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Lemon-Violet Macarons

Prep Time1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Servings: 24 macarons

Equipment

  • electric mixer
  • baking sheet
  • silicone mat or parchment paper for the baking sheet

Ingredients

Macaron Shells

  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature (100g)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (90g)
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 dashes yellow food coloring (gel-based food coloring usually works best)
  • 1 cup almond flour, finely ground (100g)
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar (100g)

Lemon-Violet Buttercream Filling

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (250g)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp violet liqueur I like to use crème de violette

Instructions

Meringue

  • In a separate bowl, add the egg whites. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they begin to foam.
  • Add the cream of tartar and the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
  • Add the yellow food coloring and lightly mix until the color is evenly dispersed.

Macaronage

  • Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar into a medium bowl, discarding any pieces that do not sift.
  • Pour the flour and powdered sugar mixture into the egg white mixture. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the meringue. After about 10-15 folds, begin lightly pressing downward on the batter to remove any excess air. Stop folding when the batter falls from the spatula in a thick ribbon with the consistency of lava. It should be glossy with no visible lumps.

Piping

  • Add the batter to a piping bag and pipe 1 ½ - 2-inch rounds on a baking sheet.
  • Let the rounds sit for 45-60 minutes. They should appear slightly dry on the outside. Preheat the oven to 300F/150C about 10-15 minutes before the end of the resting period.

Baking

  • Bake the rounds at 300F/150C for 15-16 minutes. Allow the baked rounds to cool completely before attempting to remove them from the baking sheet.

Lemon-Violet Buttercream

  • Cream the butter using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and violet liqueur and beat until smooth and even.

Final Assembly

  • Add the buttercream to a piping bag and pipe about 2 tsp between each pair of macaron shells.
  • Refrigerate the macarons for two hours or more to allow the buttercream to solidify before serving.