Lemon French Macarons with Lemon Curd and SMBC
French Macarons are in demand all year round. These lemon French macarons filled with lemon curd and Swiss meringue buttercream are especially refreshing and light. This simple, easy and effortless recipe uses my foolproof macaron recipe as a base. So you can successfully make these over and over again. People are going to think you are a macaron master baker!!
If you like lemon you will probably love lemon French macarons. Personally, I am a huge fan of lemon and I can eat lemon curd from a jar by the spoon just as I can eat a whole block of chocolate without blinking. Now I can’t stand the combination of lemon, orange or citrus fruits with chocolate but that’s a whole different topic for some other time.
There is something about macarons that is very addictive. Isn’t it? I’m not just talking about eating them. Yes, of course, we love eating macarons. But I find that if I start making macarons, then I have this sudden addiction to making more of them. So, I will make a few too many batches until we have way too many macarons at home. After that, I will make a conscious effort to stop and guess what – It’s gone…! Next thing I know it’s been months since I last made it unless someone request or ask for them.
20 Tips for Perfect Macarons
Now, we have had a few macaron recipes on this blog, with videos of course. And I plan to make some more. And yet, most importantly I hope you have seen my most popular post – 2o tips to perfect macarons. It’s honestly what brings macaron fans to my macaron recipes. These tips really are helpful. So make sure you check them out. My macaron recipes did not have videos before but I have since updated them and added videos to all. Because I know that when it comes to macarons they are temperamental. Therefore, you have to see how I make them so you will know how to make them yourselves.
You can find all my macarons recipes here. The following are just a few samples.
- Classic Vanilla Macarons (great for beginners)
- Blueberry Macarons with Blueberry Filling and Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Raspberry Macarons with Raspberry Filling and Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Lemon French Macarons with Lemon Curd and SMBC
- Strawberry Lemon Macaron with Strawberry Jam Filling and SMBC
- Valentine Heart Macarons with Strawberry Jam and SMBC
- Orange Macarons with Orange curd filling with SMBC
- Matcha Macarons with Match Cream and SMBC
Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- Almond meal – You can buy these commercially or make them home yourself as long as you can sift them dry!! (read more)
- Castor sugar – What you really need is fine sugar. You want the sugar crystals to be fine so they melt into the egg whites easily. So if you can’t find caster sugar just use regular white sugar and pulse them once or twice to make them fine (not powder).
- Powdered sugar – This needs to be sifted with the almond meal. Which means you need to buy this commercially for best results. Commercial powdered sugar has an anti-caking agent that helps dry out the shells too.
- Food colors – When making macarons always use food color gel or powder food colors – not supermarket brand water-based colors. Why? Because you want to keep the liquid in the recipe to the minimum.
- Cream of tartar – I personally think that anyone who wants to make macarons more than once must have this on hand. It really helps keep those egg whites whipped longer. If you don’t have cream of tartar a pinch of salt also works.
- Lemon zest -You can add the lemon zest either into the batter or as a garnish sprinkled on top of the piped shells.
Lemon Curd
You can, of course, use store-bought lemon curd but I do have a simple, easy and foolproof recipe for lemon curd right here on this blog. Now, I must warn you, once you make this recipe, you are never going to enjoy store-bought lemon curd ever again!! Yup, It’s ruined me for life. I only enjoy homemade lemon curd. Just look at how LUSH that is. Can you resist that? Well, you’ve been warned.
Useful Tips and Tools
- You will need a clean grease-free Bowl for whipping your egg whites. Any trace of grease in the bowl and your meringue will not whip to peaks.
- Also, you can use your stand-mixer such as K-Mix/ Kitchen Aid. I use a hand-mixerjust for my videos so you can see inside the bowl.
- In addition, it is important to grind the almond meal in a Food Processor to a fine grind.
- A thick Baking Tray works best for macarons.
- Also, always use a Macaron templates to pipe macarons. You can get these printed on the baking mat, or you can print these from the web for free.
- The Wilton A1 piping Tip works best for piping macarons. A larger tip will make the batter flow out faster, and you will not have control.
- I prefer to use a clean newPiping Bag for every new batch of macarons so I know there is no grease from any previous buttercream. The disposable bags work best.
How to make a Lemon French Macarons with Lemon Curd and Swiss Meringue Buttercream (Save/Pin)
Method
Prepare dry ingredients
- Place almond meal and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse a few seconds.
- Sift and discard any coarse nuts.
Whip egg whites
- Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a grease-free bowl.
- Whip a minute then sprinkle in the granulated sugar.
- Once all the sugar has been added – whisk on medium-high until stiff peaks.
- Add zest, food color and extract.
Macronage
- Add sugar/almond mixture into the whipped egg whites.
- You can do this in three batches or all at once.
