Meyer Lemon Tart with Lemon Macaron

I am finally writing a new post! Life with two babes are definitely not something one would take lightly. The only way I could write this post is when the two kids miraculously nap at the same time, and I am pumping while writing this post before they wake up (sorry for TMI).

I am not baking as much since Kathryn was born, but I cook way way more. She is almost a year old now, and ever since she was 6 months, I have been cooking four different meals! So to say that there isn't enough time in one day or enough energy on one's body, is not an understatement.

Anyhow, I thought I'd begin by posting something you are probably very familiar with, Meyer Lemon Tart. I have been making this dessert yearly, a few times per year and usually starts in Spring time. For some reason, every year, I always end up with bag after bag of meyer lemons, given by family or friends. This is my husband's favorite dessert that I made and now Sophie loves it too, she couldn't stop licking the spatula! I told her that the smell of meyer lemons being zested or juiced, is one of my favorite smells of all time.

I made different variation of this over the years, such as strawberry white chocolate, meringue, with candied lemons, or plain glaze, even paired with chocolate, and many others I didn't photograph because there were too many. This time, I decided to make lemon macaron to go with it.
The inside of the macaron is white chocolate lemon buttercream which has the same lemon curd as the one in the tart.

I can't recommend enough of the lemon cream. Other than to make lemon tart, I used this lemon cream to make macarons (as shown here), cheesecake, cake filling, and many others, even plainly licked directly from the bowl!



Before this, I had not made macarons in probably more than a year, my oven is also new. So I didn't really have much confidence in how good they would turn out. I'd be happy if I got 5 pairs just for the photos, but surprisingly, this was actually the first time they all came out 100% perfect! No crack on top, no "feet-less" macaron, no spreading, no loop-sided macaron.

I used the same macaron recipe that I've been faithfully using for a few years now, which comes from Pierre Herme. In his book "Macaron", he actually has a recipe for lemon macaron, in which he used the same lemon curd mixed with almond flour. As for me, I made white chocolate buttercream, then I mixed in some of the lemon curd. I love love how it turned out!
Here's the recipe again for the tart and the macaron

Meyer Lemon Tart

Pate Sucree
yield: three 101/2-in crusts or four 8-in crusts

300g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
190g powdered sugar
60g ground almonds
1 vanilla bean, scrapped
2 eggs, room temperature
500g all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

• Put the butter in a mixer bowl and cream until smooth and creamy using a paddle attachment.
• Add the sugar, ground almonds, and vanilla bean seeds. Mix until combined.
• Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating the previous one before adding the next one (the dough might look curdled at this point but don't worry, it'll come together once you add the flour)
• Combine the flour and salt. Add to the dough in about three addition. Mix until just it comes together. Do not overwork! Like Pierre said, "it's better to have lumps of butter rather than to have an overworked dough".
• Divide the dough in the portions you need. Form each one into a ball and flatten it into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight (you can also freeze the dough at this point and thaw it in the fridge overnight).
• Remove one disk from the fridge, and roll it either between two sheets of parchment paper, or just well-floured surface. You need to move quickly though. You don't want the dough to be soft and overworked.
• Line your tart pan with the dough and put it back in the fridge for at least 1-2 hrs to rest.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• When you're ready to bake, put a parchment paper on top of the dough and fill the bottom with either rice or beans. (Note: I used to always do this but not anymore as my shell doesn't bubble up anymore everytime I make it)
• Bake for 20 minutes. Take the parchment paper and the beans/rice off, then continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes until it's golden brown.
• Let cool in the ring.

Lemon Cream

200 g whole eggs (4 eggs)
240 g granulated sugar
160 g fresh Meyer lemon juice
zest from the lemons
300 g unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed

• Rub the zest with the sugar using your finger until the sugar is moistened with lemon oil.
• * On a double boiler, combine the sugar, eggs and juice.
• * Whisk/stir constantly until the mixture reaches 85-86 C.
• * Strain the mixture and let cool to about 55-60 C and put it in a blender (if you don't have a hand-held blender)
• Add the butter a couple of pieces at a time, to make an emulsion. The mixture will lighten in color. Continue running the blender for a few minutes after all of the butter has been added to ensure the airy and light cream. Make sure stop and run the blender a few times to avoid over-heating.
• Pour the mixture into prepared crust and refrigerate.
• Consume within the same day if possible. The crust would get soggy if it stays too long.

Macarons

150 g almond powder
150 g confectioners' sugar
55 g old or "aged" egg whites, room temperature
150 g granulated sugar
40 ml water
55 g old or "aged" egg whites, room temperature

• Sift the almond powder and confectioners' sugar together. Set aside.
• Combine the granulated sugar and the water in a saucepan and cook until it reaches 245F. Don't stir the syrup as you will end up with crystallized mass.
• Meanwhile, while the sugar is cooking and has reached 239F, start whipping the aged egg white on medium speed until it forms a soft peak.
• When the sugar is ready, pour the cooked syrup in a steady stream over the meringue with the mixer running on slow. It will splatter, but don't try to scrape them into the meringue as you would get lumps.
• Increase the speed to high and continue beating until you have a stiff glossy meringue.
• Mix the first egg white with the almond-sugar mixture and blend together.
• Fold in the meringue into this almond mixture in addition.
• Add about a third of the meringue and fold progressively, then proceed with another third of the meringue and fold it in.
• Don't overfold the batter as you would have a gloppy mess. Consistency is really important at this point, some people say that it should flow like a lava (I don't know how lava flows though). If you're not sure, try piping a little dollop and see if it leaves a peak that will not spread or if it spreads too fast. You should still see a little peak after you pipe, but the peak should disappear or almost disappear after you pipe a row of them.
• Put the batter in a piping bag with round tip (I used a tip with approximately 9mm in diameter) and pipe the macaron batter on top of silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Bake at 325F for about 14-15 minutes. (Note: this varies on the oven. This time, I baked it in confection oven at 275F for 14 minutes)
• Once baked, slide the silpat or parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Peel each macaron shell carefully.
• Fill the macarons.

White Chocolate Lemon Buttercream

1 stick (110g) unsalted butter, room temperature
45g white chocolate
1 Tbs (15g) heavy cream
200g lemon cream

• Melt the white chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave, let cool
• Beat the butter in the mixer until light and creamy and add in the white chocolate mixture. mix until well-blended
• Add the lemon cream