French Macaroons with Lavender Buttercream and Citrus Curd
Master the art of French macaroons with this delightful recipe. These delicate, colorful treats are filled with fragrant lavender buttercream and a zesty St Clements curd made from lemon and orange. With a little patience and practice, you can create these iconic pastries that are perfect for special occasions or as a luxurious treat.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Sieve
- Piping bags with 1cm and 5mm plain nozzles
- Baking sheets
- Silicone baking mats
- Small grinder or food processor (optional)
- Silicone baking mat
- Sugar thermometer
- Hand whisk
- Heavy-based pan
- Cling film
Ingredients
For the Macaroons:
- 125 g ground almonds
- 225 g icing sugar
- 4 medium egg whites
- A pinch of cream of tartar
- 25 g caster sugar
- A little purple food colouring
- A little orange food colouring
- For the St Clements Curd:
- 2 large eggs
- 75 g caster sugar
- 75 g unsalted butter diced
- Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
- Juice and grated zest of 1 orange
For the Lavender Buttercream:
- 150 g caster sugar
- 50 ml water
- 2 egg whites
- 250 g soft unsalted butter diced
- A little purple food colouring
- 2 drops of lavender extract
Instructions
Prepare the Macaroon Batter:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
- Sift the ground almonds and icing sugar together onto a piece of baking parchment, then sift again.
- For an even finer texture, you can process the mixture in a food processor for 30 seconds before sifting.
- Divide the almond and sugar mixture in half, weighing it carefully.
- Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until they are foamy.
- Add a pinch of cream of tartar and whisk to soft peaks.
- Gradually add the caster sugar while whisking, until the meringue is firm.
- Divide the meringue into two portions.
- Add a few drops of purple food colouring to one portion and orange food colouring to the other, whisking until evenly colored.
- Gently fold half of the dry ingredients into each colored meringue mixture until smooth and shiny, but still able to hold its shape.
Pipe and Bake the Macaroons:
- Fit a piping bag with a 1cm plain nozzle and fill it with the macaroon mixture.
- Pipe the macaroon mixture onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.
- The circles should be about 2cm in diameter, spaced 2.5cm apart.
- Tap the tray gently on the work surface to flatten the tops slightly.
- Leave the macaroons to rest for about 15 minutes to form a skin.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, leaving the oven door slightly ajar to let the steam escape.
- The macaroons should rise slightly and be crisp on top.
- Immediately after removing them from the oven, run a little cold water between the baking parchment and the tray to help release the macaroons.
- Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Prepare the St Clements Curd:
- In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (ensuring the water doesn’t touch the bowl), combine the eggs, caster sugar, diced butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, orange juice, and orange zest.
- Whisk gently with a hand whisk until the curd thickens enough to leave a trail on the surface.
- This may take 10–15 minutes.
- For a lighter texture, blend the hot curd in a blender on high for 1–2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film, and leave to cool.
Prepare the Lavender Buttercream:
- In a heavy-based pan, combine 125g of caster sugar with 50ml of water.
- Use a sugar thermometer and heat the mixture until it reaches 118°C.
- While the sugar syrup is heating, whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar in an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites while whisking on low speed, then increase the speed and whisk until the meringue cools to hand hot.
- Reduce the speed and gradually add the diced butter, whisking until smooth and silky.
- Finally, add a few drops of purple food colouring and the lavender extract, whisking until well combined.
Assemble the Macaroons:
- Fit a piping bag with a 5mm plain nozzle and fill it with the lavender buttercream.
- Fit another piping bag with a 5mm nozzle and fill it with the St Clements curd.
- Sandwich the purple macaroons together with the lavender buttercream and the orange macaroons with the citrus curd.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Suggestion:
Serve these elegant macaroons with tea or coffee as a luxurious treat, or pack them as a delightful gift for someone special.Wine Recommendation:
Pair with a glass of Champagne or a light dessert wine like Muscat.Nutritional Information
Calories: 120 kcal | Carbohydrates: 14 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 6 g | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 12 g | Salt: 0.1 mg
