Lemon Curd and Fresh Raspberry Filled Macarons

Macarons are a meringue based treat, with a filling in the centre such as jam, ganache or buttercream. They have a smooth top and a ruffled "foot" which gives their characteristic appearance. Recently, they've become a very popular confection, so I thought I'd give them a go!

I have only just started making macarons as I was put off by their reputation as being very difficult. Since macarons are a challenge, this recipe is only a very small adjustment to a basic recipe to create a delicious, zesty treat! I am going to experiment a little more with flavours in future posts, but I thought I'd start off pretty simple and create these fruity ones! 

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Lemon Curd and Fresh Raspberry Filled Macarons 

Makes 40 shells (20 filled Macarons)

You will need:

Equipment

• Piping bag with 1cm nozzle
• 2 baking sheets
• Non-stick baking parchment  
• Electric whisk

For the macarons

• 200g icing sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 3 egg whites
• A pinch of salt
• 40g caster sugar
• 1 unwaxed lemon 
• Yellow food colouring paste/gel - (N.B. NOT liquid, as it makes the mixture too runny)

For the filling

• 3 egg yolks
• 75g caster sugar 
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter 
• Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• Small punnet of raspberries

Instructions:

For the macaron shells:

1. Tip the icing sugar and almonds into a food processor and blend for 30s until combined completely. Put this mixture aside. 
2. Tip the egg whites into a spotlessly clean and dry mixing bowl. Add the salt.
3. Using an electric whisk, beat until the egg whites just about hold a stiff peak. 
4. Add the caster sugar a teaspoonful at a time, while continuing to whisk at a medium speed. 
5. Mix well to ensure that the sugar is thoroughly incorporated. The mix should look glossy, thick and white. 
6. Wash and dry the unwaxed lemon and finely grate the zest. 
7. Add this to the egg and sugar mixture along with a very small amount of food colouring. (A good tip is just to dip a cocktail stick into the gel and then into the mixture as you only need the smallest amount, and the macarons look best in pastel shades). Mix thoroughly to ensure an even blend. 
8. Using a large metal spoon, fold the ground sugar and almond mixture, which was set aside earlier, into the egg whites until completely mixed and smooth.
9. The mixture should now be in a smooth, molten mass. 
10. Use the mixture to fill the piping bag. Then, pipe evenly sized rounds about 5cm across onto the baking sheets lined with baking parchment. (Alternatively, you can use a silicon macaron tray as it is often much easier to remove them and ensures evenly and identically sized macarons). 
    
11. Tap the bottom of the baking sheets  sharply on the work surface in order to remove any excess air bubbles. 
12. Leave the macaroons for between 20-40mins until they have set and formed a dry shell. Leave them for longer if they are at all sticky or wet when touched with a dry fingertip.
13. Preheat the oven to 170oC/Gas 3. 
14. Bake the macaroons in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes. They are done when the tops are lightly coloured and crisp. They should easily remove from the baking tray and be dry to touch at the bottom).
15. Leave the shells to cool on a rack until completely cool. 
    

For the Lemon Curd:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a heatproof bowl set above a pan of water which is gently simmering.
2. Stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. 
3. Continue to stir the mixture continuously for about 15 mins, until the curd has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Finally, strain the curd through a sieve into a bowl.
5. Leave to cool, then refrigerate until needed.

Final stage:

1. Take your cooled macaron shells, fill with a generous layer of lemon curd. 
2. Add one or two raspberries to the centre and then sandwich the shells together. 
3. Now they are ready to enjoy! 

Enjoy with afternoon tea or as a yummy picnic dessert. These macarons should keep for a few days, but may start to go soggy beyond that, due to the raspberry juice in the filling. 

Although there is an official Macaron Day (20th March), I recommend eating these all year round! 

Love, Chloe xx

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