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Home » Lemon French Macarons

Lemon French Macarons

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Published: 5/05/2014Updated: 9/03/2020
This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure
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My easy to follow step-by-step directions will guide you to these pretty lemon macarons with zesty lemon buttercream. A short video is included!

Lemon French Macarons- perfect spring-flavored confections with zesty lemon buttercream that you can make right at home with my new video tutorial!

[I get a lot of questions about this white serving dish. I bought this particular one at a local thrift store, but I found similar one on amazon.com.]

Sometimes I feel fortunate that we don’t have any bakeries close by that sells French macarons. I probably would be spending way too much to satisfy my cravings.

Instead, when the craving hits, I bring out my mixer and get to whipping the egg whites. Did you know that you can make these delightful confections yourself way cheaper than $2/each?

Yeah, sounds pretty exciting, but you might have been putting it off because it’s too difficult, or intimidating. Well, fear no more! I’ve made a short video tutorial to show you how I fold my French macaron batter to make perfect little macarons!

Lemon French Macarons-4

In this video, I wanted to show you how the batter consistency changes with each fold. Therefore, I opted not to cut anything out, but instead I simply sped up the folding process in some places. The whole folding process took about 3 minutes.

UPDATE: I also made this full video tutorial to show you the entire process of making macarons. Hope you find it helpful.

I hope after watching the video you’ll start whipping those egg whites and sifting the almond flour!

Lemon French Macarons- perfect spring-flavored confections with zesty lemon buttercream that you can make right at home with my new video tutorial!

I’m personally not a huge fan of basic buttercream. But I’m totally head over heels about this lemon buttercream. It’s so light and zesty, sour, yet sweet. Absolutely awesome filling for my lemon french macarons.

Oh by the way, french macarons taste way better on 2nd or 3rd days. The flavors from the filling really soak into the shells and the whole thing becomes just absolutely heavenly! And the bonus, it won’t break the bank! It’s always cheaper and better when it’s homemade!

Enjoy!

Lemon French Macarons

My easy to follow step-by-step directions will guide you to these pretty lemon macarons with zesty lemon buttercream. A short video is included!
4.16 from 26 votes
serves: 20 filled macarons
Cook: 20 minutes
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Ingredients

For macaron shells:

  • 100 gr almond flour
  • 100 gr powdered sugar
  • 70 gr 1/3 cup egg whites
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 50 gr sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • Yellow gel food coloring

For lemon buttercream:

  • 3 tablespoons 40gr unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup 130gr powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Helpful Equipment:

  • • Pastry bag with Wilton Extra Large Round Tip #1
Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result!

Instructions

  • In medium bowl, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar twice. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat. Slowly add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until hard peaks. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and yellow food coloring. Beat on medium speed for one more minute. (Watch this meringue video for more information.)
  • Sift the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture over the whipped egg whites. Gently fold the mixture running the spatula clockwise from the bottom, up around the sides and cut the batter in half, as shown in the video above. The batter will look very thick at first, but it will get thinner as you fold. Be careful not to over mix it though. Every so often test the batter to see if it reached the right consistency. To test the batter, drop a small amount of the batter and count to ten. If the edges of the ribbon are dissolved within ten seconds, then the batter is ready. I repeat, do NOT mix again. If you still see edges, fold the batter couple more times and test again. I posted a few pictures above to show you how just couple of folding changes the consistency of the batter. This step is so crucial, so please make sure to test often to ensure not to over mix the batter.
  • Transfer the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip. (I use this Wilton A1 large plain round tip.)
  • Pipe out 1.5-inch rounds about an inch apart on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  • Tap the baking sheets firmly on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. If you don’t release the air bubbles, they will expand during baking and crack the beautiful macarons shells. And who wants cracked macarons, right?
  • Let the macarons rest and dry for 15-30 minutes. On a humid day, it might take an hour or so. To see if it’s ready to be baked, lightly touch it. If the batter doesn’t stick to your finger, then it’s ready. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
  • Bake the macarons for 18-20 minutes. To check the doneness, remove one macaron. If the bottom does not stick, they are done.
  • Let cool the macarons on baking sheets for at least 15 minutes, and then remove from the baking sheets onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • While macarons are drying, prepare the lemon buttercream. In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt and beat until well combined.
  • Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag and fill the macarons. It’s best to serve macarons the next day.
  • Store the filled macarons in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the filled macarons in airtight container for up to 5 months.

