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Bright lemon curd and swiss meringue buttercream make this macaron crazy delicious. Each cookie is like a mini lemon meringue pie!
I am by no means a super profesh at making macarons. Sometimes they are perfect, sometimes a little hollow, and sometimes a complete disaster. That won’t stop me from making them and it shouldn’t stop you! Even if they are imperfect, they still taste amazing. Don’t let the little nooks and crannies disappoint you. These are for us home bakers not professionals with all the fancy tools.
I love the idea of 2 fillings in a macaron. It just feels so rich and fancy, of course it takes some work, but you can spread the work out over 2 days. Make the curd and shells the day before, then do the buttercream and assembly the next day. I recommend letting these sit in the fridge overnight for the best flavor and texture. Plus the little nap can help minimize some of the shell imperfections.
Here’s a video of the process. Includes the curd, buttercream and shells!
Lemon Meringue Macarons
Ingredients
MACARONS
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ⅔ cup confectioners sugar
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Food coloring optional
LEMON CURD
- 3 egg yolks
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 lemon’s zest
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
- 2 egg whites
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
MACARONS
- Grind up almond flour in a dry food processor and sift through a sieve. Do not force it through the sieve.
- Mix confectioners sugar into almond flour with a sieve and a whisk.
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium / high. Slowly add in granulated sugar.
- When the soft peak stage is reached add food coloring. Mix till stiff peak stage.
- Add about ¼ the dry ingredients to the egg whites. Fold with spatula till combined.
- Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and gently macaronage (fold) till “lava” texture is reached. The batter should make ribbons that don’t break when you lift the spatula. Try making a figure 8.
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment, using a tiny dab of batter on each corner as glue.
- Add batter to a piping bag using a plain round tip.
- Pipe about 1 ½” circles, holding the bag perpendicular to the cookie sheet. To break off batter, make a little swirl motion on top.
- Bang sheet on counter to get rid of bubbles and to help tops get smooth.
- Let sit for 45 – 60 minutes on the counter uncovered. You should be able to touch the macarons, there will be a skin formed on top.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Bake for 10 – 15 minutes. You should be able to see the “feet”.
LEMON CURD
- In a saucepan whip egg yolks till lighter in color.
- Add all other ingredients except butter and mix well, till smooth.
- Turn heat on medium / high. Bring to a low boil.
- Lower heat to simmer and let cook till coats spoon or about 5-6 minutes.
- Add butter and mix well.
- Strain curd and set aside till cool. Keep in the fridge till ready to use.
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
- Bring 1-2 inches water to a boil in a medium saucepan for a bain marie. Place a bowl over the pan. Water should be just below the bottom of the bowl.
- Add egg whites and sugar to the bowl. Heat until mixture reaches 160 degrees F, stirring periodically.
- In a mixer bowl with the whisk equipped, beat until stiff peaks and room temperature.
- Cut butter into tbsp size chunks. Mix in one by one. Keep mixing until smooth and glossy, may look worse before it gets better. If your icing is too warm, put in the fridge for 10-20 minutes.
- Beat in vanilla.
- Spoon frosting into an icing bag with desired tip.
- Let dry completely before piping in filling. Make little macarons sandwiches by matching up with same sized tops and bottoms.
- Store in the fridge. Cookies tastes best the next day.
