Lemon Macarons

I've always wanted to make lemon macarons filled with homemade lemon curd.  If you read my last blog post, I finally made my homemade lemon curd.  So here are the lemon macarons.

These lemon macarons taste so good filled with lemon curd and a lemon buttercream.  The combination of lemon curd and buttercream are perfect together.  I'm so happy with the end results and my family are requesting another batch be made.

If you love lemons in baked goods, this is a great recipe to try as it's full of lemon flavour.

Happy Baking xo

Lemon Macarons

Ingredients

· ¾ cups almond meal
· 1 cups icing sugar
· 2 egg whites
· 4 tablespoons caster sugar
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· Yellow food colouring

Buttercream

· 57 grams butter, softened

· 1½ cups icing sugar
· 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind (optional)
· 1-3 tablespoons lemon juice
· ¼ cup homemade or store lemon curd (refer to lemon curd recipe for homemade curd)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 130C°.

2. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

3. Sift almond meal and icing sugar together in a bowl.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until dissolved.

Add vanilla extract and yellow food colouring, beat until just combined.

5. Fold in half the almond mixture until just combined. Fold remaining mixture until the mixture is all combined and glossy (this may take a little bit of time). Remember to fold, not mix.

6. Spoon into a piping bag or a large snaplock bag. If using a snaplock bag, snip 1cm from a corner of the bag. Pipe round mixtures evenly onto the lined baking tray, allowing a bit of space between each piped macaron.

7. Tap the trays on the bench to remove air bubbles. Set aside for 30 minutes to an hour, or until the tops of the macarons are dry and firm to touch.

8. Bake macarons one tray at a time for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are firm. Cool on trays and carefully transfer to cooling rack.

9. Pipe a circle of buttercream on the edge of half of the macaron shells and add some lemon curd to the middle of it. Sandwich with the remaining macarons. Set aside until filling sets.


Buttercream Filling

Cream softened butter until pale and fluffy.  Add a third of the icing sugar at a time and mix until all combined  Add lemon rind and lemon juice one tablespoon at a time. Continue adding lemon juice until the desired texture of buttercream is achieved.

If the mixture is too runny add more icing sugar a little at a time and if mixture is too stiff/hard add more lemon juice a little at a time.

Refer to my last blog post for the homemade lemon curd recipe.

Tips

· Make sure the mixing bowl is completely dry when beating the egg whites. If there is water in the bowl the egg whites will NOT form a peak.

· To get evenly spaced macarons on a tray you can buy a template or make your own. I made my own by using baking paper and drawing circles evenly spaced out. I placed the template under the baking paper and piped my macarons onto the image. Remove the template after so that you can use it again.

- It is easier to pipe the lemon buttercream around the edges of the macarons if the icing is soft.

· For more even colour on the macarons, remember to turn the tray halfway in the bake.

Did you bake this recipe?

Remember to tag @youcanbakeittoo on Instagram & hashtag #youcanbakeittoo 

so I can see your wonderful bakes.