Pumpkin-Almond Macarons

1. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a food processor cover and process almond flour and powdered sugar 1 minute, stopping once to scrape mixture from bottom of bowl. Sift flour mixture, a little at a time, through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to pass through as much as possible. Discard any large pieces that remain in sieve (up to 1 Tbsp.). Stir pumpkin pie spice into flour mixture.

2. In a large bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer on medium 1 minute or until frothy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on high 4 minutes or until stiff, shiny peaks form.

3. Gently fold flour mixture into egg whites until all of the flour mixture is incorporated (about 50 strokes), giving bowl a quarter turn with each fold. Add almond extract. Continue folding and turning 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping down bowl, until batter is smooth and falls off spatula in a thin, flat ribbon.

4. Transfer mixture (batter will be thin) to a large decorating bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Pipe 1 1/4-inch circles 1 inch apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Drop sheets five times against counter to release any air bubbles. Let stand 30 to 45 minutes or until tops of cookies are no longer sticky.

5. Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake 18 minutes or until tops of cookies are set and shiny, and rise 1/8 inch to form the ruffled edge called the "foot." Cool on cookie sheets on wire racks. Carefully peel cookies off parchment paper.

6. Spread pumpkin butter on bottoms of half of the cookies, using about 1/2 tsp. for each cookie. Top with remaining cookies, bottom sides down.

To Store

Layer unfilled cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 3 days. Fill as directed.

Double-Almond Macarons

Prepare as directed, except omit pumpkin pie spice and fill cookies with Almond Butter Frosting instead of pumpkin butter. For Almond Butter Frosting, in a medium bowl beat 3 Tbsp. softened butter with a mixer on medium until smooth. Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp. milk, and 1/2 tsp. almond extract until combined. Beat in 1 cup additional powdered sugar. If needed, beat in additional milk, 1 tsp. at a time, to reach spreading consistency. Per Sandwich Cookie: 97 calories, 1 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 4 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 15 g total sugar, 1% Vitamin A, 0% Vitamin C, 15 mg sodium, 1% calcium, 1% iron

Chocolate Macarons

Prepare as directed, except substitute 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder for pumpkin pie spice and fill cookies with chocolate-hazelnut spread instead of pumpkin butter. Per Sandwich Cookie: 72 calories, 2 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 3 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 9 g total sugar, 0% Vitamin A, 0% Vitamin C, 7 mg sodium, 1% calcium, 2% iron