French macarons with matcha and red bean paste

For the red bean paste: The stated quantities yield 500 g of paste. For the macarons you need half the amount.

1. Soak the beans in water for 8–10 hours. Drain and cover with 1.200 l of cold water. Place over moderate heat and bring to a boil.
2. Once it boils, reduce the temperature and leave the beans to simmer for 40 minutes. By then they should be very well cooked, with some water remaining. Strain the beans, keeping the water. Press through a sieve, adding a little of the liquid to make pureeing easier. This way one bowl will hold the puree with a little liquid, while the skins of the beans remain in the sieve and are discarded.
3. Pour the puree with the liquid into a cheesecloth and strain out as much water as possible. The paste remaining in the cheesecloth should look dry and crumbly like very fine sand. Put this paste in a small pot and add the sugar. Stir over moderate heat until it becomes smooth, the sugar melts and the puree is well heated. Add the salt and rice flour. Stir the mixture a little more on the stove until it thickens and begins to form distinct streaks on the bottom of the pot when stirred. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

For the matcha macarons: The stated quantities yield 30 shells or 15 macarons.

1. Put the almond flour, icing sugar and matcha green tea in a food processor. Pulse a few times until well combined.
2. Beat the egg whites and salt with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until they thicken and form a soft peak. Under no circumstances should they be beaten too long!
3. Add the almond mixture to the beaten egg whites a little at a time, folding with a silicone spatula. Scoop the mixture following the walls of the bowl and then move toward the center. Continue this way until all the almond mixture is incorporated. The resulting batter should have the consistency of a slightly thick cake batter.
4. Pour the batter into a piping bag with a wide tip. Pipe small circles onto a tray lined with baking paper, spaced apart from each other. This mixture yields 30 circles (macaron shells). Once the circles are formed, tap the bottom of the tray a few times to release the air from the shells and to flatten any peaks that formed. Leave to rest at room temperature 30–40 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 150°C.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 14–15 minutes. After removing, leave to cool for 5–6 minutes and carefully peel off the baking paper. If they are difficult to peel, sprinkle the underside of the paper with a little water, leave for 1–2 minutes and peel off. Leave the baked shells to cool completely.