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Lemon Mascarpone French Macarons

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Lemon Mascarpone French Macarons

Lemon Mascarpone French Macarons are the ultimate macaron for lemon lovers: the puckery flavor of lemon is perfectly balanced by the rich and creamy mascarpone. This recipe includes a variety of resources to help you make macarons, including a French Macaron video masterclass!

Lemon Mascarpone Macarons // FoodNouveau.com

This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure is at the bottom of the article.


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 these Lemon Mascarpone French Macarons is so lively, I find it to be 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 fruit jelly 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 a dusting of edible glitter, for an extra special touch.


FIRST TIME MAKING FRENCH MACARONS?

If this is your first time making macarons, prep, read, and watch before you start: Macarons are finicky to make, but if you set aside enough time so that you won’t be rushed, you can do it. I have a variety of resources available for you: 

  • And a 30-minute French Macaron Video Masterclass—which I highly recommend watching before you make macarons for the first time. There’s nothing like watching someone making macarons to learn how to make them properly—that’s how I learned over 10 years ago, and that’s how thousands of my students did too!

NEW: French Macaron Video Masterclass

Learn how to make perfect French macarons at home with my detailed video masterclass, now available to everyone for FREE and unlimited watching! This masterclass was previously hosted behind a paywall on an educational site where THOUSANDS of students rated it 5 STARS! It’s now available to all macaron lovers worldwide, for absolutely free ❤️

My detailed French Macaron Video Masterclass is divided into 14 handy lessons that will make you a macaron expert in no time. I designed my masterclass both for novice bakers who want to learn new skills, and for experienced bakers who are seeking to master a new and impressive dessert. Let me guide you through the essential equipment you need, the important steps to follow, the techniques to master, and the potential pitfalls to avoid. You can watch the videos on your own time, start practicing, share with other budding macaron makers, and ask me questions if you encounter difficulties along the way.

I’m confident that this video class will enable you to create perfect French macarons. Watch the class now!

If you enjoy my French Macaron Masterclass, make sure to “like” it on YouTube to allow other macaron lovers to discover it. Thank you and happy baking!


 

 
Lemon Mascarpone Macarons // FoodNouveau.com

Lemon Mascarpone French Macarons

Lemon Mascarpone French Macarons are the ultimate macaron for lemon lovers: the puckery flavor of lemon is perfectly balanced by the rich and creamy mascarpone.
Prep Time:1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Servings 28 assembled macarons

Ingredients

For the lemon and mascarpone buttercream

  • 113 g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 135 g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 240 g powdered sugar, sifted
  • 5 ml finely grated lemon zest (about ½ lemon)
  • 30 ml strained, freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)

For the macaron shells

Instructions

  • For the lemon and mascarpone buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, cream the butter and mascarpone together. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix 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. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip and refrigerate until ready to assemble the macarons.
  • For the macaron shells: *Return the egg whites to room temperature at least an hour before making the macarons shells.*
  • In the bowl of a food processor, add the powdered sugar, almond flour, and lemon zest, and process until the mixture is thoroughly incorporated, 30 seconds to a minute. Sift the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to make sure no lumps or bigger bits of almonds or zest are left.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large stainless steel mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium/high speed until frothy. Add a tablespoon of the granulated sugar, continue whisking at medium-low speed, then add the remaining sugar slowly. Increase the speed medium-high and whisk until the egg whites are bright white and create stiff peaks. At low speed, mix in a few drops of yellow gel food coloring, to your liking.
  • Add the almond and powdered sugar mixture to the egg whites and, using a spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients: slide your spatula all the way to the bottom of the bowl and comes back up to the top. Do this about 6 times to incorporate the dry ingredients, then keep folding for a total of about 14 times until no pockets of dry ingredients remain and the mixture drops from the side of the spatula in a slow, lazy ribbon. Start testing early to make sure not to overfold.
  • Stack two baking sheets and line the top sheet with parchment paper. If you're not using parchment paper sheets, cut out the parchment paper so it fits exactly over the bottom of the sheet to make sure the macarons will lay flat. Slide macaron templates under the parchment paper, if using.
  • Transfer the macaron batter to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch (1.25-cm) round tip. Pipe 1 ½-inch (3.8-cm) rounds of batter, evenly spaced but still close to one another as they will not expand much.
  • Carefully slide the macaron templates off the baking sheets, if you used them. If desired, gently place a toasted sliced almond over each shell. Let the shells rest on the baking sheets for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C) with a rack set to the middle position. Bake each sheet of macaron shells for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the shells are firm on their feet when you lightly tap on them with the tip of a finger.
  • Let the shells cool completely to room temperature before assembling them, about an hour.
  • To assemble the macarons: Pair same-sized shells together and set them side by side on a work surface.
    If desired, cut 28 small, flat pieces of lemon fruit jelly and keep them closeby.
    Pipe some lemon and mascarpone buttercream over half of the shells, following the circumference of each shell to create a circle. Fill each circle with a piece of lemon fruit jelly. Close the macarons, gently pressing the second shells over the filling.
    If desired, using a pastry brush, decorate the top of each macaron with edible gold shimmer dust.
  • STORAGE: Store the assembled Lemon Mascarpone French Macarons in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight before indulging. French macarons will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.
    Mascarpone buttercream does not freeze well. It changes texture and releases some water upon thawing, which can turn the macarons soggy. Freezing these Lemon Mascarpone French Macarons is not recommended.
  • SERVING: Always bring these Lemon Mascarpone French Macarons back to room temperature before serving.

Did you make this?

Tell me how you liked it! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it with @foodnouveau on Instagram.

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Author: Marie Asselin

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

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  1. 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 ;)

  2. 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)

    • 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 :)