Macaron Shells:

Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.

Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a medium bowl, using a bench scraper to help push the sugar through the sieve. Discard any clumps or hard bits of sugar.

Sift the almond flour into the same bowl. Discard any large clumps or pieces.

Add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on high speed until soft peaks form.

Gradually add sugar, continuing to mix on medium-high speed until the mixture is thick and glossy, and stiff peaks form.

Mix in the gold gel food coloring.

Add the sugar-almond flour mixture to the bowl. (No need to be delicate—dump it in in one go!)

With a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. At first, the batter will feel very thick and dry.

Continue folding, gradually deflating air from the mixture, until the batter flows from the spatula like lava. To test whether the batter is ready to pipe, I like to make a figure ‘8’ shape with the batter—it should take about 8-10 seconds to sink back into the bowl. If it takes longer than this, it’s too thick. Test frequently to avoid overmixing the batter. (If the ‘8’ disappears quickly, you’ve overmixed!)

Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 5/8-inch round piping tip.

Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto prepared tray, allowing a few inches of space between the rounds. Firmly tap the tray on a table or countertop to remove the air bubbles. (If any bubbles remain, gently pop them with a toothpick/cocktail stick.)

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Set aside and allow the macaron shells to rest, uncovered, at room temperature until dry to the touch. Depending on the temperature and humidity in your kitchen, this can happen in as little as 30 minutes, or it might take a few hours. I allowed this batch to rest for two hours.

Once dry, preheat the oven to 140° C / 285° F. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until the shells no longer “dance” on their feet (jiggle slightly) when touched. (Note: These are the temperatures and timings that work best for me, but all ovens are different. If you have a “tried and true” temperature and bake time for making macarons, definitely use that instead! If not, try mine and adjust as necessary. I suggest checking the macarons every few minutes, beginning at the 15-minute mark.)

Buttercream:

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the softened butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, alternating with the milk and mixing well after each addition.

Add the green gel food coloring and mix until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. If necessary, add more confectioner’s sugar or milk to adjust the consistency.

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.

Chocolate Ganache:

Melt the chopped dark chocolate over a double boiler or bain marie.

Meanwhile, add the whipping cream to a small saucepan and warm gently over medium-low heat. (Do not boil.)

Gently whisk the warm cream into the melted chocolate. Remove from heat.

Whisk ganache until smooth and creamy.

Transfer to a piping bag.

Toppings:

To a tennis ball-sized ball of white fondant, add a few drops of red gel food coloring. Use your hands to knead, incorporating the color evenly into the fondant. Repeat with a second ball of fondant and the yellow gel food coloring.

With a rolling pin, roll the red fondant to approximately 1/8-inch thick.

With a 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut the fondant into discs. (You should have one for each burger.) Re-roll the scraps and repeat with remaining fondant.

With a rolling pin, roll the yellow fondant to approximately 1/8-inch thickness. Use a 1 3/4-inch square cutter to cut the fondant into squares. (You should have one for each burger.) Re-roll scraps and repeat with remaining fondant.

Assembly:

Pair the macaron shells according to size. You should have 8-10 pairs total.

Pipe the underside of half of the shells with a dollop of chocolate ganache.

Top the ganache with a fondant “cheese” square.

Top each square with a fondant “tomato” slice.

Pipe buttercream on top of the tomatoes. I added a few zigzags and pointy bits, to resemble shredded lettuce.

Top the buttercream with a second macaron shell.