I want to be honest with you right up front: macarons have humbled me more than any other cookie. I made these macarons with vanilla buttercream and lemon curd with my daughter, Ellie. Even though I have visited and watched two professional bakeries make them on Taste Buds With Stephanie, I’ve made cracked ones, hollow ones, flat ones, and one tragic batch that looked like it’d been stepped on by a moose. For a long time, I thought macarons were something you bought at a pretty little bakery and didn’t attempt at home, like cutting your own bangs. Then my daughter Ellie made me the most gorgeous macarons for Christmas one year.
Looking for other great cookie recipes? Try these
- Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Brownie Chocolate Chip
- Oatmeal Cookies
- Rhubarb Cookies
- Apple Cookies with frosting
But here’s the thing. Once you understand why macarons do what they do, they stop feeling like a magic trick and start feeling like a recipe. These macarons with vanilla buttercream and lemon curd are the batch that made me a believer. The shells are sunshine yellow with a whisper of lemon, and the filling is a ring of vanilla bean cream cheese buttercream with a little pocket of tart lemon curd tucked in the center. You bite in, and you get that chewy shell, the creamy frosting, and then a bright pop of lemon. Kurt ate four standing at the counter and then pretended he’d only had one.
They’re perfect for bridal showers, Easter, Mother’s Day, or any time you want to feel a little fancy in the middle of a Minnesota winter.
Why This Recipe Works
Cream of tartar stabilizes the meringue. Macarons live or die by the egg whites. Cream of tartar helps the whites whip up strong and stay that way while you fold in the dry ingredients.
Sifting (and grinding) the almond flour gives you smooth tops. Lumpy almond flour means bumpy shells. Sifting it with the powdered sugar and pulsing it in a food processor first gives you that glossy, smooth finish.
Resting the piped shells creates the “feet.” Letting the macarons dry until they form a skin forces the air to escape out the bottom as they bake, which creates those signature ruffled feet.
Cream cheese buttercream balances the sweetness. Macaron shells are sweet. A little cream cheese in the filling adds tang and keeps these from tasting like pure sugar, and the lemon curd center brings the brightness.
Ingredients
For the Macaron Shells
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 4 drops yellow gel food coloring
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
For the Vanilla Bean Buttercream and Lemon Curd Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 1 vanilla bean pod
- 3 tablespoons lemon curd (homemade or store-bought)
Instructions
Make the macaron shells
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat silicone mats and set them aside.
- Add the room-temperature egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high for 30 seconds. Add the salt, cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract.
- Once the egg whites turn foamy, slowly add the granulated sugar and the yellow gel food coloring. Beat for another 4 to 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour and powdered sugar, then sift the mixture so there are no lumps. Don’t skip this step. For even smoother shells, pulse the almond flour in a food processor until it’s very fine before sifting (optional, but worth it).
- Transfer the whipped egg whites to a large bowl and add 1/3 of the almond flour mixture. Use a large rubber spatula to gently fold it in. Continue adding the dry mixture 1/3 at a time, folding until you have a smooth, glossy batter. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fill a piping bag with the batter and pipe 1-inch mounds onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 to 2 inches between each one since they’ll spread a little.
- Firmly tap the baking sheets on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Let the piped macarons rest for 30 to 50 minutes, until they’re no longer tacky to the touch and have formed a skin.
- Bake at 300°F for 14 to 15 minutes. Slide the parchment or mat off the baking sheet right away so the bottoms don’t keep cooking. Once completely cool, gently release the shells with a thin spatula.
Make the filling and assemble
- Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
- Split the vanilla bean pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the bowl.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then the milk, and beat until light and fluffy.
- Match up your shells in pairs of similar size.
- Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of one shell, spoon a small dab of lemon curd into the center, and gently press a second shell on top.
Tips for Perfect Lemon Macarons
Age your egg whites if you can. Separate them the night before and let them come to room temperature. Room-temperature whites whip higher and more reliably than cold ones.
Use gel coloring, not liquid. Liquid food coloring adds moisture that can throw off your batter. A few drops of gel gives you color without the risk.
Know when to stop folding. Your batter is ready when it flows off the spatula in a thick ribbon and the ribbon sinks back into the batter within about 10 seconds. Undermixed batter makes peaky, lumpy shells. Overmixed batter spreads flat.
Don’t rush the rest. On a humid summer day at the cabin, the skin can take closer to an hour to form. If the tops are still sticky, wait.
Keep the lemon curd in the middle. If the curd touches the edges, it can make the shells soggy. The buttercream ring acts like a little dam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my macarons hollow?
Hollow macarons are usually caused by overwhipped or underwhipped meringue, or an oven temperature that’s too high. An inexpensive oven thermometer helps a lot, since many home ovens run hot.
Why did my macarons crack?
Cracked tops usually mean the macarons didn’t rest long enough to form a skin, or there were air bubbles trapped in the batter. Tap the pans firmly after piping and wait until the tops are dry to the touch before baking.
Why don’t my macarons have feet?
No feet usually means the batter was overmixed or the shells weren’t rested long enough. The skin that forms during resting pushes the rising air out the bottom, which is what creates the feet.
Can I use store-bought lemon curd?
Yes. A good-quality jarred lemon curd works beautifully here, and you only need 3 tablespoons.
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
It’s best to use blanched almond flour. Almond meal is made with the skins on and is coarser, which gives you speckled, bumpy shells.
How do I store lemon macarons?
Store filled macarons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
Can you freeze macarons?
Yes. Filled macarons freeze well for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw them in the refrigerator, then bring them to room temperature before serving.
Macarons with vanilla buttercream and lemon curd
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Macaron
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 4 drops yellow gel food coloring
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
Vanilla Buttercream with Lemon Curd Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon milk
- 1 vanilla bean pod
- 3 Tbsp lemon curd*
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat silicone mats and set them aside.
- Add 4 room-temperature egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high speed for 30 seconds then add a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon lemon exttract.
- Once the egg whites begin to get foamy, slowly add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1-2 drops of yellow food coloring. Beat for another 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, premix and stir, then sift 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour and 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and mix to combine. Do not skip the sifting step as you want to fully incorporate the almond flour and sugar with no lumps.
- Add the whisked egg whites to a large bowl, then add 1/3 of the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites. Continue folding 1/3 of the mixture at a time until all you get a smooth batter being careful not to overmix
- Fill your piping bag with the batter and pipe out 1-inch mounds of the macaron batter onto your prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave 1-2 inches between each piped macaron since they will continue to spread a little and let all macarons dry for 30-50 minutes until they are no longer tacky and are set and have a "skin"
- Bake at 300 for 14-15 minutes, then slide them off the baking sheet to cool so they don't continue cooking on the bottom. After they have cooled, carefully release them from the Silpat with a spatula
To Make the Buttercream and Assemble the Macaron
- Add 1/2 cup unsalted softened butter, 2 ounces softened cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, the beans from one vanilla pod to a large bowl and mix until light and creamy
- Fill your piping bag with buttercream. Make sure to pipe out from the edge of the cookie working inward so you have an abundantly filled macaron
- Flip 1/2 of the macaron shells on their back and pipe a border of the lemon buttercream around the edge. Then fill the empty center by spooning in a 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite lemon curd. Then place the other macaron on top to form a sandwich
