Lemon Macarons

Macarons are a special thing, aren't they?  These little beauties have taken the internet by storm.  Before visiting France, I thought they were tasty and fun, but I have been quite obsessed since we have returned.  I guess I am just missing my #landenspastryoftheday.  So today I am sharing a few photos of my latest creation. These lemon macarons are tasty, light and intensely flavorful. Perfect for that upcoming backyard dinner you are hosting, or the fancy picnic you are going to.  

Also, if you are nervous about making macarons, Adam and I are filming a how-to video early next week and will post that for you soon, so be on the look-out for that!

Macarons can be finicky and generally turn out more consistently if you weigh your ingredients.  Because of this, I haven't give you the volume measurements for the cookie part.  Just use a scale.  Your mouth will thank me when your macarons turn out perfectly.  

Lemon Macarons: 
Adapted from Le Grand Manuel Du Patissier
makes about 40 cookies

80 grams of water
125 grams of white sugar
100 grams of egg white, at room temperature and divided
125 grams of almond flour (or grind up slivered almonds in a food processor until they are a powder and sift them through a mesh strainer until you have removed all the large chunks)
125 games of powdered sugar
5 or 6 drops of yellow food coloring

Begin by putting the water and the white sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. With a candy thermometer in the mixture, stir the mixture a few times with a whisk.  As it begins to heat, quickly put 50 grams of your room temperature egg whites in a stand mixer and let the mixer whip your egg whites to soft peaks.

While your mixer is whipping your egg whites, go back to your saucepan and whisk your sugar mixture constantly.  When this mixture has reached 240° F and has formed a clear syrup,  pull it off the heat, and add it to your soft peaks. (If you don't have a stand mixture,  mix your egg whites with beaters first until they form soft peaks, and then heat up your water and sugar.  When the sugar mixture is at 240°F, turn your beaters back on and pour the sugar mixture in with the egg whites.  Mix until the egg whites are quite stiff)

Once you have added the sugar mixture to your egg whites, let the mixer run until the peaks are stiff.  Meanwhile, take your almond flour, powdered sugar, and remaining 50 grams of egg white and put them in a medium bowl.  Add your food coloring and mix them all together until they form an even batter.  Add the stiff egg whites and carefully mix in with a rubber spatula until the batter runs smoothly off your spatula.

Prepare a baking sheet by topping with wax paper.  On the wax paper, draw small circles (about 1 1/2" in circumference) about an inch apart.  Fill a ziplock bag with the batter and cut a hole in one of the bottom corners.  Carefully dispense enough batter to fill each of the circles.  Start with a smaller amount of batter in the center, because the batter does spread some, and you want to stay in the lines of the circles.

Cook in a preheated oven at 300° F for about 10 minutes, checking through the window to see how they look.  If they still look a little wet, or the feet have not formed (the little crinkly part at the bottom of the each cookie), leave them in for another few minutes.  Mine needed about 15-18 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.  Remove the wax paper from the pan and let cool another 10 minutes or so. Once they are cool, match two cookies up and prepare your lemon filling.

Lemon Buttercream Filling: 

1/8 cup softened butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 - 5 drops of yellow food coloring (start small and add more if you need it)

Place butter in the food processor and mix until smooth.  Slowly add the powdered sugar.  Add lemon juice and scrape the sides of the bowl a few times until you have a thick, smooth filling.

Once the cookies are cooled and ready to be filled, place filling in a ziplock bag, cut a small hole in the bottom corner, and pipe out the filling in a circle around the edge of one of your two cookies, fill in the circle and place the second cookie on top of the cookie with filling and gently press together.  Feel intensely satisfied that you made macarons.  Also, know I am VERY proud of you!!!