Description
These macarons have crisp shells, chewy middles, and a tangy buttercream that ties it all together. Lemon lovers will adore them. Keep this recipe for your next weekend bake.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Macarons
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup powdered (icing) sugar
- 2 large egg whites (room temperature)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1-2 drops yellow gel food coloring
Lemon Buttercream Filling
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together twice. Yes, twice; it helps keep the shells smooth. Set aside.
- In a clean mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium until foamy.
- Add cream of tartar.
- Slowly add sugar, one spoon at a time, then beat on medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, and food coloring.
- Just a drop or two, you don’t want neon shells.
- Sift the dry mix over the meringue. Using a spatula, fold gently, scraping from the bottom, around the sides, then cutting through the middle. Keep folding until the batter flows like lava.
- Transfer to a piping bag with a round tip.
- Pipe 1½-inch circles about an inch apart on a lined baking sheet.
- Tap the tray a few times on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Let them sit out for 30 minutes (sometimes up to an hour, depending on humidity) until the tops look dry and shiny.
- Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).
- Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from parchment.
- Beat all filling ingredients in a mixing bowl until creamy and fluffy.
- Pair up shells of similar size. Pipe buttercream onto one half, then sandwich with the other.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Joy
