Lemon Meringue Macarons

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5 from 5 ratings

Lemon Meringue Macarons

These lemon meringue macarons are perfect for summer! They're filled with tart lemon curd and sweet, toasted meringue.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Additional Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Macarons

Cuisine: French

Servings: 24 macarons

Calories: 168kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Macarons Shells

110 g aged egg whites; SAVE 2 OF THE EGG YOLKS TO MAKE THE LEMON CURD BELOW
1/4 tsp cream of tartar - optional
110 g granulated sugar 1/2 cup + 2 tsp
140 g superfine almond flour - blanched 1 1/2 cups
125 g powdered sugar 1 cup
yellow gel food coloring

Lemon Curd

100 g granulated sugar 1/2 cup
5 g lemon zest - zest of 1 large lemon 1 tbsp
40 g large egg yolks 2 egg yolks
60 g lemon juice - juice of large lemon 1/4 cup
56 g butter unsalted, cold, and cut into Tbsp-sized pieces 1/4 cup

Swiss Meringue

70 g large egg whites, room temperature 2 large egg whites
100 g granulated sugar 1/2 cup
10 g vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 2 tsp

Equipment

Instructions

Yellow Macaron Shells

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats. Set aside.
Pour 110g of aged egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk and mix on medium speed until the surface of the egg whites is covered in small bubbles. Add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and continue to mix until it reaches the soft peak stage and leaves visible tracks.
Gradually mix 110g of granulated sugar into the egg whites over a few minutes while mixing on a medium-low speed. Increase the mixing speed to a medium-high speed (6 on a KitchenAid). Keep mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Sift 140g of superfine almond flour and 125g of powdered sugar into the meringue. Use a rubber spatula to break up any big clumps and press them through the sieve.
Add in a small squirt of yellow gel food coloring to give the shells a light-yellow color.
Fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pulls through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together. Don't forget to scrape off the inside of the spatula intermittently. Sometimes meringue can get stuck there and not get mixed in properly.
Fold the batter until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it's lifted. You should be able to draw a couple of figure 8s with the batter running off your spatula in a continuous stream when it's the right consistency. If the stream of batter breaks before you're able to do this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds on the prepared baking sheets. Space them about 1 inch apart.
Bang the pans firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick.
Let the macarons rest for 30 minutes, or until they develop a skin. The macarons should look matte once the skin has formed. While the macarons rest, preheat the oven to 320 F / 160 C.
Bake one tray of macarons at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 18-21 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through to help the macarons bake evenly. Bake time can vary based on the size of your shells, so if you pipe them smaller than 1 1/2 inches, they may be done a few minutes earlier.
Remove the macaron shells from the oven and let them cool fully on the pan (about 30 minutes), then gently peel them off the Silpat mat. If they're properly baked, they should peel off the mat cleanly and have a shiny bottom.

Lemon Curd

Make the lemon curd next! It needs time to cool and thicken. If you don't want to make lemon curd, you can use store-bought lemon curd.
Add 100g of sugar into a small saucepan. Zest 1 large lemon into the saucepan and massage the zest into the sugar with your fingertips. This helps release the oil in the zest and gives this curd a bright, citrusy flavor.
Add in 2 egg yolks and whisk the mixture together until it becomes lighter in color. Then mix in 60g of lemon juice.
Heat on medium-low, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens and just starts to bubble.
Remove the pan from heat, then add 56g cold butter that's been cut into smaller pieces. Mix until the butter is fully melted, and the ingredients are combined.
Pour the lemon curd through a fine mesh strainer into a separate bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg, zest, or lemon seeds. This gives it a perfectly smooth texture! Set aside to cool. If you make the curd in advance, cover it flush with plastic wrap to prevent it from forming a skin and store it in the fridge for up to a month.

Swiss Meringue

While the macaron shells bake and cool, make the Swiss meringue. I like to make it right before I fill the macarons so that it keeps its shape.
In a medium-sized pot, add about 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer.
Add 70g of egg whites and 100g of granulated sugar into a large metal bowl.
Place the bowl on top of the pot filled with simmering water. The bowl should create a seal over the pot. Make sure the water isn’t actually touching the bottom of the bowl, or it can cook the egg whites.
Whisk the mixture constantly for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until it reaches 160°F / 71°C. You can test the mixture to see if it’s ready by rubbing a tiny bit between your fingertips. The sugar should be fully dissolved, and it should feel super smooth and hot to the touch.
Lift the bowl away from the pot and dry the bottom with a towel. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and add 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Beat on a medium-high speed with a whisk attachment for about 10 minutes, or until you have stiff, glossy peaks.
Place the meringue in a small piping bag with a small French piping tip or snip an opening that is about 1 cm wide. Seal the top of the bag with a rubber band or clip.

Assembling These Lemon Meringue Macarons

Pair up the shells, then pipe small dollops of Swiss meringue around one macaron shell. Fill the center with lemon curd.
Gently press a second shell on top of the filling to create a sandwich, then carefully use a kitchen blow torch to toast the meringue filling. It's ok if the sides of the shell get a little bit toasted too.
Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight. When you're ready to enjoy these macarons, take them out of the fridge and let them sit out for about 15 minutes before eating them to let them come to room temperature.

Video

Notes

Recipe Yield

This recipe makes about 48 macaron shells, which can be used to make 24 macarons. You can double or half this recipe if needed.

The yield and bake time can vary based on how large you pipe your shells. I piped these shells with a diameter of 1 1/2 inches, so they're about the size of a standard macaron.

Tips for Making the Best Lemon Meringue Macarons

Measure the ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale! You really need to be precise with this recipe. Your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.

Separate your own eggs and age them if possible! Do not use egg whites from a carton.
Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it's good to know your game plan before you start!
Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
FIRMLY bang the pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This helps release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevent cracked or hollow shells.
Rest the macarons for 30 minutes before they're baked to allow them to develop a skin.
Let the filled macarons mature in the fridge overnight! This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
If your macarons don't turn out, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide for help!

Making These Lemon Meringue Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips

I don't recommend making the Swiss meringue filling in advance. It will lose its shape as it sits.

However, the lemon curd filling can also be made ahead of time, or you can save any leftover filling! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

These macarons need to mature overnight in the fridge before being eaten. This gives them time to develop the best texture and taste.

Filled macarons can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.

Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container.

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