Raspberry Lemon Macarons

This easy recipe is great for beginners and seasoned bakers alike, and the results are absolutely delicious. These Raspberry Lemon macarons with a champagne buttercream are the perfect pairing of sweet and tart. And did I mention champagne buttercream? It reigns supreme above all others. Change my mind.

I’ve made a few batches of macarons in the past, but I think this has to be my favorite recipe yet. And to be clear, these are macarons, the meringue-based, French cookie sandwich. Not the coconut mounds dipped in chocolate (macaroons). After you get the basic method of creating the macaron batter (literally called “macaronage”), these little cookies are fairly easy to make. Other than the 15 million ways they could go wrong in baking (pâtissiers don’t come after me.) I am no expert in baking these and I still have batches that don’t come out the prettiest, but I have had the best outcomes with this specific recipe.

I like using curd fillings because they’re a great way to use the leftover egg yolks. The recipe I’m using uses a perfect 3 and 3 so there’s no waste. Curds are also perfect for tart, fruity flavored desserts. Originally, I had intended to fill these with just the curd. However, it didn’t thicken up as much as I would have liked. And honestly, I’m so glad it didn’t because it allowed me to discover champagne buttercream. I used a Korbel Brut and the citrus notes added a beautiful layer of flavor to the macarons. The sweet buttercream is a must to counter and balance out the tart curd.

Raspberry Lemon Macarons

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* prep time: 50 minutes
* cook time: 1 hour 4 minutes
* passive time: 1 hour - overnight
* total time: 2 hours 54 minutes
* servings: 20 - 30 sandwiched cookies

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Ingredients:

For the curd
– 1 cup fresh raspberries
– 3 egg yolks
– 1/2 cup powdered sugar
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
– 1 tbsp lemon zest
– 4 tbsp butter
For the macaron shells
– 2/3 cup almond flour
– 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
– 3 egg whites (room temp)
– 5 tbsp granulated sugar
– 1 tsp vanilla
– red gel food coloring
For the buttercream
– 8 tbsp butter (softened)
– 1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar
– 2 tbsp champagne

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Instructions:

Making the Curd

1. Purée raspberries in a food processor. You need about 3/4 cup of purée.
   
   
2. Heat water in a double boiler to a simmer, making sure water does not touch the top bowl. Combine all ingredients except the butter and cook over low heat, whisking constantly until thickened. You don't want your eggs to scramble in pieces bigger than a pea. The mixture will start to get frothy before thickening.
   
   
3. Once your curd can pass the spoon test (dip a spoon in the curd and wipe a stripe down the back of the spoon with your finger. If the line stays, it's done), remove from heat and whisk in the butter.
   
   
4. Strain the curd into a jar or storage container. This will remove any zest, seeds, and scrambled egg pieces. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a film from forming and chill in the fridge overnight.
   

Making the Macarons

1. Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar into a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
   
   
2. In a clean stand mixer, add the egg whites and beat on medium high. Once frothy add granulated sugar 1 tbsp at a time.
   
   
3. Continue beating until meringue reaches stiff and glossy peaks. Add in vanilla. You can add in the food coloring now for solid colored shells.
   
   
4. Be careful not to overmix the meringue. We are looking for "birds beaks" where the peak will stand on itself but the tip curls over to form the beak. From frothy to finished takes me around 20 minutes mixing at a 7 on a KitchenAid stand mixer.
   
   
5. Remove bowl from stand and sift in half of the flour/sugar mixture. Fold it in with a silicone spatula. At this point, I usually just run my spatula around the edges of the bowl until it is mostly incorporated.
   
   
6. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture.
   
   
7. Now for the macaronage. This is where you'll achieve the correct piping texture. I mix around and in, making sure I'm scraping the bottom of the bowl and turning as I fold. Bring the spatula around the edges of the bowl as earlier, but this time, fold into the center each turn. There are several great videos on YouTube to show you this technique as well.
   
   
8. Continue folding until you reach the proper consistency. This takes around 8-10 turns. The batter should ribbon off your spatula. If it is falling in large V-shaped chunks, it needs to be mixed further.
   
   
9. Once the proper consistency is reached, spoon batter into a piping bag. I just use a Zip-lock and snip off the corner. To get a marbled effect, paint food coloring on the sides of the bag before adding the batter.
   
   
10. Pipe 1 inch circles onto parchment lined baking sheets. Tap each sheet a few times on the counter to knock out any air bubbles.
    
    
11. Allow the shells to rest for 30 minutes to an hour. This helps in the formation of the little "feet" and to bake up, not out. Toward the end of the time, preheat your oven to 300°F.
    
    
12. Bake each sheet one at a time for 16 minutes or until shells lift easily from the parchment paper. Try to open your oven as little as possible. If you find they're browning too much on top, bake on a lower temperature.
    
    
13. Let shells cool on a wire rack before filling.
    
    

Making the Buttercream

1. Cream butter in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
   
   
2. Add powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated. Then beat on high for 1 minute.
   
   
3. Add champagne one tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
   
   

Assembly

1. Pair your shells with their closest match.
   
   
2. Pipe a circle of buttercream on one half, leaving a gap in the center, but not going too far on the edge. The filling will flatten out once sandwiched together.
   
   
3. Add a dollop of curd (about 1/4 tsp) to the center. Place the tops on the piped bottoms and allow to rest in the fridge.
   
   

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Notes:
– Don't skip double sifting your flour/sugar mixture. This removes large sediment for a smooth batter. To achieve the smoothest consistency, you can blitz the mixture in a food processor before double-sifting.
– Many problems come from mixing the meringue. Reaching the correct consistency without over or under-mixing will take practice. Plus you have double room for error in mixing the meringue itself and incorporating the flour mixture. Look for the bird beaks and ribbons. And even if they don't bake the best, they will still taste good.
– When mixing your egg whites, make sure they are room temperature. They don't have to be aged, but having them closer to room temp makes the process faster. Also make sure your bowl and whisk are clean and have no oily residue or else the meringue won't mix properly.
– Don't skip resting your shells. This step is crucial in achieving the feet macarons are known for. This is a great time to clean your dishes and make your buttercream.