Lemon Blueberry Macarons

Eileen Gray

Yields 24 sandwiches

Serves 24

Lemon Blueberry Macarons

French Macarons sandwiched with lemon buttercream and a dollop of blueberry lemon preserves.

30 minPrep Time

13 minCook Time

43 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

Macaron Base Mix
• 6 oz (170g) Almond Flour
• 2 oz (55g) granulated sugar
• 8 oz (225g) confectioner's sugar
Macaron Shells
• 3 large egg whites, aged overnight in the refrigerator (see note)
• 1.5 oz (40g) confectioner's sugar
• 12 oz (340g) Macaron Base Mix
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Extract
• Yellow gel food color
• Blue nonpariels or sprinkles
Buttercream
• 4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• Remaining Macaron Base Mix
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 tablespoon limoncello (optional)
• zest from 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Assembly
• 1/2 cup Blueberry Preserves (or use store bought preserves)

Instructions

Make The Base Mix
• Pulse the almond flour, granulated sugar and confectioner's sugar in a food processor to combine.
• Move the mixture to a sieve and sift into a bowl
• Whisk the ingredients after sifting to be sure they are well combined
• Divide the base - setting aside 12 oz (340g) for the macaron shells and the remaining for the buttercream filling.
Make the Macaron Shells
• Preheat the oven to 300°F convection or 325°F regular.
• Use a biscuit cutter to draw 24 2" circles on a 1/2 sheet of parchment paper
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and put the paper with the circles underneath the parchment on one of the pans.
• Whip the egg whites to soft peak.
• With the mixer running add the remaining 1.5 oz of confectioner's sugar and whip to full peak.
• Reduce the speed to medium low and add the lemon extract.
• Add the yellow food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until you have a color that you like.
• Gently fold the almond mixture into the whites in two batches. Continue folding until it becomes soft and shiny, but not thin and runny.
• Scoop the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip (or cut the tip of a disposable bag).
• Pipe the discs until they're 1/4" from the edges of the circles you've drawn
• Sprinkle with blue non-pariels or sprinkles
• Set the pan aside to allow the cookies to dry for 30-60 minutes.
• Touch the top of a cookie to make sure it's dry to the touch, it can be a bit tacky but shouldn't completely stick to your finger.
• Bake for 7-8 minutes then rotate the trays.
• Bake for another 5-6 minutes until the shells are dry and the centers are soft (see note).
• Allow the shells to cool completely.
• You can use a small offset spatula to release the shells from the parchment.
• Be careful handling the shells, it's very easy to crack the smooth surface.
Make the Buttercream Filling
• Combine the softened butter with the remaining base mix and flavorings
• Whip on medium-high speed until the buttercream lightens in color and becomes aerated.
• Scoop the buttercream into a clean pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or cut the tip of a disposable bag.
• Pour the blueberry preserves into a clean pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip or cut the tip of a disposable bag.
• Pair up the cooled shells by size.
• Flip over one shell per pair
• Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of each flipped shell.
• Pipe a dollop of blueberry preserves into the middle of the buttercream rings.
• Sandwich the cookies gently, handling the cookies by the edges and not the tops.
• The finished cookies should be refrigerated in a covered container for a couple of hours or overnight before serving. The cookies can also be frozen for several weeks.

Notes