Lemon Macarons Made with a Sturdy "Macaron-Friendly" Lemon Curd Center

Macarons filled with a lemon cream and curd that won't make macarons soggy. It's a mouthwatering and delicious macaron recipe made with REAL lemons - no artificial flavours.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• How To Prevent Soggy Lemon Curd Macarons
• How To Make Macarons Less Sweet?
• Tart Lemon Filling Cuts the Sweetness in Macarons
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Tips for Success
• How to Make
• Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Low-moisture lemon curd prevents macarons from getting soggy.
• Uses all natural ingredients, no artificial flavors.
• Uses simple ingredients that can be found at most grocery stores. 
• Mouthwatering and delicious. Cuts down the sweetness of the macaron shells. 

How To Prevent Soggy Lemon Curd Macarons

I don't know about you, but I found that every macaron filled with lemon curd I've had in the past has been soggy since fruit curds are higher in moisture than other fillings. So in this recipe, I created a lemon curd recipe that would not cause the macaron shells to become soggy. The curd itself is low in moisture so it won't start eating away at the macarons shells (get my Best Macaron Recipe here). A lemon curd is made first and then added into a Swiss meringue buttercream to create a lemon buttercream. The buttercream is piped into a ring shape, creating a dam, which will then be filled with the low-moisture lemon curd. The end result is a very sturdy and lemon-y curd that holds up inside the macaron for days. I'm so pleased with the results and I hope you will get a chance to test out this new recipe. It's perfect for those who are looking for a macaron that is "less sweet".

How To Make Macarons Less Sweet?

One of the most common complaints about macarons is that they are "too sweet", I am from the camp that you should take macarons as they are. Either you like them or you don't and forgo manipulating the sugar level in the shells to make it less sweet. Sugar is one of the few but basic ingredients in the shells and you need a certain amount of it for it to be stable. There are still ways to get around the perception of it's sweetness and one of them is to consider the fillings that it's being paired with.

The type and flavour of the fillings can greatly impact how sweet the resulting macarons will be. An American Buttercream - one that is made with icing sugar and butter - will be considerably sweeter than the Swiss or Italian version.  Learn more about different Macaron Filling Types here.   My personal preference is to never use an American buttercream with macarons. It may be a sweet indulgence on cupcakes but it's sugary taste can be too much when paired with an already sweet macaron shell.

Tart Lemon Filling Cuts the Sweetness in Macarons

Another quick remedy to reduce the sweetness in macarons is to fill it with a tart fruit filling. The acidity in fruit fillings is a perfect mouthwatering contrast to the sweet shells. One of my favourite fruit fillings is the lemon buttercream with a lemon curd center. I really appreciate how this flavour can be achieved entirely with the fruit itself without the need for artificial flavourings.

Ingredients and Substitutions

For the Lemon Curd and Buttercream

• Organic Lemons - This recipe requires using the zest of the lemons so organic lemons will be preferable.
• Eggs - large size.
• Butter - Use unsalted. For use in the buttercream, ensure that the butter is at room temperature. This is crucial for it to incorporate into the meringue mixture.
• Granulated sugar

