Lemon Macarons with Curd and Shortbread
These lemon macarons pair lemon-flavored shells with a buttery shortbread crust center and a creamy lemon curd filling.
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 16 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 16 mins
- Makes
- 20 servings
These Lemon Bar Macarons bring together lemon-flavored macaron shells, a buttery shortbread crust center, and a creamy lemon curd filling. Close your eyes and you'd swear you were biting into a rich, tangy lemon bar! They're irresistible and perfect for anyone who loves lemon desserts.
Swiss Method Lemon Macaron Shells
I used the same approach for my Dark Chocolate Macarons. It's the same process as Swiss meringue buttercream, minus the butter. Save that ingredient for the lemon curd filling!
Warm the granulated sugar and egg whites together in a bain-marie, or use a double boiler. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns frothy. Move it to a mixing bowl and beat on high with your mixer until firm, stiff meringue peaks form.
Fold your sifted dry ingredients into the meringue until the batter is slightly thick and has a lava-like consistency.
What Is a Bain-Marie?
A bain-marie is a French technique that uses gentle heat to melt or cook things like chocolate, custard, or, in this case, the meringue for these lemon macaron shells.
How to Set Up a Bain-Marie
Bring 1 – 1 1/2 inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Set a heatproof bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bowl is wider than the mouth of the saucepan.
The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water.
Put your ingredients in the bowl and gently heat them according to your recipe's directions.
Helpful Tips
Earlier I covered the Swiss method, what a bain-marie is, and how to set one up for this lemon bar macaron recipe.
If you're new to macarons, though, I'd strongly suggest reading my Dark Chocolate Macarons post, where I cover the following:
- The purpose of the main ingredients. Which almond flour brands I've used, plus powdered sugar, egg whites, and more.
- Necessary baking tools. There are 6 key tools you'll want for making macarons. I explain which ones I use, why I love them, and a few extras that might come in handy.
- Helpful tips to guide you through the entire macaron-making process. These are grouped by dry ingredients, making the meringue, macaronage, piping, resting, baking, and cooling.
There are also plenty of macaron-making resources online that can be very helpful when you're learning!
Making the Lemon Curd Filling
This lemon curd, which sandwiches the macaron shells together, is very easy to make and tastes wonderful. Best of all, you can make it ahead of time!
Lemon Zest and Juice. I suggest getting your lemon zest and juice ready before you start. For me, it helps keep things moving!
Whisk Constantly. This keeps the mixture from curdling. It also gives your upper body a workout.
Patience. The lemon curd can take anywhere from 8-10 minutes to thicken over low heat. If it still hasn't thickened by then, turn the heat up to medium and keep whisking until it does.
Press Through a Mesh Sieve. This step isn't required, but I do recommend it to strain out any little lumps or zest that stuck around. Do this over a mixing bowl.
Cover with Plastic Wrap and Chill. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the lemon curd. Refrigerate it covered for at least 1 hour, or overnight if you prefer.
Storing. I keep my leftover lemon curd in one of my canning jars, but any tightly sealed jar works just as well.
More Ways to Use Lemon Curd Filling
This lemon macaron recipe leaves you with extra lemon curd filling, which is definitely not a bad thing! Here are some ways to enjoy it.
- Cakes. It makes a great filling for vanilla cakes! Pipe a buttercream border around the top of a cake layer, then spoon the lemon curd into the center.
- Cupcakes. Fill the center of each cupcake with lemon curd, then top with buttercream. My Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes would be a great base for this!
- Cheesecakes. Lemon curd makes a perfect topping!
- Scones & Muffins. Drizzle some lemon curd over either one! It's great with my Lemon Blueberry Streusel Muffins! SO GOOD!
- Ice Cream. Top vanilla bean ice cream with leftover shortbread crust crumbles and lemon curd, or try it with my Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie recipe! YUM!
- On Its Own. Grab a spoon, dig in, and enjoy!
How to Make the Shortbread Crust Layer
Since we aren't making a huge amount of shortbread crust, I suggest using a hand mixer for this part.
Press the mixture into a thin layer, about 1/8 inch thick, on a small baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350ºF. Let the shortbread crust cool completely before cutting out the circles.
For the baking sheet, I use my small Nordic Ware serving tray. It's just the right size for the amount of crust you'll need here. An 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan works too.
For the circles, I used the small 1-inch circle cutter from my 12 piece circle cookie cutter set. A large round piping tip also works.
Variations
Instead of cutting out shortbread circles, you can crumble the shortbread into tiny bits and sprinkle them over the lemon curd filling.
This option is handy if you don't have a 1″ circle cookie cutter or a large piping tip for cutting out shortbread circles.
Whichever method you pick, you'll still get that nice buttery shortbread crunch when you bite into one of these lemon bar macarons!
