These bright and citrusy lemon macarons are the perfect little treat for any occasion! The combination of tart lemons and the sweetness form the sugar will make your taste buds oh so happy. Give them a try!
Tricky Little Guys
Although they were intimidating at first, macarons have quickly become one of my favorite treats to make. They’re adorable and always impressive. They can be finicky though. The pictures below are from the same batch of macarons. The ones on right were baked first and I was a little impatient so I put them in the oven while it was still preheating. It had gotten to 320° so I thought it would be ok. Boy was I wrong. The shells on the left were piped using the same batter, out of the same bag, but my oven was preheated to the right temp. Lots of things can go wrong with macarons but if I can master them then so can you. They are oh so worth it when you do.
What’s in a macaron?
A basic macaron is made with 5 simple ingredients:
- Almond flour, which is really just finely ground almonds. You can buy them pre-ground or do it yourself in a food processor. I make macarons quite often so I just buy a big bag of it at Costco and stick it in the fridge to keep it fresh.
- Powdered sugar, aka confectioner’s sugar
- Aged egg whites. Age your egg whites by separating them from the yolk and putting them in a covered bowl in the fridge for 24-48 hours. I used to try and skip this step but I have more success when I take the time to do it.
- Caster sugar. This is just superfine white sugar. If you don’t have any or can’t find it at the store, you can make your own by grinding up white sugar in a coffee grinder or food processor. I will admit, I have been know to use regular, granulated white sugar in my macarons and they have turned out beautifully.
- Cream of tartar. This helps stabilize the meringue.
How to make lemon macarons
- Measure out each ingredient with a kitchen scale. You’ll have more success if you use exact measurements.
- Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together into a bowl. Set this aside. Do not skip this step. Sifting ensures that the macarons will have smooth tops.
- Whip the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Once they are frothy, add the cream of tartar. When the whisk starts leaving trails in the egg whites, add the sugar 1/3 at a time.
- Beat until stiff peaks are formed. You want the peaks to stand upright, without falling back on themselves when you pull the whisk out.
- Add in yellow food coloring, either gel or powdered works best. Liquid changes the consistency of the batter so you want to refrain from using it in your macarons. Personally, I prefer gel.
- And now, the most important part of the process, the macaronage…
Macaronage, folding in the dry ingredients
Start this step by gently folding in about 1/3 of your dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until they’re well combined. Next, add in the rest of your dry ingredients and the lemon zest. Fold them in by swooping your spatula around the bowl and down the middle in a “J” shape. Keep folding until the batter starts to flow like molten lava. You’ll know you’re done when you can lift the spatula out of the bowl and the batter slowly flows off in a continuous ribbon. One method I’ve seen all over the internet is to make a figure 8 with the batter. If you can do the entire 8 in a continuous stream then it’s ready.
- Line two cookie sheets with either silpats or parchment paper. Without them your macarons will stick and be impossible to get off. Trust me, I’ve tried.
- Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip.
- With the tip pointing straight down, gently pipe out 1 1/2 inch circles. Stop squeezing and flick your wrist in a circular motion before pulling away. This will help keep the tops smooth.
- Tap the cookie sheets on your counter to release any air bubbles that might be hiding. Poke any bubbles that don’t pop with a toothpick.
- Let the macarons rest until they no longer stick your finger when gently touching them. I usually start checking after about 15 minutes. It’s pretty humid in the part of Texas I live in so some days this can take up to an hour for me.
- Once they are no longer sticky to the touch, put them in a 325° oven, one sheet at a time, for about 10-15 minutes. Check for doneness by gently (there is a common theme here) pressing on the side of a cookie. It should not move. If it does, add another minute or 2 and check again.
- Let them cool before taking them off the tray. Fill with your favorite filling. I used a lemon swiss meringue buttercream for these bad boys.
Troubleshooting
Don’t worry if you don’t get them right the first time. You’re lucky if you do! My first batch ever was a disaster and I consider myself a pretty good baker. They didn’t have feet and half of them were cracked. but you know what, they still tasted good and my hubby gobbled them up. Just keep practicing and you will surprise yourself. Indulgewithmimi.com has a fantastic tutorial and troubleshooting guide for making macarons. I referred to her site many times when I was learning to make these. In fact, her ingredient ratios are what I use as the base for all of the macaron recipes I make. I just tweek them to suit whatever flavor I’d like. I highly recommend checking her site out.
Lemon Macarons
These bright and beautiful macarons are bursting with lemony flavor!
Ingredients
Shells
- 130 grams almond flour
- 130 grams powdered sugar
- 90 grams caster sugar
- 100 grams aged egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- zest of 1 lemon
- yellow food coloring (optional)
Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup softened butter
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Instructions
Shells
- Line 2 cookie sheets with either silpats or parchment paper.
- Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together into a bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar. beat until eggs start leaving trails. Add castor sugar 1/3 at a time. Beat until stiff peaks are formed.
- Pour 1/3 of dry ingredients into the egg whites. Fold until well incorporated. Add in the rest of your dry ingredients, the lemon zest and food coloring. Fold until the batter has reached a consistency similar to molten lava.
- Pipe out 1.5 inch circles onto lined cookie sheets. Tap on counter to release air pockets. Let rest until no longer sticky when gently touched. While resting, preheat oven to 325° F.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10-15 minutes. Test for doneness by gently pressing on the side of the shells. They should not move.
- Cool and fill with buttercream, or desired filling.
Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Whisk together eggs whites, sugar and salt in a bowl.
- Fill a pot with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer.
- Place bowl with egg white mixture on top of the pot with simmering water. Whisk continuously until mixture reaches 160°.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, whip until the mixture cools to room temperature.
- Switch to the paddle attachment. With your mixer on low, add in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Make sure it is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Add in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Beat until well combined.
Notes
Macarons are best when they’ve “matured” in the fridge for 24 hours (or at least overnight).
Age your egg whites by separating them and placing them in a container in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
SnackDaddy approved!
Glad you liked them!