Lemon Raspberry Macarons Recipe (video)

1 30 prep + 15 cook

The best lemon raspberry macarons with freeze-dried raspberries and lemon buttercream frosting!

For the berry flavor in this recipe, use freeze-dried berries. Simply place the berries into a food processor, pulse for a few seconds and sift through fine mesh strainer.
Premeasure all your ingredients using a digital kitchen scale. Sift the freeze-dried berry powder, almond flour, and confectioner's sugar into a large mixing bowl and discard any large pieces that don't pass through the sifter.

Next, prepare the meringue. Place the egg whites and sugar into a medium-sized mixing bowl or stand mixer. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form. (turn the bowl over, egg whites should not move)!
Add the meringue to the dry ingredients then begin folding. Fold and mix from the bottom of the mixing bowl, until a uniform mixture forms.
The macaron batter needs to have a specific consistency. Not too thick or too thin, should fall off of your spatula in a ribbon. Fold and flatten the batter against the side of your mixing bowl until it reaches the right consistency.

Line two large baking sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper.
Transfer the macaron batter into a pastry bag tipped with a simple round tip. If you have the time, you can draw circles on the back of the parchment paper to use as guides.
Pipe even sized dollops onto the baking sheet, spacing the cookies at least an inch apart and pipe directly from the top. Tap pan multiple times to release any air bubbles.
Let the cookies stand for 1 HOUR (very important, do not skip this step!) to form a thin film or shell over the top. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 300F.

Bake the macarons at 300F for 16 to 18 minutes. They should lift off the parchment paper easily but not brown on top. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the lemon filling: Whisk the softened butter in medium-sized mixing bowl for a few minutes until fluffy. Next, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and confectioner's sugar. Continue to mix until a light and creamy buttercream forms.
Pair up the macaron shells and turn half of them over. Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe onto half the macaron shells, then sandwich with the second half.
For best results, place the macarons into an airtight container and refrigerate for 24 hours. Soften them at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to enjoying. These will keep in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for 1 month.