Lemon Macarons with Lemon Curd
Lemon macarons made with the Swiss meringue method and filled with homemade lemon curd and cream cheese frosting!
It’s week 3 of Macaron Month on Baran Bakery and I’m sharing one of my favorite flavors with you all! Lemon macarons with homemade lemon curd and cream cheese frosting. & make sure to stick around because I’ll use this same recipe to show you how to make a macaron cake!
Lemon is my favorite dessert flavor and some of my other favorite lemon recipes are: lemon white chocolate cookies, brown butter lemon cinnamon rolls, and lemon poppy seed cheesecake.
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How to make lemon macarons
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a detailed post on how I make my French macarons. There are three different basic methods of making them and it seems like everyone has their own personal tips and tricks so make sure to check out my Vanilla Macaron post for detailed steps and process shots.
These lemon macarons are made very similar to the vanilla ones but I use only half the vanilla extract and add lemon extract and yellow food coloring. The combination of the vanilla and the lemon flavor together are just heavenly so don’t skimp on that!
What filling to use for lemon macarons
I was tempted to make a french lemon buttercream filling for my macarons, since I have so many egg yolks left over, however today I changed it up a bit. Obviously, we need lemon curd to make these babies extra lemony and indulgent but we also needed a border to keep the lemon curd in the center.
I debated between white chocolate ganache and cream cheese frosting and decided on the cream cheese frosting. Macarons are already super sweet to begin with so I thought the tang of the cream cheese would balance that nicely.
How to make homemade lemon curd
Homemade lemon curd is pretty simple to make, however, I feel like everyone has their own favorite version of it. Some people like it more buttery, some like it more sweet or more sour and some like every version.
I’m like this with almost everything, I don’t like to taste “one” thing. I don’t want it buttery, I don’t want it eggy, I don’t want it too sweet or too sour, I just want it to taste like the perfect balance, lol. So this is my favorite version, which I hope will also be your new favorite as well.
It’s super easy to make. Just combine all the ingredients and stir over low-medium heat for about five minutes and then press it through a sieve to make sure it’s nice and smooth.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Extra Tips & Tricks
- 100% recommend a scale for measuring ingredients (except the egg whites, I use 3 large and it’s usually +/- 5 grams, which is fine).
- Once you stiff peaks in your meringue, don’t over whip.
- There is no perfect number of how many folds are needed to get the right batter but there is a technique. In the step-by-step photos, you’ll see how I use a firm rubber spatula to push the batter against the edge of the pan and then scrape it back off the edge. I repeat that process until it ribbons into a figure 8 without breaking. The intention here is to push out the air bubbles so that you don’t have hollow or cracking macarons.
- When you go to pipe the macarons, I usually have a slight “nipple” on them right away but it should disappear or be very faint after rapping the tray on the counter a few times. If it doesn’t go away, dab your finger into water and then gently press the nipple down and it’ll flatten. Remember this for next time, because the batter probably just needed a couple more folds.
- If you’re having trouble and have tried it a few times, I recommend an oven thermometer. If your oven is off even 10 degrees it can change the results.
- I use a convection oven (with a fan) so I don’t find the need to rotate them in the oven halfway through baking but if they’re browning on one side more than the other, you can rotate them 7 or 8 minutes into baking.
- Don’t try to remove them from the pan right away, they can break. Allow them to cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes.
How To Store Macarons
Macarons are best served at room temperature or slightly chilled, after they’ve rested for a few hours or overnight. Make sure to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You can also freeze them for up to a couple months. To freeze them, place them tightly in an airtight container and then place the container in a freezer bag, squeezing out all of the excess air.
If you have any questions, comment down below and if you make these lemon macarons, make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram. Remember that practice makes perfect with these babies and they’re edible even when they’re ugly! As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
i love this recipe, it worked out great! One thing i will say is measure by weight when you do it and you don’t need a full figure eight, in my experience the batter turns out too runny that way. The batter should move like lava and be able to fall in a ribbon-like form when picked up with a spatula!
Hi,
I’ve tried this recipe a couple times and they taste delicious but the batter never turns out and the cookies end up wonky. For some reason it ends up too think like bread dough and I cannot get a figure 8. Do you have any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Hi Mika, did you change any part of the recipe and are you measuring by weight?