- You need to fold the mixture until you have what is called a dropping consistency or a thick cake batter consistency. Which means when you hold a little batter in your spoon and drop it back into the bowl it should drop smoothly.
Pipe
- Pour batter into a piping bag with a large round tip.
- Pipe similar size macarons on to a parchment paper using a template.
- The best way to pipe is to squeeze until you have a good mound then swirl the tip to one side. But don’t’ worry if you don’t get it. Just take the tip of your finger and tap the points down.
- Tap the baking sheet on the counter a couple of times so all the air pockets will rise to the top and release. That way you won’t have big holes in your macarons.
Rest
- Let the macarons rest in a cool dry place for about 15 to 20 minutes so the tops will get lightly crusted.
- While the macarons are drying – preheat the oven to 160 C/320 F.
Bake / Cool
- Bake these for 15 to 18 minutes depending on your oven. The tops will look set and the bottom should not be wet.
- The top shell should be shiny and the bottom crusty (also called macaron feet).
- Let cool on the parchment for a while then take them off and let cool completely.
Fill / Store
- Once cooled pair similar size macaron shells.
- You can pipe any filling of your choice. Here I have used lemon curd and Swiss meringue buttercream.
- On the bottom shell pipe a thick circle of Swiss meringue buttercream.
- Then pipe a generous squeeze of lemon curd right in the middle of that circle.
- Place the top shell on and give it a gentle squeeze so it’s stick together. Do not press hard or the filling will ooze out.
- Macarons must be stored in the fridge and are best eaten one or two days later – if you can wait.
- Enjoy.
Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Lemon French Macarons with Lemon Curd and Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Print Pin RateDescription
Equipment /Tools
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
For the shells
- 110 grams (3.88 oz) Egg white approx 2 to 3 eggs
- 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp) Cream of tartar
- 50 grams (1.76 oz) Castor sugar
- 200 grams (1.67 cups) Powdered sugar/confectioners sugar/icing sugar
- 100 grams (3.53 oz) Almond meal
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Lemon extract
Fillings
- Lemon curd – you will need half of this recipe
- Swiss meringue buttercream – you will need less than half of this recipe
Instructions
Prepare dry ingredients
- Place almond meal and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse a few seconds.
- Sift and discard any coarse nuts.
Whip egg whites
- Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a grease-free bowl.
- Whip a minute then sprinkle in the granulated sugar.
- Once all the sugar has been added – whisk on medium-high until stiff peaks.
- Add zest, food color and extract.
Macronage
- Add sugar/almond mixture into the whipped egg whites.
- You can do this in three batches or all at once.
- You need to fold the mixture until you have what is called a dropping consistency or a thick cake batter consistency. Which means when you hold a little batter in your spoon and drop it back into the bowl it should drop smoothly.
Pipe
- Pour batter into a piping bag with a large round tip.
- Pipe similar size macarons on to a parchment paper using a template.
- The best way to pipe is to squeeze until you have a good mound then swirl the tip to one side. But don’t’ worry if you don’t get it. Just take the tip of your finger and tap the points down.
- Tap the baking sheet on the counter a couple times so all the air pockets will rise to the top and release. That way you won’t have big holes in your macarons.
Rest
- Let the macarons rest in a cool dry place for about 15 to 20 minutes so the tops will get lightly crusted.
- While the macarons are drying – preheat the oven to 160 C/320 F.
Bake / Cool
- Bake these for 15 to 18 minutes depending on your oven. The tops will look set and the bottom should not be wet.
- The top shell should be shiny and the bottom crusty (also called macaron feet).
- Let cool on the parchment for a while then take them off and let cool completely.
Fill / Store
- Once cooled pair similar size macaron shells.
- You can pipe any filling of your choice. Here I have used lemon curd and Swiss meringue buttercream.
- On the bottom shell pipe a thick circle of Swiss meringue buttercream.
- Then pipe a generous squeeze of lemon curd right in the middle of that circle.
- Place the top shell on and give it a gentle squeeze so it’s stick together. Do not press hard or the filling will ooze out.
- Macarons must be stored in the fridge and are best eaten one or two days later – if you can wait.
- Enjoy.
Recipe Video
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Charlie
Hi Veena! Just wondering, when you say granulated sugar in the recipe, are you referring to the castor sugar? Only as these are 2 separate things in the UK! Thanks x
Veena Azmanov
Hey Charlie. You can certainly use castor sugar but it’s not necessary. As long as the sugar is fine grain white sugar is good enough. To me they are both different so not sure about UK. I hope this helps
Stephanie
I made these this weekend and they were awesome!! A huge hit with my family! Thank you! Do you have a chocolate recipe?
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Stephanie. So happy you had success with these and enjoyed them so much. I have yet to post the chocolate version. Hopefully soon in the near future.
Thank you so coming back to write this feedback. Love hearing from those who try my recipes.
