Lemon Mascarpone Macarons

For the shells

• 3 large egg whites
• 125 g almond flour
• 210 g powdered (icing) sugar
• Grated zest of ½ lemon
• 30 g granulated sugar
• Yellow gel colour

For the mascarpone and lemon cream

• 1/2 cup [125 ml] unsalted butter at room temperature
• 137 g mascarpone at room temperature
• 2 cups [500 ml] sifted powdered sugar
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon (1 tsp [5 ml])
• 2 tbsp [30 ml] strained freshly squeezed lemon juice

For decoration (optional)

• Lemon pâtes de fruits (or lemon slices)
• Flaked almonds
• Gold edible glitter powder

Method

Lemon cream: Beat the mascarpone and butter to a soft cream (a stand mixer works too), then add the sifted powdered sugar. Beat on low speed until the sugar is absorbed, then on high speed. Add the lemon zest and juice. Beat on high speed until you have an airy fluffy cream. If it looks slightly runny, leave it in the fridge for 30 min. Warm it to room temperature before sandwiching the macarons.

For the shells: Make a French meringue, adding the granulated sugar shortly after you start whipping the egg whites, and the lemon zest to the dry ingredients.