Citrus Macarons Recipes

Steps:

• For the macarons: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Place the granulated sugar and 180 grams (6 1/3 ounces) water in a pot and cook until a candy thermometer inserted in the mixture reads 125 degrees F.
• In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip 260 grams (9 1/8 ounces) of the egg whites until frothy, and then slowly pour in the boiled sugar; mix until cool, checking for a stiff meringue. In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, confectioners' sugar and the remaining 250 grams (8 3/4 ounces) egg whites. Add some food coloring if using. Fold the meringue into the almond mixture until incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag and pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds (about 32) onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Cool the macarons on the baking sheet for 1 hour.
• For the filling: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the mascarpone, cranberries, vanilla and lemon zest until soft.
• Transfer the cranberry cream to a piping bag. Pipe some filling between two macarons and sandwich together. Repeat for the remaining cookies and filling.

Steps:

• These cookies are light and fun to make. They can be a great fall or winter addition to some chocolate treats.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and almond flour.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the 5 egg whites for 1 minute to combine. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating the whites on high speed until soft peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds and continue beating until it is fully incorporated and the whites are glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the lemon zest and the powdered sugar mixture.
• Coat 1 or 2 large baking sheets with a layer of parchment paper. Spray the paper with a thin layer of nonstick spray. Put heaping teaspoonfuls of the batter about 2-inches apart on the tray(s). Take care to leave the space between each mound because this batter spreads as it bakes.
• Put the tray in the center of the oven and bake for 8 minutes, then raise the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and form a nice shell-like exterior, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes before gingerly removing them from the tray with an offset spatula. Take care! They can stick to the paper.