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Delicate French lemon macarons featuring crispy shells with a tender, chewy center and a smooth lemon-white chocolate buttercream filling. Bright, refreshing lemon flavor perfect for celebrations or everyday treats.

  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: Approximately 20-24 macarons (depending on size) 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup superfine (caster) sugar
  • Yellow gel food colouring (optional)
  • 1 1/4 cups icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 cup ground almonds (almond flour or finely ground almond meal)
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups icing sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons white chocolate, melted
  • 1 tablespoon whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper or silicone mats; optionally draw 4 cm circles on the back as a piping guide.
  2. Sift together the icing sugar, ground almonds, and finely grated lemon rind; set aside.
  3. Ensure mixing bowl and whisk are clean and grease-free.
  4. Whip the room-temperature egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add superfine sugar in 2–3 parts. Add yellow gel colouring if using. Beat until glossy stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
  5. Gently fold the dry almond mixture into the meringue using a rubber spatula, folding about 40 times until batter flows like molten lava and ribbons disappear within 8–10 seconds.
  6. Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a 2 cm round tip.
  7. Pipe neat 4 cm rounds about 1.5 inches apart on prepared trays. Hold bag straight and finish each round with a quick flick to smooth the top.
  8. Firmly tap trays on countertop several times to release air bubbles and smooth tops. Dust with sifted icing sugar if desired.
  9. Let piped shells rest at room temperature for 20–30 minutes until a thin, dry skin forms and shells are no longer sticky to touch.
  10. Bake one tray at a time for 18–20 minutes, rotating halfway if needed, until shells rise and develop feet.
  11. Cool shells completely on tray before removing carefully.
  12. Prepare filling: Beat room-temperature unsalted butter and sifted icing sugar until silky smooth. Stir in melted white chocolate, whipping cream, and fresh lemon juice. Beat until filling is soft, fluffy, and pipeable.
  13. Match shells of similar size, pipe a small dollop of filling onto one shell, and sandwich with its partner using a modest amount of filling.

Notes

Make a template by drawing 4 cm rounds on the back of parchment paper to pipe perfect circles., Store macarons at room temperature in an airtight container up to 2 days or refrigerate up to a week with parchment sheets between layers to avoid sticking., Freeze macarons on a tray until solid then transfer to freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in fridge before serving., Allow shells to rest properly before baking to form a skin and avoid cracking., Fold batter about 40 times carefully for correct consistency; underfolded batter is too thick and overfolded batter is flat., Cool shells completely before removing from parchment to prevent sticking., Use gel coloring for more vibrant shells; omit for natural color.

  • Author: Laura
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: French

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 macaron
  • Calories: 224 per serving
  • Fat: 7.8g per serving
  • Carbohydrates: 38g per serving
  • Protein: 2.3g per serving