Lemon macarons are one of the most tart and flavorful macarons you can make. Using fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, the filling is where the majority of the flavor is.
You have the option in the lemon macaron recipe to add lemon extract to the macaron shells if you want. However, this is optional, and the lemon macarons taste incredible without the extract.
Remember that when adding food coloring to your lemon macaron recipe, the coloring should be darker than you want it. The color will lighten as you add your Italian meringue to your almond batter.
Lemon Macaron Recipe
How to make lemon macarons from scratch
Yield: 40 macarons
Materials
Almond Batter
- 55 g egg whites pasteurized
- 150 g almond flour sifted
- 150 g icing sugar sifted
- 1/4 tsp lemon extract optional
Italian Meringue
- 55 g egg whites pasteurized
- 38 g water
- 150 g sugar
Lemon Macaron Filling Recipe
- 1/3 cup butter room temperature
- 1 1/3 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Place 55g egg whites in a stand mixer and mix on high speed.
- Place water and sugar in a saucepan on medium heat and attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan to measure the temperature.
- Adjust the stand mixer speed to beat on low speed. When the syrup gets up to 118 degrees C slowly stream the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl of the stand mixer. Increase the speed of the stand mixer to medium-heat speed and let it beat. The meringue is finished when you can turn the bowl upside down and the egg whites do not move.
- Place 55g egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Add yellow food coloring at this point using gel food coloring or 1/4 tsp of powdered food coloring. Add lemon extract to the egg whites if you want the shells to have flavoring as well. Mix the color thoroughly until the color is fully emulsified into the egg whites.
- Add sifted and measured almond flour and icing sugar. Mix until fully combined. It should feel like a paste when it's completely mixed.
- Add 1/2 meringue to the bowl. Mix the meringue until it's completely mixed in. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to mix everything together.
- Add the rest of the meringue to the bowl. Mix until it's full combined. Continue mixing the macaron batter a little more, a few more turns. It should flow like lava when you lift your spoon. The batter should be glossy and less grainy than when you began mixing.
- Pipe the macarons 1.5" wide on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. They are best cooked on an aluminum baking pan. Then pipe the next macaron 2" further away.
- Add any sprinkles to the macarons at this point. Pick up the pan and bang the bottom of it to remove air bubbles. Bang the pan 3-5 times.
- Let the macarons dry for 30 minutes.
- Bake the macarons for 12 minutes at 300 degrees F.
- Let the macarons fully cool. Take one of the macaron shells and match it up with a good fit for itself. Match all of your macarons up and place face up.
- Prepare the lemon macaron filling recipe. Cream the butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and cream together on high.
- Slowly add icing sugar and beat on low speed until fully combined. Taste test the icing. If you want it more creamy, you can add another 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. If you want more of a lemon flavor, you can add a bit more lemon juice.
- Place the icing in a piping bag.
- You can use a piping tip to give the icing a bit of a design if you like. Fill the macarons. Put the top of the macaron over top of the filling to create a sandwich.
- Store the macarons in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