For the Basic Macaron Shell

• Almond flour - it should be ground from blanched almonds. Some brands are more "oilier" than others so for the most consistent results, I like to make my own homemade almond flour. Alternatively, many readers have had good results with this brand.
• Powdered sugar - this is also known as icing sugar or confectioner's sugar. The type sold in North America usually contains a bit of corn starch as an anti-coagulant.
• Castor sugar - this is also known as extra fine granulated sugar or berry sugar. It's a finer granulated sugar that dissolves readily into the meringue making it ideal for macarons, which is heavily dependent on a strong and healthy meringue. If you can't find castor sugar, just use regular granulated sugar. Do not try to pulverize regular granulated sugar in the food processor to make castor sugar, it results in "chopped-up sugar crystals that will not perform well." (Source: chsugar.com)
• Egg whites, aged - egg whites that have been separated and let to "age" in the fridge have more relaxed proteins which makes it easier to whip to volume without overwhipping. It's recommended for the beginner macaron baker but is not absolutely necessary. Most carton egg whites are not intended for whipping into a meringue, check the back of the carton. A few (but not many) readers have reported success with carton egg whites.
• Cream of tartar - is an acid that is added to the meringue to make it more stable. It is usually found in the baking aisle next to the spices. If you do not have cream of tartar, you can substitute it with another acid like lemon or vinegar in double the amount. You can skip this ingredient if you can't find it. Make sure your bowls are clean and dry and whip carefully with room temperature aged egg whites until it reaches still peaks. If your egg whites take too long to whip or breaks apart, reconsider using cream of tartar.
• Gel food color - this is a more potent form of food color that doesn't add unwanted moisture into the macaron batter. Some brands perform better than others, I prefer this brand for its color stability, it doesn't fade after baking.

Tips for Success

• Have a cooking thermometer ready to measure the temperature of the lemon curd and swiss meringue buttercream. Heating the ingredients to the correct temperature is crucial. If you don't have a thermometer, you can check the readiness of the curd by running a spoon through it. If it coats the back of the spoon, it's ready. For the Swiss meringue, feel the mixture to see if all the sugar granules have dissolved.
• Use non-reactive tools and bowls as they can react to the acidity in the lemon juice, imparting a metallic taste. Non-reactive materials include: silicone, glass, ceramic and rust-free stainless steel.
• During the the heated bath step when making the curd and Swiss buttercream, avoid placing the mixture bowl on the hot water directly as it will cook the ingredients too quickly or over-cook it. Use a smaller pot of hot water and let a larger bowl hang over the top without touching the water. Make sure to move the mixture around gently to keep it moving and not over cook.
• This lemon macaron filling requires a Swiss buttercream as a base. If you need a more detailed instructions in that area, please read this dedicated post on: Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

How to Make

To make the lemon curd: Zest the organic lemon, set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until incorporated.

Add egg and beat until incorporated. If not already using, move mixture into a heatproof glass bowl, add lemon juice and beat until incorporated. (Some metal bowls can react to the acidity in the lemon juice.)

Place over a pot of boiling water. Do not let the bottom touch the water. Whisk gently to keep the mixture moving as it heats up. Occasionally, check the temperature of the mixture. You should see the curd thicken up and it will coat the back of your spoon. Allow the mixture to reach 180F-185F. It might take a while (10-15 min), so be patient.

Take the mixture off the heat, add the lemon zest into the hot mixture to release the oils and mix until combined. Pour through a sieve into another bowl for a smooth curd. Let it cool down then place in the fridge. It will set up into an even firmer and thicker curd after you've chilled it in the fridge.

To make lemon buttercream: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place egg whites and sugar into a heat proof bowl. Stainless steel is light and safe. Whisk the whites & sugar mix over the boiling water. Pay attention to whisking the mixture when it starts getting hot, you don’t want to cook the eggs.

Whisk the mixture until the temperature reaches 160F. Pour the mixture into the Kitchenaid mixer and whisk on low with the balloon whisk, then turn it up to medium.

Once the mixture is stiff and the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch, stop mixer. Change the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment.

Add butter a little bit at a time while beating with the paddle attachment at medium speed.
The mixture might look curdled or separated for a while but keep mixing. It will all come together. Keep 200 grams of the buttercream for use in our current recipe. Freeze the rest of the buttercream for use at a later date.

Add 8 tablespoon of the curd into the buttercream, a tablespoon at a time and beat until incorporated. To Assemble: pair two similar sized shells together. Pipe a ring of lemon buttercream as a dam then fill it with the lemon curd. Assemble with other shell. Place in an airtight container in the fridge and give it 12-24 hours to mature before eating. Enjoy!