Lemon Macarons

Lemon macarons with French macaron shells, lemon buttercream, and homemade lemon curd filling.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time: 1 30

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 1 45

Servings: cookies (60 shells)

Equipment

Kitchen scale
Food processor
electric or stand mixer
Large piping bag and round piping tip
2 Baking sheets
2 Macaron templates

Ingredients

Lemon Macaron Shells:

100 grams egg whites
120 grams granulated sugar
100 grams almond flour
140 grams powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3-4 drops gel yellow food coloring, optional

Lemon Curd:

3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
3 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Lemon Buttercream:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 and ¼ cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the Lemon Macaron Shells:

Prep: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats with macaron templates. You can make a homemade template by tracing 1.5" circles onto parchment paper.
Separate the eggs while they're cold and then set the egg whites aside to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Make sure you don't get any yolk in the bowl with the whites or you won't be able to whip them to stiff peaks. Sift the granulated sugar into a small bowl and set aside.
Sift the almond flour back and forth between two bowls. Discard any larger chunks left at the bottom of the sifter each time. Place a large bowl on your kitchen scale and add 100 grams of the sifted almond flour, 140 grams of powdered sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Sift everything together into one large bowl and set aside. Optional: Pulse the dry ingredients in a food processor for about 15-30 seconds before sifting together into a large bowl. This is an extra step that will give you shells with very smooth surfaces that aren't at all lumpy.
Make the meringue: Add the egg whites to a completely clean and dry bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Begin whipping the egg whites on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until foamy. Add the lemon juice and whip for another 30 seconds-1 minute until starting to thicken and increase in volume.
With the mixer running, begin adding the sifted granulated sugar, about 2 teaspoons at a time, and mix for 20 seconds after each addition. Once all of the sugar is added, add the gel yellow food coloring and keep mixing until the meringue reaches medium-stiff peaks. If you lift the mixer up out of the bowl and flip it upside down there should be a peak that sticks up with just a slight droop at the tip.
Make the macaron batter (macaronage): In several additions, use a rubber spatula to gently fold the meringue into the dry ingredients. It will be thick and pasty at first. Keep folding by wiping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Once all of the meringue is added, continue to fold gently until the batter flows in thick ribbons from your spatula without breaking. If you lift the batter up and draw a figure 8, it should disappear into the batter after about 10 seconds. If it doesn't disappear or if the batter breaks off of the spatula, keep folding and check again after every few turns.
Pipe the shells: Add the macaron batter to a large piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round piping tip. Hold the piping bag straight up and down with the tip right in the center of the circle on your template. Squeeze the batter out from the center until it fills the circle, then lift up with a quick twisting motion. See here: How to Pipe Macaron Batter
Once you have all of the shells piped, lift the pan up and drop or bang it firmly on your counter several times to get rid of any trapped air bubbles.
Let the macaron shells dry out at room temperature until they form a skin on the surface, you should be able to gently touch the tops without batter sticking to your finger. This usually takes about 45 minutes, but can take longer in a more humid environment.
Bake: Arrange your oven rack to the middle position and preheat your oven to 300°F/150°C. Bake one sheet of macarons at a time, for 15-17 minutes each. Take the sheet out of the oven and let the shells cool completely before touching or trying to remove them from the pan.

Make the Lemon Curd:

Add the butter and fresh-squeezed lemon juice to a medium saucepan. Place over low heat until the butter is melted. Meanwhile, vigorously whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a bowl until well combined and pale yellow in color.
To temper the egg yolks, slowly drizzle the warm lemon juice/melted butter mixture into the bowl with the yolks, whisking constantly as you do. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking or stirring constantly, until bubbling and thick.
Remove from heat and strain the lemon curd through a sieve and into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and press the plastic wrap onto the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin forming.

Make the Lemon Buttercream:

Add the softened butter to a medium bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until fluffy and smooth. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, cream, and salt, and mix until smooth.

Fill the Shells:

Take two lemon macaron shells that are the same size and shape, use a piping bag to add a ring of lemon buttercream around the outside of the bottom of one shell, then scoop or pipe a dollop of lemon curd in the center. Gently top with the second shell.

Notes

Once filled, macarons taste best after 24 hours and stay fresh in the fridge for 1 week. They can also be frozen for 2 months.

When it comes to almond flour, some brands are more oily or chunky than others. Blue Diamond almond flour is by far the best brand I've used and always gives me the best results.

If you're using a silicone baking mat, I find it easier to peel the mat off from under the cooled macaron shells then it is to peel the shells off of the mat.

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