French Lemon Macarons

French macarons are light, airy, crunchy, and satisfying. These bright and cheerful lemon macarons use real lemon juice and zest to ensure a healthy ‘zing’ with every bite! Be careful to not over mix the macaron batter, or the cookies won’t get their traditional rise. Experiment with different fillings and flavors!

Cuisine

European, French

Course

Dessert

Difficulty

Medium

Duration

65 Minutes

Diet

Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Cooking Technique

Bake

Keywords

20 - 24 servings, 65 minutes, bake, confections, cook 20 min, dessert, egg whites, european, french, french desserts, gluten free, Instant Pot Culinary Team, juiced and zested, lemon, lemon zested, medium, pastries, patisserie, powdered sugar, prep 45 min, salt, super fine almond flour, unsalted butter room temperature, vegetarian, white sugar, yellow food coloring

Prep Time

45 min

Cook Time

20 min

Servings

20 - 24 Servings

Ingredients

3 egg whites
3 tbsp white sugar
1 ½ c powdered sugar
1 c super fine almond flour
1 lemon zested
Yellow food coloring
8 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
2 c powdered sugar
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Add the egg whites to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Blend on speed 8 for 1 minute, or until egg whites are frothy. Turn the speed to 2 and slowly pour in the white sugar. Bring the speed back up to level 8 and whisk until stiff peaks form, and the meringue is glossy and shiny.
Add 2-3 food coloring drops at a time until the desired color has been reached.
In a food processor, pulse together the almond flour and powdered sugar until smooth, ensuring no clumps.
Add half of the almond flour mixture and gently mix into the meringue until incorporated. Fold the remaining almond flour mixture into the batter, careful not to deflate the meringue. The batter should be runny enough to pipe, but not too loose it loses its shape. To test, scoop some batter onto your spatula and make a figure 8. If the batter falls in a consistent drip to create the 8 but does not lose shape, then it’s the perfect consistency.
Scoop all the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1-inch circle tip. Line your baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, or parchment paper. Pipe equal sized circles onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 ½ inches away from each other.
Tap the baking sheet on the counter several times to eliminate any remaining air bubbles.
Bake in the prepared oven for 18 – 20 Minutes, or until the tops of the shells are hardened. Allow the macarons to cool on the silicone baking mat before removing.
While the macarons are baking, prepare the buttercream. Add the butter to the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip the butter until smooth and creamy on level 8 for 3 minutes. Turn the speed to level 2 and slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Bring the speed back up to level 8 and whip for an additional 2 minutes.
Using a small spatula or spoon, spread a teaspoon of buttercream on the bottom of a macaron, and fit together with another to make a sandwich. Continue until all shells are filled. Store in airtight containers.