Lemon Macarons

I bought this wavy serving dish at a local thrift shop years ago, but here’s a similar dish on Amazon.

Key Ingredients:

Measure the macaron ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale. This intentional step leaves no wiggle room for error, maximizing your success!

For the macaron shells:

• Almond flour – Use high-quality fine almond flour, preferably freshly opened package. Old almond flour tend to be oily, causing issues like, thin wrinkly shells. Also, if it smells rancid instead of nutty, toss it and buy a new bag.
• Powdered sugar is another crucial ingredient. And I highly recommend store-bought one, as they have cornstarch mixed in.
• Egg whites – You don’t need to age egg whites for making macarons. Both freshly cracked egg whites and carton egg whites work perfectly fine.
• Cream of tartar – The dry acid is totally optional, but it helps to stabilize your meringue. Stable meringue is the foundation of beautiful macarons. If you don’t have cream of tartar, simply omit it.
• Granulated sugar – Super fine sugar quickly dissolves into the egg whites to create a thick and silky foam. The sugar stabilizes the tiny air bubbles for a sturdy meringue.
• Lemon zest & juice – I highly recommend using a whole lemon.

For the lemon buttercream:

• Unsalted butter – Room temperature buttercream is crucial for fluffy texture!
• Powdered sugar – Thickens and sweetens the buttercream! Powdered sugar is finer than white sugar for a smooth and silky frosting.
• Salt is the secret to well balanced flavor!

How to make this recipe:

Follow this lemon macaron recipe exactly for perfect macarons! Resist the urge to skip steps or substitute ingredients.

1. Make the meringue

Beautiful macarons start with a sturdy meringue!

1. Slowly whisk the egg whites until foamy and stir in salt and cream of tartar.
2. Then slowly add granulated sugar, a tablespoon at a time, while whisking the meringue until it reaches soft peaks.
3. Add lemon juice and yellow food coloring and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Check the meringue. You want to see a nice defined ridges as pictured below. Add lemon zest and beat for about 30 seconds to incorporate it.

2. Make the macaron batter

1. Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar 3 times. Third time, you may sift it directly into the meringue.
2. Then using a large silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. Run your spatula down the side of the bowl to the bottom, and then cut through the center of the batter. You don’t have to be too gently, but also don’t rush through the process.
3. When the batter flows of the spatula, start testing the batter. Scoop some batter with your spatula and slowly drop it back into the bowl into a ribbon.
4. Slightly tilt the bowl and observe the batter that you just dropped. If the edges of the ribbon dissolve into the rest of the batter within ten seconds, the batter is ready!

3. Shape and bake the macarons

1. Transfer the batter into a large piping bag with a round tip. ( I prefer Wilton 2A tip.)
2. Pipe the macarons onto parchment-lined baking sheet about an inch apart. Hold the piping bag straight at 90°. Then gently squeeze the batter from the top until the batter spreads into a 1.5-inch circle. (TIP: Download my FREE macaron template.)
3. Once all the batter is piped, tap the sheet pans onto the counter to remove any air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop any bigger bubbles. This will give you beautiful, smooth tops! Let the macarons rest and form a thin skin on top.
4. Bake the macarons at 300°F (conventional, top and bottom heat) for about 18 minutes, one sheet at a time.
5. Let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet before peeling them off the parchment paper.

4. Make lemon buttercream:

While the lemon French macarons bake and cool, make the lemon buttercream.

1. In a bowl with the whisk attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until well combined. Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag.

5. Fill and mature the macarons:

1. Once the macaron shells are completely cooled, carefully peel them off the parchment paper and pair the shells by size.
2. Pipe a dollop of buttercream on one shell and place the second shell on top. Gently squeeze so the filling reaches the edges.
3. Arrange the filled macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate for 24 hour to mature.
4. Once macarons are matured, bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes and enjoy!

Macaron Tips for Success:

• Be sure to use gel food coloring, excess liquid can mess up the meringue!
• Don’t over-mix the macaron batter. Over-mixed batter is runny and shells won’t hold its shape. Check the consistency often!
• French macarons taste the best 1-2 days after making them. This process is also called maturing.
• For more macaron tips, check out my Macaron Masterclass page.

Make-Ahead Tips:

Since macarons taste better on day two, making them ahead is preferred. You can store them ready-to-eat or ready-to-fill.

• Refrigerate the filled macarons for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• You can freeze filled macarons for up to 3-6 months. (3 months tops, if you’re selling macarons. And if you’re consuming yourself, you can freeze for up to 6 months.)
• You can also freeze plain shells and fill them later, as needed. Lemon pairs well with vanilla, blueberry, and pistachio buttercream.

Storing Tips:

• Store the filled macarons in a dry, airtight container. If there’s any moisture, it will transfer to the macarons and make them soggy.
• Remove the macarons from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. Macarons are best at room temperature!
• Don’t store these delicate cookies in bags. They are more likely to crack or break this way.

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