Meyer Lemon French Macarons
When citrus is abundant at Tucson CSA, I am inspired by my love for both French macarons and Meyer lemons to make these Meyer Lemon French Macarons. They require a bit of foresight and a bit of time, but they’re the best addition to (and star of) any cookie platter.
Ingredients
Macaroon Shells
- 200 Grams Confectioners Sugar
- 100 Grams almond flour
- 120 Grams Egg Whites at room temperature*
- 1/8 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 40 Grams fine granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
Meyer Lemon Buttercream Filling
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter at room temperature
- 2 Cups Confectioners Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Meyer lemon juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Meyer lemon zest
Directions
- Place the egg whites in a bowl and allow them to “age” on the countertop for a few hours or over night.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour until there are no clumps and the mixture is smooth.
- Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat aged egg whites and salt together on low for one minute. Increase the speed to high and beat for 2-3 minutes, or just until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the lemon zest into the whipped egg whites.
- Being careful not to deflate the egg whites, gently and slowly fold the granulated sugar into the egg whites one tablespoon at a time.
- Once the granulated sugar has been folded into the batter, gently fold half of the confectioners’ sugar/almond flour mixture into the batter. Do the same thing with the remaining confectioners’ sugar/almond flour mixture. The batter should be the consistency of pancake batter and feel very sticky.
- Allow the batter to rest in the bowl for 30 minutes.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. Spoon the batter into a pastry bag with a small round tip. Pipe the batter into circles 1-inch in diameter, ensuring that each shell is an inch apart.
- Allow the unbaked shells to rest for another 45 minutes to ensure that the tops of the shells harden.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Bake the macaron shells one tray at a time for eight minutes, turning the tray halfway through the baking process to ensure even coloring and consistency.
- While the shells are cooling, make the filling.
- Cream butter, confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and zest for 3-4 minutes until it becomes a fluffy frosting.
- Place one teaspoon of filling between every two macaron shells and gently press the shells together to finish the process!
*Note: Use your leftover egg yolks to make these Soft Meyer Lemon Cookies!