How To Make Perfect Heart Macarons with Lemon Buttercream Perfect Macaron Recipe

Hey, it's Natasha of natashaskitchen.com. I'm gonna show you how to make heart-shaped macaroons with a lemon buttercream, and they're easier than you think. Get ready to impress your friends. Macarons are one of the few recipes where you really have to weigh out the ingredients. Start out with 70 grams of almond flour and 120 grams of powdered sugar. Combine those in a food processor, pulse a couple times, then process for about a minute and a half. Sift your ingredients and discard any solids that stay behind in the sieve. Beat two room-temperature egg whites in a large bowl until they're foamy, then gradually add a quarter cup of sugar, increase to high speed, and beat another two and a half minutes or until you have stiff, glossy peaks. A one-inch strip of red gel food coloring, then fold just until it's incorporated. Add the entire amount of your sifted almond flour mixture. This is the folding technique that has always worked really well for me. I scrape with my spatula around the bowl and then cut through the center, around and cut through the center. Repeat this for 35 to 40 complete strokes until the batter flows like lava and a thick ribbon forms as it flows off the spatula. That looks exactly right. Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment or silicone liners and place the heart-shaped template underneath to guide you. I created these just for you and I'll have a link to a free printable in the notes below. Use a large pastry bag fitted with a 3 1⁄8-inch large round tip. Transfer all of your macaron batter into the bag and start piping those hearts. You'll get the hang of it in no time. Do your best to stay inside the heart template, but remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. Pipe from the top left, then the top right, pulling down towards the center to create a heart shape. Now add your favorite sprinkles. Tap each baking sheet firmly against the counter 15 to 20 times to release any air bubbles. The obvious remaining bubbles with a toothpick. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and let the cookies sit at room temperature 30 minutes or until they're no longer sticky to the touch. Then bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes. While the cookies cool to room temperature on the baking sheets, we're gonna work on that lemon buttercream frosting. Put six tablespoons of softened unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl. Cream the butter on high speed for two minutes, then add 1 1⁄2 cups of powdered sugar, half a cup at a time, and stirring in between each addition so you don't end up in a big cloud of powdered sugar. Also add 1⁄8 of a teaspoon of salt. Once all the sugar is incorporated, increase to high speed and beat for two minutes. Two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and beat on high speed for another minute or until it's whipped and fluffy. Transfer the buttercream to the same clean pastry bag fitted with the round tip, the spatula when you're done, and maybe the bowl, although I'm not admitting to anything. Flip over half of your macaron cookies and frost generously. You see how I'm piping kind of in a heart-shaped motion? That'll make the cookies extra pretty when you sandwich them together. Done, and these were so much fun to make. Normally, you wanna let these rest for a day or so because the shell gets softened by the cream and absorbs some of that cream and they are just phenomenal, but the cook has to have her sample, so I'm just gonna try one of these out. Here we go. I love that sweet, nutty shell, and you can really taste the little bit of salt in the buttercream frosting and that little zing of lemon juice, wow. These are a must try, and they're really easier than you think. I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe. If you did, give me a great big thumbs up below. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, and thanks for watching. These are such a treat for Valentine's Day, and hey, before you go, make sure to check out our raspberry macaron recipe. They are raspberries from top to bottom, and they are phenomenal.