Teatime Treats: Lemon Macaron Recipe

Lemon Macaron Recipe

1. Heat unsalted butter and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl, in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted. Depending on your microwave voltage, the time may vary, but for me, this was about a minute and 30 seconds.
2. Once melted and hot, remove from the microwave and add in the two tablespoons of Good Morning Moringa herbal tea and stir to combine well. Let infuse for an hour.
3. Strain the tea mixture through a sieve and use a spoon to squeeze out all the steeped butter. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use, then return to room temperature when you’re ready to make your frosting.

1. Complete prep work by wiping your bowl clean, preparing your parchment paper or silicone mat, and printing templates. *My silicone mats for French macarons have markers on them, otherwise these templates are available online for free.
2. Set aged egg whites out on the counter until they reach room temperature.
3. Sift almond flour and powdered sugar together thoroughly, removing any large pieces, but ensuring you compensate by adding ingredients back in if too much is removed.
4. Whip egg whites with your mixing bowl and whisk attachment until foamy, then add extract. Whisk until foamy again, then add in cream of tartar.
5. Once the beater starts to leave marks from the whisk and the bubbles get very small in the egg whites, add granulated sugar slowly.
6. Once the sugar has been fully incorporated, but before reaching stiff peaks, add your gel food color. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. *You will know you have accomplished this when you can remove your whisk and the meringue has pointed peaks.
7. Pour a third of the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar mixture into the egg whites. Gently fold into the egg whites with the folding technique we discussed above. *Go under the mixture before coming out the other side and folding it gently unto itself making sure not to “deflate” your mixture. Continue adding in the dry ingredients until all are mixed in.
8. Stop folding once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the consistency is “lava” like. Make sure it passes the figure-eight test!
9. Using a basic round tip and pastry bag, pipe the batter into the center of the circle of your template. Do not pipe beyond the edges of the template as the batter will spread a fair amount before settling. (Place templates under parchment paper or silicone mat to use as your guide but remove them once piped.)
10. Rap the tray several times on the counter to remove trapped air bubbles. Before the batter dries, I use a toothpick to pop any remaining bubbles that have come to the surface.
11. Now it’s time to let the cookie rest until your “skin” has developed.
12. While your skin develops, preheat the oven to 320°F.
13. Once your skin has developed (approximately 30 minutes) and you are able to gently touch the cookie without it sticking, it’s time to bake. Make sure you bake your French macarons on the middle shelf, which means you can only do one tray at a time. They’re a delicate cookie which requires delicate baking instruction.
14. Bake 12-14 minutes. To test when they’re done, the feet (bottom of the cookie) should not push back (be springy), and the shell (top of the cookie) should not be wobbly.
15. Let cool completely. This is a crucial step to ensure you can remove them later and they stay intact and don’t crack. If you’re able, let them sit for at least an hour to ensure they’re completely cool so they remove from your tray intact.

1. Beat together your butter/shortening blend with your whisk attachment until light and fluffy.
2. Add in powdered sugar a cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add the heavy cream. Beat for 1-2 minutes on high speed.

1. Gently remove one of your macaron cookies by taking a long smooth-edged knife or small metal spatula and gently running it underneath the cookie until is lifts off. Do this with each cookie until they are all removed. *Note: Be careful working with these as they crack easily and are very delicate.
2. To assemble, start by piping your buttercream frosting around the entire cookie on the flat (bottom), starting on the outside, and working your way inward. Feel free to use a decorative tip of your choice! Take a second cookie of equal size and place the flat side against the frosting so that the cookies mirror one another.
3. If you choose, you may continue onward to decorate your lemon French macarons, or you may enjoy these delicate delights just as they are!