It's a balmy 35 degrees here in Muk town (insert sarcasm) and I have lemon on the brain. Specifically, the best lemon macarons recipe with a lavender buttercream frosting! These make me focus on warmer spring days and the time change that is ensuing tonight! I keep on telling myself , it will be warmer soon, it will be warmer soon!
Nonetheless, anyone that knows me well, knows that I LOATHE wintertime! Shoveling, hats, gloves, boots and the forbidden white death that falls! So that is why making macarons was the perfect ticket to cure these colds day blues!.
A light and tart lemon macaron piped with a refreshing lavender buttercream frosting. Almost too pretty to eat! However, they make the perfect springtime dessert! And the pastel colors remind me of Easter, which is only a few weeks away!
Ingredients
Macarons are a lot of work, but don't use a lot of ingredients. These lemon macarons with lavender buttercream frosting are refreshing and the combination works well.
- Almond flour
- Confectioner's sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg whites
- Cream of Tartar
- Lemon Extract
- Meyer lemon zest
- Culinary lavender
Tips and tricks
I have experimented with macarons on several occasions and have had a ton of scream ups! However, if you follow these tips and tricks, you are sure to get the perfect macaron!
- BE SURE to measure and weigh your ingredients on a food scale. It will determine if your macarons will come out perfectly.
- Sift dry ingredients so there are no lumps left.
- Mixer bowl should be grease free, your egg whites will not reach stiff peaks if any oil residue is left in the bowl. If you are not sure, clean bowl out with lemon juice or vinegar.
- It is not necessary to age egg whites, however, I do prefer that they are room temperature as they mix better.
- DO not over mix the macaron batter, you are folding it, not mixing it.
How to make lemon macarons
Making macarons is not a super long process, but it is okay if you make mistakes. I have made plenty of them. You have to be precise when making them.
- Prepare baking sheets and mats: Prepare two baking sheets with two macaron mats. Set aside.
- Pulse and sift dry ingredients: In a food processor, pulse almond flour, confectioner's sugar and lemon zest until it is a fine mixture. Next, sift into a bowl until about 2 tablespoon of almond flour are left. Discard the rest.
- Make meringue: In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk egg white on medium, slowly adding in the sugar and cream of tartar. Mix until stiff peaks form (6-7 minutes). Add in the food coloring and lemon extract and mix until combined.
- Fold dry ingredients into meringue: Add dry ingredients into the meringue. Gently fold with a silicon spatula by pressing the meringue on the side of the bowl to deflate. Scoop from the bottom during the folding process until the meringue is smooth and shiny. To test if the batter is ready, create a figure 8 in the batter and if it relaxes back into itself within 10-15 seconds, it is ready.
- Transfer batter and pipe: Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1 inch round piping tip. Pipe the batter onto the macaron mat circles. Rap the baking sheet on the counter a couple of times to release air bubbles that may have gotten trapped. Let the shells dry for 30-45 minutes or until a skin forms on top.
- Preheat oven, bake and make buttercream: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the shell easily peels away from the mat. Add lavender buttercream frosting into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream until you have the right consistency and color for piping. Once shells have cooled, pipe the frosting in between two shells. Serve and enjoy!
Variations and substitutions
- Try a raspberry or strawberry buttercream frosting in the center
- You can make your own almond flour and substitute for the store bought if you are feeling adventurous
- Substitute almond flour for pumpkin flour to make the macarons nut free
FAQ's
The best way to flavor a french macaron shell is with dried flavorings such as zest from limes, lemons, and oranges.
Any type of frosting, jam, filling or cream cheese.
Lemon macarons recipe
Equipment
- Food processor
- Stand mixer fitted with paddle and whisk attachment
- Baking sheet
- Macaron silicon mat
- Silicon Spatula
- Piping bag with 1 inch round tip
Ingredients
Lemon macarons
- 130 g almond flour
- 130 g confectioner's sugar
- 4 tablespoon lemon zest 1 meyer lemon
- 100 g egg whites 3 large eggs
- 90 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- yellow food coloring
Lavender Buttercream frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2½ cups confectioner's sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoon dried culinary lavender
- violet food coloring
Instructions
Lemon Macarons
- Line two baking sheets with macaron mats. Prepare the piping bag with a 1 inch round piping tip. Set aside.
- Using a food processor, pulse almond flour, confectioner's sugar, and meyer lemon zest into a fine powder mixture. Sift several times until there is little to no almond bits left.
- In a bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add in the egg whites, granulated sugar and cream of tartar. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (6-7 minutes). Drop in the yellow food coloring and add lemon extract and mix an additional minute.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the meringue. Fold with a silicon spatula and deflate the meringue by pressing it against the side of the bowl. Scoop the batter from the bottom until it is a smooth and shiny consistency (20-25 folds). Draw a figure eight with the spatula and if it folds back into itself within 15 seconds, batter is ready to be piped.
- Put batter into the piping bag and pipe rings onto silicon macaron mats. Rap the baking sheets a couple of times on the counter to release any air bubbles trapped in the batter. Let the shells dry for 30-45 minutes or until a skin forms on the top. Preheat oven to 300°.
- Bake the shells for 15-20 minutes or until the shells harden. Be sure to rotate the baking sheets half way through baking. The shells should easily peel off the silicon mat. Let them cool completely on the mats before removing.
Lavender buttercream frosting
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter, confectioner's sugar, heavy cream and culinary lavender on high until combined well and fluffy. Add in only a small amount of the purple food coloring to get desired color. Pipe frosting in between two macaron shells. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Lemon desserts and macarons
Fun fact of the day!
Chocolate discharges the same chemical into your body that is produced when you start falling in love.
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