Storage
The best way to store fully assembled lemon bar macarons is in the freezer in an airtight container, where they keep for about 3-4 months. Before serving, let them sit at room temperature for roughly 10-15 minutes.
If you want to make the macaron shells ahead of time, store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Let them cool completely before freezing. Set them out for 10-15 minutes before filling them with lemon curd and shortbread crust centers.
Keep the lemon curd filling in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator. It will last up to a week.
You can bake the shortbread crust centers ahead of time too. They'll stay fine in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
More Lemon Desserts!
If you make these Lemon Bar Macarons or any other recipe on my website, I'd love for you to leave a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!
Lemon Macarons with Curd and Shortbread
These lemon bar macarons pair lemon-flavored shells with a buttery shortbread crust center and a creamy lemon curd filling. Close your eyes and you'd swear you were eating a rich, tart lemon bar! They're irresistible and perfect for any lemon lover in your life!
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 16 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 16 mins
- Makes
- 20 servings
Ingredients
lemon macaron shells
- 1 cup Almond Flour, sifted
- 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 3 Large Egg Whites
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Extract
- 4-5 drops Yellow Food Coloring
shortbread crust centers
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/8 cup Powdered Sugar
lemon curd filling
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Fresh Lemon Juice, 1-2 large-size lemons
- 2 tsp Lemon Zest, finely grated
- 2 large Egg Yolks
- 1 large Egg
Method
- Start by cleaning your mixing bowls, whisks, and any other baking tools you'll use for the macarons. A little white vinegar on a paper towel helps remove any leftover grease.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, and fit a large piping bag with a round decorating tip, like a Wilton 2A. Set these aside.
- Weigh all your ingredients with a food scale.
- Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar together twice, removing any bits left in the sifter. Whisk to blend fully, or pulse them in a food processor.
- Using a double boiler or bain-marie, heat the granulated sugar and aged egg whites over 1 – 1.5 inches of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture looks frothy (about 5-6 minutes). To check, rub a little between your pointer finger and thumb to make sure no sugar granules remain.
- Pour the hot mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and set the speed to high. Once it reaches soft peaks, add the lemon extract.
- When the meringue starts to reach medium peaks, mix in the yellow food coloring.
- Keep mixing on high until stiff peaks form (about 10 minutes). The meringue should look glossy and hold its shape when you turn the whisk attachment upside down.
- Use a spatula to gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the meringue. As you fold, press the batter against the side of the bowl. Keep going until it's about as thick as a somewhat stiff lava.
- If the batter falls off the spatula in ribbons, or can form a figure 8 without breaking, it's ready to pipe! If not, fold 2-3 more times and test again.
- When it's ready, scoop the lemon macaron batter into the piping bag. Hold the bag perpendicular to the silicone mat (or parchment paper) and pipe circles close to 1.5 inches across. After piping, bang the baking sheets on the counter and the circles should spread out just a little.
- Bang the baking sheets on the counter 3-4 times to release air bubbles, then use a toothpick to carefully pop any that rise to the surface.
- Set the trays somewhere cool and dry so the shells can rest for 40 minutes. They're ready to bake once the tops are no longer sticky and feel dry to the touch. A ceiling fan can help them dry, or you can lower your A/C a few degrees. Drying times vary by location, and the more humid it is, the longer they need to rest!
- When you're nearly done resting, preheat your oven to 300ºF and place the oven rack on the 2nd level, just above center.
- Bake only 1 tray at a time for 16 minutes at 300ºF, rotating the baking sheet at the 8 minute mark. Don't skip this step!
- When they're done, take them out and let them cool for 20-30 minutes. If the shells are still a bit sticky after that, pop them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Once they're completely cool, store the macaron shells in an airtight container in the freezer until you're ready to use them.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat your small baking sheet with some baking spray.
- Using a hand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the unsalted butter on medium-high for 1-2 minutes, until soft and creamy.
- Lower the mixer speed and add the all-purpose flour and powdered sugar. Mix until well blended.
- Press the mixture into a thin layer, about 1/8 inch thick, on a small baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350ºF.
- Take it out and let it cool completely.
- Use a 1 inch circle cookie cutter (or a similar size from a large piping tip) to cut out roughly 20-22 circles. Set them aside. Any leftover shortbread crust makes a great topping for the extra lemon curd!
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter on medium-high for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and mix until well blended. Then add the 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg and mix until fully combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan. While whisking constantly, cook over low heat until thickened (about 8-10 minutes).
- Take it off the heat and press it through a fine mesh sieve into a mixing bowl.
- Press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the lemon curd and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Kept in a tightly sealed container, lemon curd lasts up to a week in the refrigerator.
Baker’s notes
- Lemon curd filling takes 15 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook. It needs to chill for a minimum of 1 hour.
- The shortbread crust centers take 10 minutes to prep and 12 minutes to bake. Let them cool completely before cutting out the circles.
