your piping job is uneven, wet one of your fingers and gently pat the tops of the macarons into place. Let sit for 10-20 minutes until the tops of the macarons have a thin film over them and are dry to the touch. Bake at 350 for 8-15 minutes, until they are risen and firm.

Let cool completely, peel off of the parchment paper, fill with the jam and enjoy!