Tips & Notes:

  • For additional tips and notes, read the post above.
  • For more tips and visual troubleshooting guide, check out this post.
  • You can now watch a full macaron tutorial video here. 
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Author: Shinee
Did you make this?Show me your creation! Tag me @shineshka and hashtag it #sweetandsavorybyshinee!
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  1. Sophia says

    Posted on 1 January 2021 at 9:08 pm

    3 stars
    I have made these twice now and each time they have turned out like blobs and I’ve made other macaron recipes and have gotten feet and a smooth shell top but not with this recipe. Gave it a three because they still taste good.

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 2 January 2021 at 2:47 pm

      Hi, Sophia. Thank you for your comment. My biggest advice when it comes to macarons is to stick to the recipe that works for you! From there you can make small adjustments to add flavoring. So many things affect macarons, from your oven to climate, and it’s gold if you have found the recipe that works for your environment.

      Reply
  2. Violet says

    Posted on 11 December 2020 at 3:44 pm

    5 stars
    ..my goodness, your technique is absolutely amazing!!
    I am planning on baking macarons..tomorrow!
    the raspberry recipe, my freeze dried raspberry powder just arrived!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 12 December 2020 at 10:31 pm

      Yay, so excited for you!! Glad you found my recipe helpful.

      Reply
  3. Kamal says

    Posted on 8 December 2020 at 7:57 pm

    5 stars
    I made these for the first time ever. My shells look super glossy…as if there is butter on top..any idea why? They taste yummy..I like the tangy and the sweet combination.

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 10 December 2020 at 10:57 am

      Hi, Kamal. So happy you loved the flavor. I’m not sure why the shells were glossy. Were they soft and wrinkly too? Or just crisp, smooth and glossy?

      Reply
  4. Lee says

    Posted on 10 November 2020 at 3:25 am

    Hi there, the recipe says 100g powdered sugar, and the method says to sift the powdered sugar with the almond flour. A further step says to add the sugar to the egg whites for the meringue? It isn’t clear how much needs to be added to either? Can you please advise?

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 10 November 2020 at 2:17 pm

      Hi, Lee. The recipe calls for 2 kinds of sugar: powdered sugar and regular sugar. Powdered sugar is mixed with almond flour, and regular sugar is for meringue.

      Reply
  5. Natalie says

    Posted on 7 November 2020 at 2:09 pm

    Every time I have made these the tops crack all over, but not like air bubble. They look like they have psoriasis. What am I doing wrong?

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 8 November 2020 at 10:03 pm

      Hi, Natalie. Do they have soft wrinkly shells? If so, it’s an indication of excess moisture. If you’re in humid climate, I suggest trying it without lemon juice and only add lemon zest.

      Reply
  6. Cindy Liles says

    Posted on 8 September 2020 at 2:38 pm

    Where can I purchase the template mat that has the cross-hair in the middle? Wonderful video! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 8 September 2020 at 6:58 pm

      Hi, Cindy. So glad you found my video helpful. Do you mean the silicone mat with the template? If so, this is the one.

      Reply
  7. Victoria Randle says

    Posted on 2 September 2020 at 2:42 pm

    Hey there I would like to know what is the quantity amount for this recipe. How many macaroons does this make?

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 3 September 2020 at 10:13 pm

      Hi, Victoria. Thank you for your question. Sorry, it wasn’t available right away. This recipe makes about 20-25 filled macarons, or 40-50 shells, depending on the size.

      Reply
  8. Savannah says

    Posted on 1 May 2020 at 9:34 pm

    2 stars
    i’ve used other recipes before and i didn’t like this one. the shells aren’t as crinkly as they should be and the insides are more “cookie”-like. i made lemon curd for the filling instead of buttercream because the shells weren’t very lemony, so i wanted more tart lemon flavor. some of the shells also rose and cracked a little in the oven.

    Reply
    • Shinee says

      Posted on 2 May 2020 at 10:53 am

      Hi, Savannah. Bummer that my recipe didn’t work out for you, but I’m glad you’ve had success with other recipes. I’d suggest stick with those. And as for filling, my lemon buttercream is nice and zesty and adds plenty lemon flavor. But I love adding lemon curd in the middle too! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for sharing your feedback.

      Reply
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