Here is a recipe for lemon macarons filled with a lemon cream (I took my inspiration from the blog La cuisine de Bernard for the lemon cream). These macarons were made with a French meringue. There are two schools of thought when it comes to macarons: some pastry chefs prefer to make an Italian meringue, others a French meringue. I’ve tested both methods and each has its advantages and drawbacks. I can only encourage you to try them too and find the recipe that suits you best.
If you’re a macaron fan (or if you dream of unlocking their mystery), you’ll find on the blog the detailed step-by-step guide to making macaron shells with a French meringue. If you prefer the Italian meringue, you’ll also find that recipe step by step. And finally, if you head to the “macarons” section of the blog, you’ll find dozens of very different recipes (and even some fun macarons that children are sure to love) 🙂
Ingredients & preparation
3 components · Complete recipe
Shells
Ingredients
- 70 g (2.5 oz) egg whites
- 140 g (4.9 oz) icing sugar
- 80 g (2.8 oz) ground almonds
- 20 g (0.7 oz) caster sugar
- yellow food colouring
Instructions
1
Blitz the icing sugar and ground almonds together, then sift the mixture.
2
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the caster sugar in 2 stages and whisking at maximum speed to achieve the “bird’s beak” consistency. Add a touch of yellow food colouring and mix a little more. I use powder food colouring and add just the tip of a knife. Gradually fold in the almond/icing sugar mixture using a rubber spatula. The batter should be shiny, smooth and fall back in a ribbon. Once the right consistency is reached, transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Don’t hesitate to use a large glass to prop up your piping bag — that way you can use both hands.
3
Pipe small domes of approximately 3.5 cm (1.4 in) in a staggered pattern onto a sheet of parchment paper. To get even macarons, I use a template downloaded from Pure Gourmandise. Leave to form a skin for around 20 minutes.
4
Bake at 120°C / 250°F for 20–22 minutes. Once out of the oven, leave to cool before lifting the shells off the parchment. The shells are done when they come off very easily.
Step by step
Not quite comfortable with macaron shells yet? I’ve put together two full step-by-step picture guides to help you get it right every time:
Lemon Cream
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 55 g (1.9 oz) sugar
- 75 g (2.6 oz) butter
- 85 g (3 oz) lemon juice
- zest of half a lemon
- 20 g (0.7 oz) ground almonds
- 7.5 g (0.3 oz) cornstarch
- 1/2 sheet of gelatine
Instructions
1
Juice the lemons.
2
Soak the gelatine sheet in cold water.
3
Zest one lemon and add the zest to the juice.
4
Mix the egg, cornstarch and sugar together in a bowl.
5
Add the lemon juice and pour everything into a saucepan over a low heat. When the mixture begins to thicken and bubble, remove from the heat and add the squeezed gelatine sheet. Mix well.
6
Add the butter cut into pieces. Once all the butter has been incorporated (by melting), add the ground almonds.
7
Leave the cream to cool.
Assembly
Ingredients
- None
Instructions
1
Sort your macaron shells so that the ones you pair together are the same size.
2
Place a small dollop of lemon cream in the centre of one shell and sandwich the two halves together.
3
Refrigerate the macarons and wait 24 to 48 hours before eating them. The macarons should spend the first night in an uncovered container (to prevent them from becoming damp), then close the container and keep in the fridge for a further 24 hours. They’ll only be better for it.
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