Hi friends! I don’t know about you, but I am beyond ready for spring! As much as I love the winter flavors and the snow is just beautiful, I am craving sunshine and warm days outside with the kiddos. Do you have a favorite season? 

These lemon lime macarons are the perfect dessert to kickoff spring! The light and citrusy flavors just make me happy, and I hope they make you happy too!

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The post Lemon Lime Macarons appeared first on A Classic Twist.

PSL!! You know I had to since we are now all-embracing fall. I usually wait to share pumpkin recipes on the blog but I always start with the pumpkin spice latte as soon as it comes out. So pumpkin spice latte macarons had to be made to go with said lattes. Don’t fight it. Let’s just embrace it, enjoy and get our pumpkin on!!

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Hi guys! We are long overdue for new macaron recipes around here. These mango macarons were the first of the year and they launched me into a tropical macaron train. Naturally, as I am on a passionfruit discovery (did you miss my passionfruit bundt cake?), these raspberry macarons with passionfruit filling happened. They are sweet, pillowy and bursting with the lip-puckering flavors of raspberries and passion fruit.

I have a love-hate relationship with these buggers but I still love them. Sometimes they are finicky and at other times they work as they should. However, most times when they don’t work I am changing the conditions without knowing it (not beating the egg whites long enough to stiff peaks, over mixing or under mixing the batter, not drying shells long enough). Of course, it’s not until they fail that I realize I was not following the recipe or things were not perfect.

For these raspberry macarons, I used my go-to macaron shell recipe found here (lemon macarons). After making a vanilla macaron shell, I coated them with freeze-dried raspberry dust. Finely pulsed freeze-dried fruits is a great way to infuse flavors into baked goods including macarons. Especially for macarons, you leave you can keep your macaron shell recipe unchanged and still get the flavor addition you need.

The filling is a simple passionfruit curd. I made a passionfruit tart after making this passionfruit bundt cake and had a few cups left of the puree. The tart was filled with passionfruit curd – a sweet, tart and delicious curd. I used the rest of that curd to fill these macarons and was amazed at how well the flavors went together. Of course, I remade the macarons a few weeks later with the curd and was still in love. That’s why you are getting it now.

These raspberry macarons are truly incredible and will be perfect for any party you have this summer. Showers, birthday parties or just for fun, these macarons will be devoured by all. Try them soon and do let me know how you like them in the comments below.

Print

Yield: ~12 macarons

Raspberry Macarons with Passionfruit Filling

These raspberry macarons are sweet, pillowy soft french cookies filled with a tart passion fruit curd. Raspberry and passion fruit are perfect together.

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 20 minutes

Rest Time 45 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• FOR THE PASSIONFRUIT CURD:
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup passionfruit puree
• 3 egg yolks, whisked in a small bowl
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces
• FOR THE MACARON SHELL:
• 110 g almond meal/flour
• 155 g confectioner’s sugar
• 90 g egg white (3 large egg whites)
• 55 g granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup freeze dried raspberries, finely crushed

Instructions

FOR THE PASSIONFRUIT CURD:

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the sugar with the cornstarch and add in the puree. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Gradually whisk in half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks to temper the eggs.
2. Return the egg mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the butter pieces. Whisk until melted.
3. Transfer curd into a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed against the top. Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight until set.

FOR THE MACARON SHELLS:

1. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. I used a 1½-inch round cookie cutter to draw circles on the parchment paper and flip over the paper (drawing side down). Prepare a pastry bag with a round tip. I used Wilton 2A.
2. Using a food processor, pulse the powdered sugar and almond flour. Sift several times until there is less than 2 tablespoons of almond bits left. Add these to the mixture.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the meringue and fold with a rubber spatula. Gently fold to deflate the meringue by pressing against the side of the bowl and scooping from the bottom until batter is smooth and shiny; about 20-25 folds. To check consistency, drop a spoonful of batter and it should have a peak that quickly relaxes back into the batter. Start checking the batter around 18-20 folds.
5. Transfer batter into pastry bag and pipe the batter into the pre-traced circles on the baking sheet. Tap baking sheet hard on a counter to release any air bubbles trapped in the batter.
6. Using a fine sieve, gently sift the finely crushed freeze-dried raspberry powder over the shells. A thin coating of the raspberry powder is sufficient.
7. Let shells sit on a counter for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours to dry. When you touch the shells, they should not be sticky.
8. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until shells hardens, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking time. You should be able to peel off the macaron from the parchment. Cool completely on cookie sheets before peeling from the parchment.
9. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large round or star tip, fill macarons with the passionfruit curd. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Allow to get to room temperature before enjoying!

Notes

• As always, macarons take patience and practice.
• Do not over mix the batter or under mix. Your shells will not form feet. The ideal mixture from macaronage is a batter that falls off your spatula and reintegrates into the rest of the batter within 10 seconds.
• The drying time depends on your altitude and humidity and of course the weather. Just be patient and wait until the shells dry to the touch.
• Remember they are still delicious even if they are not perfect.

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Today’s recipe of homemade grapefruit curd  is a simple yet important one! This grapefruit tart has been popular since I shared it a few weeks ago. So many of you have already made it and I love getting your emails about how you love the recipe along with your questions. Many of you asked about a separate recipe for the curd since you would like to use it beyond the tart. I don’t blame! I’ve been using it for everything from waffle toppings to macarons.

