These macarons have a bold, gorgeous pink color and a light yellow buttercream filling. The white sprinkles make them even more fun and pleasant to look at!
Lemon is so irresistible in desserts, but pink lemonade is even more so. The lemon buttercream is refreshing, sweet and creamy and sits between strawberry and vanilla pink macarons shells.
These patisserie beauties are gorgeous, delicious and gluten-free. With this foolproof classic recipe, we’ve taken the guesswork out of macarons to easily yield tasty and professional-looking macarons every time!
TIPS AND TRICKS:
Precision is key to perfect macarons. Be sure to weigh the ingredients precisely and accommodate extraneous factors, like humidity and oven temp.
Follow the step-by-step directions to make meringue. You want to fold in the almond mixture until you can lift the spatula and ribbon a figure 8 with the batter.
After piping into rounds, let the shells dry until a film forms on top. You should be able to brush the shells without them being tacky - this can take 20 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the humidity of your kitchen. Be patient, and don’t cheat! If your macarons won’t form a skin, then try placing them under the hood fan (on low speed) until fully dry. Otherwise, it’s best not to have any targeted air flowing near the macarons (like the AC) or else the macarons may crack when being baked.
Pink Variegated Lemons have a more fruity, less tart flavor than normal lemons.
Tag @cleaneatsfactory on Instagram if you make these! Leave any questions in the comments, or DM me!
Pink Lemonade Macarons (GF)
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup almond flour, finely ground
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. strawberry or vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp sprinkles (optional)
- 2 drops pink gel food coloring
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
- 1 to 2 cups confectioners sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed (pink variety preferred, or lemon curd)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Pinch of salt, to taste
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the powdered sugar, almond flour, and ½ teaspoon of salt, and process on low speed, until extra fine. Sift the almond flour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Gradually add the granulated sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form, then, add the vanilla and beat until just combined. Lastly, add food coloring and beat until just combined.
- Add about ⅓ of the sifted almond flour mixture at a time to the beaten egg whites and use a spatula to gently fold until combined. After the last addition of almond flour, continue to fold slowly until the batter falls into ribbons and you can make a figure 8 while holding the spatula up. At this point, do not over mix - transfer the macaron batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. You will be working your batter slightly more as you transfer it to the piping bag.
- The fun part: pipe the macarons onto the parchment paper in 1½-inch circles, spacing at least 1-inch apart. Then, tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 5-10 times to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle the white nonpareils, if using, in the center of each shell.
- Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to 1 hour, until dry to the touch. As the macarons form a skin, preheat the oven to 300˚F.
- Bake the macarons for 15 to 17 minutes, until the feet are well-risen and the macarons don’t stick to the parchment paper or silicon mat. Wait until they’re completely cool before attempting to lift the shells off.
- Whip the softened butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the remainder of the ingredients and whip until aerated and well-combined. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe on the bottom macaron shell before gently pressing the top shell to assemble the macaron.