Description
Bright, zesty, and irresistibly elegant, these lemon macarons deliver the perfect mix of crisp shells and creamy citrus filling. A bite of sunshine you can make at home, these delicate cookies are perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 large egg whites (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Food coloring (optional)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
- Sift almond flour and powdered sugar into a bowl and set aside.
- Whip egg whites until foamy, then gradually add granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the almond flour mixture into the whipped egg whites gently until the texture resembles slow-flowing lava.
- Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and optional food coloring until smooth and uniform.
- Pipe small circles of batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets and let rest for 30 minutes until a skin forms.
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) and bake for 16–18 minutes. Cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.
- For the filling, beat butter until fluffy, then mix in confectioners’ sugar and lemon extract until smooth.
- Pair cooled shells and fill with lemon buttercream. Press gently to seal each macaron.
Notes
For an extra punch of lemon flavor, try adding lemon curd to the filling. Always ensure shells are fully cooled before assembling. Experiment with citrus variations like lime or orange for fun twists.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 macaron
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
Keywords: lemon macarons, citrus dessert, french cookies, meringue, almond flour