Making curd is so so simple guys. It’s really just whisking cornstarch, citrus juice, sugar and egg yolks together. Cook for a few minutes so the egg yolks cook and then let cool. BAM! So simple and you can use whatever citrus you like. Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Key Limes and beyond.

I used this homemade grapefruit curd to fill some grapefruit macarons I made this past weekend when I needed a break from thesis writing. Yes, I make macarons when I am stressed and they for some reason relax me. These grapefruit macarons are based of my favorite Spring lemon macaron recipe. I swapped out the lemon zest for grapefruit zest and used 2 teaspoons grapefruit juice instead of lemon extract. Otherwise the recipe is the same if you would like to make the grapefruit version. (Recipe HERE).

Okay, that’s it for today friends! Below is the simple recipe which you can scale up or down, depending on your needs. Enjoy!

Print

Yield: about ~2 cups

Homemade Grapefruit Curd

Prep Time 4 hours

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 ½ cups grapefruit juice (or citrus juice of your choice)
• 3 egg yolks, whisked in a small bowl
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 1 drop red food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the sugar with the cornstarch and add in the juice.
2. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Gradually whisk in half of the hot mixture into the egg yolks to temper the eggs.
3. Return the egg mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add in the butter pieces. Whisk until melted. Stir in food coloring if using.
5. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed against the top. Chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight until set.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set
• 
  Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3-Piece)

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The post Homemade Grapefruit Curd appeared first on A Classic Twist.

Spring!! The rainy days, the sunny 60-degree weather, and the budding leaves of the season just put a whiff of optimism in the air. Hmm, that came out way too happy, right? Eh, whatever! It’s a thing!! Spring makes me happy. I am enjoying the inspiration to explore new flavor combos in the kitchen like these lavender honey macarons. I am also playing a lot with bright colors (see pastel cupcakes here and pretty baked donuts) which really lights up any day. Colors make me happy!!

Lavender is one of my favorite floral scents to bake with (along with rose water) as it is delicate, feminine and just a beautiful accent to anything it is combined with. The sweet honey buttercream in these macarons is a perfect match with floral lavender in the macaron shells.

Aren’t these just beautiful? I love making macarons (duh!) and the ability to play with flavors and colors makes them extra special. For my monthly contribution post over on the Kitchenthusiast, the KitchenAid recipe blog, I am sharing with you my tips and tricks for making perfect macarons and also how you can use their versatility to color coordinate your dessert tables. Have showers come up? Bridal or baby? These will light up any dessert table!

Also, for this upcoming Mother Day’s celebration, try these lavender honey macarons for the wonderful mothers in your life!

Print

Yield: ~20 macaron sandwiches

Lavender Honey Macarons

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Total Time 58 minutes

Ingredients

For the macarons:

Toggle ingredient group

• 120 grams almond meal/flour
• 200 grams confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried lavender
• 90 grams egg whites (~3 large egg whites), room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt
• 50 grams granulated sugar

For the honey filling:

Toggle ingredient group

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lavender essence (optional)

Instructions

For the macarons:

1. Line two Sheet Pans with parchment paper. I used a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to draw circles on the parchment paper and flip over the paper (drawing side down). Prepare a pastry bag with a round tip. I used a Wilton 2A.
2. Using a Food Processor, pulse the powdered sugar, almond flour, and lavender into a fine powder. Sift several times until there is less than 1 tablespoon of almond bits left. Add these to the mixture.
3. In the bowl of your Stand Mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar. Beat until egg whites are foaming. With the Stand Mixer on medium-high, sprinkle in the sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Sift the dry ingredients over the meringue and fold with a rubber spatula. Gently fold to deflate the meringue by pressing against the side of the bowl and scooping from the bottom until the batter is smooth and shiny; about 20-25 folds. To check consistency, drop a spoonful of batter and it should have a peak that quickly relaxes back into the batter in about 20 seconds. Start checking the batter after 20 folds.
5. Transfer batter into pastry bag and pipe into the pre-traced circles on the baking sheet. Tap baking sheet hard on the counter to release any air bubbles trapped in the batter. Let shells sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes to dry. Once a shell forms on the macarons, you are ready to bake.
6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Bake for 12-13 minutes or until shells are hard, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking time. Cool completely on cookie sheets before peeling from the parchment.
   

For the honey filling:

1. Whip the butter until light and creamy. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix on low until combined. Increase speed to medium and whip for additional 2-3 minutes.
2. Match equal size macarons up to make a sandwich. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large round or star tip, fill macarons with honey buttercream. Store macarons in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

1. To make plain almond macarons, leave out the lavender in the shells, and substitute milk for honey in the filling.

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It’s been a while since we did macarons around here folks. When I first started baking and had macarons on my baking bucket list, I was whipping up a batch almost every other week. But once I got comfortable with the techniques, I slacked a bit on these little delicious crunchies. Well not anymore!

The beauty about macarons (beyond their obvious adorable chic look) is that it is easy to experiment with flavors. Unlike making a giant cake and frosting it, it’s easy to combine two or three flavors in a tiny bite. I decided to make these Irish Cream macarons in honor of the upcoming St Patrick’s day celebrations which are in full swing in my city already.

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