Bonjour mes amies! This post is particularly special as I am sharing my Paris travel experience and French Lemon Macarons recipe. Traveling and experiencing new cultures is important to me and I want to bring those experiences to you! That is why I have decided to start incorporating some travel posts associated with food to Simple Sassy and Scrumptious! Technically I was traveling for work but was able to take some time for myself to enjoy this beautiful city.
I was lucky enough that my beautiful sister was able to travel up from Marseille and we got to experience the gorgeous sights, sounds and especially tastes of this iconic city together.
There is so much to see and do in Paris that it is hard to fit it all in, in just one day. For me just walking down the ancient streets marveling and the architecture is enough for me. I have been to Paris several times before but it seems that every time I go there is something new to experience. There is a certain a je ne sais quois about French culture, the tempo is much more laid back than here in the states and I relished in sitting back at a sidewalk café with a glass of wine just enjoying the city walk by.
While the temperature and weather in winter is not optimal in my opinion for visiting a gorgeous city such as Paris at least we did not have to fight huge crowds of tourists at the main landmarks. Which is a definite plus. We started our day at Le Tour Eiffel then had lunch at a quaint little side street bistro. The smell of fresh baked baguettes is mesmerizing, ohh how I missed this bread!
After a nice glass of wine and some amazing baguette, ohh and lunch too it was off to walk along the Champs Eleysees and some shopping! While walking along the Champs Elysees I found heaven on earth, I am talking about Laduree. Ohhh Laduree the scrumptious pastries and wonderfully delicate macarons in every color of the rainbow. I was gitty walking in through those doors. Nothing compares to a fresh macaron they are so delicate and melt in your mouth. Their delicate structure is paired with such intense flavor from the filling. Absolutely one of my favorite desserts and they are very tricky to make. Once you have tried to make them you have a complete respect for this treat as they are very temperamental to bake.
While Macarons can be tricky I have learned through trial and error some very helpful tips that I will share so you can bake gorgeous flavorful macarons as well. I wish someone would have shared these with me when I first started baking macarons, would have saved many heartbroken hours in the kitchen….
- Sifting the almond flour is a must! Even if it looks fine ground enough your macarons will be extremely lumpy.
- Egg whites must be at room temperature. This gives your macaron shell that nice sheen after baking.
- While folding in the dry ingredients to the egg white mixture do not over stir! Fold exactly 59 times, no more, no less. Any deviation will with make the foot not form or your macaron hollow inside while baking.
- When piping your macarons use a large round piping tip. A smaller tip will create a peak on top and you will have pointy macaron shells.
- Rapping the baking sheet a couple of times is key to removing any air bubbles that can deform your macarons during baking.
If you ever get the chance to travel to Paris do so, you will not regret it. You will never regret making these Lemon Macarons either!
Bon Appetite!
Macaron Ingredients:
- 1 Cup almond flour (sifted)
- 1 ½ Cup powdered sugar
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ Cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 – 4 drops yellow gel paste color
Lemon Curd Filling Ingredients:
- 3 lemons
- 1 1/2 Cups sugar
- 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 1/2 Cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar. Discard any large pieces.
In a large mixing bowl, add in egg whites. Turn on high and beat until the egg whites form a soft peak meringue.
Add in the granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar. Mix on high until a stiff peak meringue forms. I slowly but constantly add in the granulated sugar into the meringue instead of tossing it all in at once.
Add in the yellow gel paste color and give it a quick mix to incorporate.
Very lightly and carefully fold in a third of the almond flour/powdered sugar into the meringue with a spatula. Repeat with the rest of the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture. All together you’ll want to have about 59 turns of this mixture. If you don’t mix enough the macaron shell will be extremely fluffy and cracked. If you over mix, the macaron shell will be extremely flat and might not form a foot.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Fill a piping bag with the macaron shell filling. Pipe macaron shells on the baking sheet making sure they are equivalent in circumference.
Let the macarons dry until they are no longer tacky to the touch. It will take 20 minutes to 1 hour.
Place in the oven for about 10-11 minutes until they no longer stick to the parchment paper.
Let the macaron shells cool.
While the macaron shells are cooling start preparing the Lemon Curd.
Using a peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely pureed into the sugar.
Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer.
Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.
Spread a thin layer of cooled lemon curd onto the bottom of a macaron shell the sandwich with another macaron shell piece.
Macarons can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in a freezer for up to 2 weeks.
- Macaron Ingredients:
- 1 Cup almond flour (sifted)
- 1 + ½ Cup powdered sugar
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ Cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 – 4 drops yellow gel paste color
- Lemon Curd Filling Ingredients:
- 3 lemons
- 1 1/2 Cups sugar
- 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 1/2 Cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
- Sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar. Discard any large pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in egg whites. Turn on high and beat until the egg whites form a soft peak meringue.
- Add in the granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar. Mix on high until a stiff peak meringue forms. I slowly but constantly add in the granulated sugar into the meringue instead of tossing it all in at once.
- Add in the yellow gel paste color and give it a quick mix to incorporate.
- Very lightly and carefully fold in a third of the almond flour/powdered sugar into the meringue with a spatula. Repeat with the rest of the almond flour/powdered sugar mixture. All together you’ll want to have about 59 turns of this mixture. If you don’t mix enough the macaron shell will be extremely fluffy and cracked. If you over mix, the macaron shell will be extremely flat and might not form a foot.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Fill a piping bag with the macaron shell filling. Pipe macaron shells on the baking sheet making sure they are equivalent in circumference.
- Let the macarons dry until they are no longer tacky to the touch. It will take 20 minutes to 1 hour.
- Place in the oven for about 10-11 minutes until they no longer stick to the parchment paper.
- Let the macaron shells cool.
- While the macaron shells are cooling start preparing the Lemon Curd.
- Using a peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely pureed into the sugar.
- Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
- Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer.
- Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.
- Spread a thin layer of cooled lemon curd onto the bottom of a macaron shell the sandwich with another macaron shell piece.
- Macarons can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in a freezer for up to 2 weeks.
