Lemon Macarons

In a medium bowl, add the softened butter. Using a mixer with the beater attachment, beat on low speed to ensure the butter is lump free before adding the powdered sugar.

Add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time and continue mixing on low speed until combined. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula with each addition of powdered sugar so that it incorporates evenly. Then, increase the speed to medium speed and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the lemon zest and mix until combined. Add the milk and beat again on medium speed until light and creamy.

The milk will help thin out the buttercream and give it a super smooth and creamy texture. You shouldn’t need more than 1 tablespoon of milk. If you add more, the buttercream will be too thin.

It should look light and fluffy, not runny. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set it aside.

Place a sifter or fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Add the almond meal and powdered sugar to the sifter or sieve and sift into the bowl. Discard any large pieces of almond meal. Set the dry ingredients aside.

Dampen a paper towel with a bit of vinegar and wipe down the inside of a 4- or 5- quart glass or metal mixing bowl.

Add the egg whites to the mixing bowl and using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, whisk on medium-low speed for 1 to 2 minutes until the egg whites are foamy, but not yet holding their shape.

I use a Kitchen Aid mixer on speed 3 for this step. You can do this with an electric handheld mixer set on medium. Follow along with the visual cues for doneness.

Add the cream of tartar first and continue whisking for 3 minutes. At this point, the egg whites will have gained a little bit of volume, look dull, and will not hold its shape.

With the mixer still running, sprinkle in the sugar slowly, 1 tablespoon at a time. When all the sugar has been added, increase to medium speed and continue whisking for about 2 minutes. The egg whites will have increased in volume, become white, and look thick. I use a Kitchen Aid mixer on speed 4 for this step.

Stop the mixer and add the food coloring, then continue whisking for 3 minutes until the mixture looks glossy and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. You will also notice some ridges in the middle near the whisk indicating it is ready. This foamy mixture is called a meringue.

Stop the mixer, lift the whisk from the egg whites, and turn the whisk upside down. It should have a stiff peak of meringue that slightly bends at the very tip, but it should not slide off the whisk.

If the peak curls or falls over then continue whisking the meringue, about 1 to 2 minutes. If the meringue starts to look chunky or curdled, the egg whites have been overwhipped and you’ll have to start over.

Add one third of the dry ingredients into the meringue. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold them together. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients, one third of it at a time until fully combined.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter against and around the sides of the bowl to knock some of the air out of the batter. Do this 5 or 6 times. Knocking some of the air out of the batter is important because too much air will cause the shells to crack while they bake.

Use a rubber spatula to pick up some of the batter and drizzle it over the batter in the bowl. It should stream down like honey.

Draw a figure 8 with it over the batter. The figure 8 should start to sink back into the batter after 10 to 20 seconds, but not disappear.

If the figure 8 disappears too quickly, you have over-mixed the batter. If the batter does not pass the figure 8 test, fold the batter with a rubber spatula twice and then check it again, and repeat until it passes!

Turn two large baking sheets upside down and line the bottom of the baking sheet (which is now the top!) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set them aside.

Fit a 12- to 18- inch pastry bag with a small round pastry tip—I use a small #12 Wilton round tip.

Place the pastry bag into a tall cup with the pastry tip touching the bottom of the cup. Cuff the excess bag over the edge of the cup. Use a rubber spatula to gently scrape the batter into the piping bag. Twist the top of the pastry bag so that the batter doesn’t fall out of the bag while you’re holding it.

If using parchment, pipe a small dot of batter in each corner of the baking sheet to help secure the paper.

Pipe 1- to 1 1/2-inch circles 2 inches apart from each other on the prepared baking sheets. The pastry tip should point directly down, not at an angle, for evenly sized and perfectly round shells.

If the tops have a pointy tip from the piping, gently smooth them out with an offset spatula or the back of a small spoon. You will get 30 to 32 circles, which will yield 15 or 16 macarons.

Firmly grasp the sides of the baking sheet and tap it hard against your counter. Tiny air bubbles may come up to the surface of the shells and pop. You can use the sharp, pointy end of a toothpick to pop them, if desired. Rotate the baking sheet as needed to tap all sides evenly.

Allow the shells to rest for 30 to 40 minutes. It may take up to 1 hour if your home is humid. The shells are ready to bake when they look matte and you can touch the tops without them sticking to your finger or leaving a mark.

Meanwhile, set the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 300°F

Bake the shells, one baking sheet at a time, for 13 minutes. When the timer goes off, carefully open the oven door, and gently touch the top of a shell.

The top of the shell should not move from the feet where it touches the pan. If it moves slightly, bake it for 1 minute more.

Place the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack. Allow the shells to cool completely before lifting them from the mat. Do not try and lift them up using a spatula or other tool, especially if they are sticking.

Once they are completely cool, use your hands to peel the baking mat or parchment paper back from the shells slowly and gently. If they are completely cool, the shells should come off easily.

Match similar-sized shells in pairs and set them aside on your counter. Each pair will be filled with the lemon buttercream.

Fit a small piping bag with a round #12 Wilton tip. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the lemon buttercream into the pastry bag. Twist the top of the pastry bag so that the buttercream doesn’t fall out of the bag while you’re holding it.

Pipe a little less than a tablespoon-sized dollop of lemon buttercream onto one of the paired shells. Top it with its paired shell. Repeat filling the remaining macarons.

Transfer the macarons into an airtight container and place them in the fridge overnight, at least 12 hours, to soften for the best texture. This step is called maturing.