Lemon Mascarpone Macarons are the ultimate macaron for lemon lovers: the puckery flavor of lemon is perfectly balanced by the rich and creamy mascarpone. {Jump to Recipe}
Given that lemon is my absolute favorite flavor, I’d be hard-pressed to explain why it took me so long to share a lemon macaron recipe. Perhaps I took the flavor for granted! I’ve been tweaking and testing different versions for the past year or two, and I thought it was time to share the favorite I finally adopted.
The flavor in this Lemon Mascarpone Macaron is so lively, I should call it the ultimate macaron for lemon lovers: it has lemon zest in the shells, lemon juice and zest in the filling, and—my secret pro tip—a piece of lemon pâte de fruit tucked in the center. I used to fill these with a simple lemon buttercream, but using mascarpone cheese instead of butter really brings this treat to the next level: the slight zing of the cheese pairs so well with the citrus fruit, and the richness cuts through the acidity of lemon juice. This balance creates the perfect lemon bite: you first get a puckery lemon hit, which is then slightly tamed by the creamy filling.
If you can’t find mascarpone cheese, you could substitute cream cheese or even unsalted butter, if you want to make a classic lemon buttercream. To decorate the shells, I used thinly sliced almonds, which I placed on the shells before baking (use only one per shell to make sure the almonds won’t prevent the shells from rising), and edible glitter, for an added bit of wow.
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Never made French macarons? Here are helpful resources to get you started:
- How to Make French Macarons Video Class
- How to Make Macarons: A Detailed, Illustrated Step-by-Step Recipe
- A Macaron Troubleshooting Guide: Useful Tips and Advice to Master the French Delicacy
- My “All About French Macarons” Page
Lemon Mascarpone Macarons
Yield 28 assembled macarons
Lemon Mascarpone Macarons are the ultimate macaron for lemon lovers: the puckery flavor of lemon is perfectly balanced by the rich and creamy mascarpone.
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites, aged for at least 24 hours
- 4.4 oz (125 g) almond flour
- 7.4 oz (210 g) powdered sugar
- Zest of ½ lemon, very finely grated (using a Microplane is best)
- 30 g granulated sugar
- Yellow gel food coloring
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4.8 oz (137 g) mascarpone cheese, room temperature (half a small container)
- 2 cups (500 ml) powdered sugar, sifted
- Finely grated zest from ½ lemon (1 loose tsp (5 ml))
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
- Lemon pâtes de fruits (homemade or store-bought)
- Sliced almonds
- Gold edible glitter powder
Instructions
To make the lemon and mascarpone filling: Cream the butter and mascarpone in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer to do so), then add the sifted powdered sugar. Beat at low speed to moisten the sugar, then increase the speed and beat until the sugar is well incorporated. Add the lemon zest and juice. Beat at high speed until the buttercream is light and fluffy. If the buttercream seems a bit loose, refrigerate it for 30 minutes to an hour before piping it into the macarons. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve until ready to assemble the macarons. (The buttercream can be made ahead; refrigerate, but make sure to return to room temperature at least an hour before using.)
To make the shells: Take the egg whites out of the refrigerator about an hour before making the macarons to return them to room temperature. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Slide macaron templates under the parchment paper, if using.
Place the almond flour, powdered sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Finely grind the two together for a minute or two. Stop the processor, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and process again for a minute. After processing the powdered sugar and almond flour together, carefully sieve the mixture but keep any zest that doesn’t go through the sieve (you want that flavor in your macarons!). Reserve the almond/sugar/lemon zest mixture.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a stainless steel or glass bowl if using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium/high speed for a minute or two, or until they are foamy. Add a tablespoon of the granulated sugar, continue beating, then add the remaining sugar slowly. Beat until the egg whites are stiff, dense and creamy. Mix in 5 or more drops yellow gel food coloring, depending on the shade you’re looking for. Delicately fold in the nuts/sugar mixture in 2 or 3 additions. Slide your spatula all the way to the bottom of the bowl and comes back up several times to make sure no pockets of dry ingredients remain and the color is evenly blended.
Pour the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a round ½-inch tip, then pipe equal rounds of batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets. If desired, place one sliced almond on top of each shell. Let rest for 20 minutes or more before baking.
Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C) with a rack set to the middle position. Bake the macarons, one sheet at a time, for 13 to 16 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes.
Let the shells cool completely to room temperature before, about an hour. Pair same sized shells together.
To assemble the macarons: Pipe or spread some lemon mascarpone filling over half of the shells. If desired, tuck a small piece of lemon pâte de fruits in the center of the filling for an added surprise. Cover the filling with a second matching shell. If desired, brush the top of the macarons with gold edible glitter powder.
Store the assembled macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate for one night before indulging. Enjoy within the next three days for the best texture and flavor. Always bring the macarons back to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Credit: Marie Asselin
Courses Dessert
The filling sounds delightful and I can’t wait to try it! I’ve got my shells ready but was looking around to see some filling options; I think I found the one ;)
Hello Marie!
Love the recipe! The mascarpone filling is SPECTACULAR and extremely easy to make, love it all! Will absolutely nominate this recipe❤️ I’ll check back to see how the pates de fruits battle goes.
Best Regards,
Christy Deane
P.S. I’m guessing it’s due to site formatting, but your last reply only shows about two letters in on the page. Gotta love technology! ???? (Nope)
So glad you loved it Christy!
If you know of a good recipe for pates de fruits, that’d be stellar as well! Thank you!
I’m in a process of testing out many different techniques and recipes to make pâtes de fruits! I’d love to make them as well. Make sure to check back in a month or two, the results of my experiments should be on the blog :)
Perhaps there’d be comments if only you’d posted an amount for the almond flour. Very odd.
Hello Cristy, I’m sorry for the missing information. I’m currently porting my recipes into an updated format that will make them easier to use. Unfortunately, there was a problem during the transfer of this recipe, which caused the almond flour information to be hidden. Thanks for notifying me! I’ve corrected the problem. I hope you make these macarons, because they’re amazing!
Hello Marie, thanks for posting the almond flour info! If I may be so bold as to suggest an addition to your recipe, it might be helpful to give a detailed account of what the batter should look/feel like after the folding process. I am currently in “macaron [email protected], having under mixed two batches in a row. (Only slightly easier to take than over mixing) If you have any ideas for using the “cookie carcasses”, that’d make my day. ( too delicate for a cookie crust of any kind, I’m guessing) Best of luck with the tech!
I’ve actually written extensively about macarons! They’re my favorite thing to bake. For help about what to look for when making macarons, and all my troubleshooting tips, check out the following posts:
> How to Make Macarons: A Detailed, Illustrated Step-by-Step Recipe with Video
> A Macaron Troubleshooting Guide: Useful Tips and Advice to Master the French Delicacy
For even further visual cues, check out my How to Make French Macarons video class on Skillshare.com, I’ve been told it’s really helpful.
Best of luck :)