Ingredients
-
shells
-
100 g almond flour
-
200 g powdered sugar
-
3 egg whites
-
50 g sugar
-
a pinch of salt
-
some drops of food coloringoptional
-
ganache
-
75 ml heavy cream
-
150 g white chocolate
-
1 organic lemon
-
some drops of lemon flavoring essence
Directions
Lemon Macarons
Making this Lemon French Macarons was really challenging for me. It was the second time I made macarons and it came out wonderful. It was one of the most satisfying things for me in this baking adventure. I remember the first time I tried to make raspberry macarons, I was really not sure how to go about it. I had read so much about how difficult to make these sweet treats and it got me really nervous. You must be wondering about the result? yes it was not so good honestly ;p
This year for my Mother-in-law birthday party, I wanted to make a cake with a bunch of lemon macarons on top (the picture you can see down bellow). So, I dare myself to make a video, pictures and the steps carefully. I am not an expert in making French macarons but there are few things that I have learned from the first attempt. I was making these macarons two days before the date, just in case it will not work well. The filling for this macarons is just simple white chocolate lemon ganache and it has the perfect balance with the sweetness of the shells.
If you are curious how to make this gorgeous cake, you can check it out here!
You may read these few basic points which maybe could help you to make beautiful French macarons:
- Sift is the important step to get a smooth surface on each macarons shells, so you won’t skip this step to make macarons.
- Do not under-mix or over-mix the egg whites with the almond-sugar mix. You have to mix until they are well combined. The final mixture should be thick but if you drop it from a spatula it should fall down on its own. If your batter is too runny, you have over-mixed.
- Do not add the entire almond-flour mixture into the egg whites at once. Do it in 3 or 4 times.
- Bang the cookie sheets on your kitchen countertop once you have pipped the batter. Do this many times to make sure all the air is out.
- Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes before baking them otherwise, the macarons will spread in the oven and will not form the ridges which define them
- We need to give the macarons at least 24 hours to absorb all the moisture and flavor from the ganache filling. This is what gives the macaron that amazing soft texture.
- The most important is do it patiently and don’t give up if you don’t get them right the first time. They are little tricky and take some practice!
Note:
You can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you want to enjoy them, just simply take out from the freezer 20 minutes before.
Steps
|
1
Done
|
Mix the almond flour and powdered sugar with a food processor then sift them together in a bowl and set aside. |
|
2
Done
|
foldingTake 1/3 of the meringue with a spatula and mix it into the sifted almond flour and powdered sugar mixture. Slowly fold mixture until you reach the perfect consistency. Don't add the entire thing in one go, do it in 3-4 parts. Keep going until you reach a slightly dripping like a “ribbon”. |
|
3
Done
|
Get the batter into a piping back with a round tip and begin piping little circles. To help maintain a constant size for each one, I would recommend inserting a template under the parchment paper to act as a guide. |
|
4
Done
|
Tap the baking sheet on a flat surface a few times to release any air bubbles. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. |
|
5
Done
|
Bake in the oven at 150°C for 18 minutes until the feet are well-risen. Remove from the oven and wait for it to cool to room temperature. Do not try removing them before it has completely cooled. |
|
6
Done
|
fillingOver a medium heat pour the heavy cream in and make sure it never boils. Once you start to see bubbles forming around the edge of the pan, remove from the heat and pour over the white chocolate in a mixing bowl. Stir gently until the chocolate has fully melted. Add and mix in lemon oil (optional), zest and fresh juice of a lemon. Cover with plastic wrap to avoid the ganache from drying out and set aside for at least an hour for it to set. |
|
7
Done
|
assembleGet the filling into a piping bag. Add a dollop of ganache to one macaron shell. Top it with another macaron shell to create a sandwich. Repeat with remaining macaron shells and ganache. |
