Black Sesame Macarons

Ingredients

• Almond flour (1 cup)
• Powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups)
• Black sesame seeds (1/4 cup, ground)
• Egg whites (4 large)
• Granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
• Cream of tartar (1/2 teaspoon)
• Black sesame paste (1/2 cup)
• Unsalted butter (1/4 cup, softened)
• Powdered sugar (for filling) (1 cup)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, combine the almond flour, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and ground black sesame seeds. Process until you have a fine mixture.
3. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and cream of tartar, beating until you achieve stiff peaks.
4. Gently fold the almond flour mixture into the beaten egg whites until the batter is smooth and shiny. This is your macaron batter.
5. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe 1-inch circles onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each macaron.
6. Let the piped macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow a skin to develop. This will give your macarons their characteristic crispy shell.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the macarons are crisp and firm. Let them cool completely on the baking sheets.
8. In a medium bowl, beat together the black sesame paste, softened butter, and 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth. This is your black sesame filling.
9. Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe a small dollop of filling onto the flat side of half of the cooled macarons.
10. Gently press the remaining macarons, flat side down, onto the filling to form sandwiches.