Tiata
I made french macarons for the first time successfully. After years of so many failures and paying for expensive online courses. And, finally giving up I decided to give your recipe a try one last because so far none of your recipes have ever failed me. I love your blog Veena. I love you. Thank you for always sharing such detailed post.
Veena Azmanov
Congrats Tiata. So happy you had success with this recipe and that you enjoyed making these so much. Glad you find my detailed post useful. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback. You just made my day. Appreciate it very much. I love hearing from those who try my recipes. Big hugs
Amber
Veena thank you so much for all your macaron recipes. I love making them because they are such winners for me. My daughter needs gluten-free options and she loves cookies and Macarons are her favorite. I keep making them all the time. Your recipe is by far the best one I have tried.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Amber. So happy you had success with this recipe and that your daughter enjoys these so much. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback. Appreciate it very much. I love hearing from those who try my recipes.
Woody
I did it. Yes, I finally found a macaron recipe that works for me. I made this and it was perfect. So I ended up making the raspberry as well as the matcha ones too. And they all turned out great. Thank you so much. Please add more flavors.
Veena Azmanov
Congratulations Woody. So happy you had success with this recipe and that you had fun making them. Yes, I love the matcha and raspberry too. Always so delicious.
Thank you for coming back to write this feedback. Appreciate it very much. I love hearing from those who try my recipes.
Natalie
I love lemon flavored desserts lately and these macaroons are just so delicious. A must try. Although I find making homemade macarons to challenging with your video recipe I gained some confidence so I might just surprise my family. Thanks!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Natalie. So happy to you hear my video gives you some confidence. Let me know if you try it.
Michelle Blackwood
Your macarons look amazing, love the lemon flavors and your clear explanations.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Michelle. Glad you like my detailed post.
Michele
Your macarons looks so decadent and perfect. SMBC and lemon curd sounds sinful!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Michele. Yes, they sure are sinful and yum.
Amanda Mason
Looks amazingly delish! I’ve never made macaroons…too intimidated and not enough patience!! Your recipe looks easy enough though!! It inspires me to make them!
Veena Azmanov
This is a fairly easy recipe and one I’ve been using for years. Perfect for beginners.
Sara
What absolutely amazing macarons! They are so vibrant and lovely. Thanks for sharing your link to 20 tips for making macrons – I’m still so intimidated to even try!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Sara. Yes the color is vibrant.
Marisa Franca
I can’t believe how many variety of French Macarons you can make. I’m in awe!!!! I really love the flavor of lemon — I would say these would be my favorite. I’ve been looking for a Homemade lemon curd recipe – I was going to buy it at the store but I couldn’t find any. It’s a good thing because now I can make my own which I’m sure will taste better. AND!! I’m still going to try my hand at macarons.
Veena Azmanov
Oh Marisa, The world of macarons flavors is so huge. Once you make macarons you will b so hooked to it. And yes, you must try my lemon curd. It’s soooo good you will be addicted to it.
Tamara Andersen
These Lemon Macarons are so pretty! I’m not really a sweets eater, but I love lemon… You’ve definitely caught my attention! And yay for homemade lemon curd!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Tamara. I love lemon too. Macarons are sweet which is why I love to add tart fillings like lemon or berries and such.
Sharon
The macarons are like little bites of sunshine! A great treat for Summer afternoons when your looking for something sweet.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Sharon. Yes, these are great treats any time of the year.
Kelli Kerkman
These look delicious! I love the vibrant yellow color – so much fun!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Kelli
Paige
Well thanks for breaking this process down, and these sound absolutely delicious! Very pretty photo too!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Paige – Hope you try it.
Kate
These look so good! I love lemon flavored desserts. That lemon curd looks especially wonderful.
Veena Azmanov
Me too Kate. Thanks
Holly Edwards
Just an FYI…you have Castor Sugar listed twice. I think you want to have Cream of Tartar as one of them.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Holly. yes I did have castor sugar instead of cream of tartar where I explained the tips and substitutes. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Gloria
OK…you make this look so easy. I am a macaron fanatic….yet I have not attempted to make them. I have the silicone mats and everything, but have not tried them yet. I also am a lemon lover….so these would not last long in my house.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Gloria. I love macarons too! Making as much as eating them. You must try my recipe I’m sure you will love it.
Elaine @ Dishes Delish
Goodness me! Look at all these fabulous lemon macarons! Not only are they vibrant looking but they look so scrumptious! I would love to take a 1/2 dozen off your hands. 😉
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Elaine. I hope you try to make these – so easy!!
Tammy
I’m going to have to try this!! I could definitely eat the lemon curd by itself. Guess i gotta go get more lemons!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Tammy. I do hope you try this.. It’s so simple and easy.
Pyae Sone
Very delicious
Veena Azmanov
Thank you!