Key Lime Pie French Macarons

Happy Macaron Monday! My macaron luck has gone a bit downhill lately, so I'm really happy I finally had some batches come out well enough to share with y'all! These Key Lime Pie French Macarons were a big hit with all of the people that I shared them with, so I have no doubt you guys will love them just as much.

The filling is a whipped lime curd. Curds are one of my favorite things to make. They are so simple, but so flavorful and a perfect addition to any dessert. The addition of whipped cream makes this curd so light and the perfect filling for our macarons.

I drizzled some white chocolate over the top of each macaron shell and then zested a lime over the wet chocolate. It such a simple addition that doesn't take much time, but it adds another level of flavor and really amps it up overall.

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For in-depth “whys” and “howtos”, skip to the end of this post!

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Recipe

Key Lime Pie French Macarons

1. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat (my favorite baking sheet for macarons and favorite silicone mats for macarons). I highly recommend a silicone mat of some kind, but if you don’t have one then you can also use parchment paper.
2. In a food processor (I use this one) add the powdered sugar and almond flour and pulse until fully combined and rid of lumps. Don’t do this for too long or you will make almond butter. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. If you don’t have a food processor you can just sift the ingredients together. In a medium bowl, prepare the french meringue. You can use a stand mixer for this, but I prefer a hand mixer for a batch this small. Beat the egg whites on low speed until they get frothy. Increase the speed and slowly add the sugar. If you add the sugar too fast you will deflate the meringue. Beat until stiff peaks form. This is when you pull the beater out and the meringue stands up with a slight curve. It should not fall or jiggle too much if you move the beater. If you want to add food coloring, do it now, but add it sparingly or you will make the meringue too liquidy. I added one drop of green food coloring to these Key Lime Pie French Macarons.
3. Add the french meringue into the dry ingredients and begin to gently fold with a silicone spatula. This process is called macaronage. You will know the batter is ready when the ingredients are fully combined and not streaky. You should be able to hold the spatula above the bowl and draw a figure 8 smoothly without the batter breaking off. A good way to test if the batter is ready is to place a very small amount in your piping bag and pipe it onto your mat. If the batter is stiff and does not spread at all, then it is not ready. If the batter immediately runs out, then you have over folded. The batter should spread slightly and the tops should even out (there shouldn’t be any little tips sticking out), but it should not spread out too much. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (this is my favorite for macarons). Pipe 1-inch disks onto the prepared cookie sheet.
4. Firmly tap the cookie sheet onto the counter 3 or 4 times to bring any air bubbles to the surface. Use a toothpick to pop any remaining air bubbles.
5. Let the macarons rest for an hour. There needs to be a dry layer on the top. You should be able to run your finger over the top without any transferring to your finger. If it is really humid outside this process will likely take longer.
6. Preheat the oven to 260 degrees (F). This is the temperature that I have found works well for my oven, but you may need to play around with the temperature.
7. Place the macarons on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 5 minutes, rotate the cookie sheet, bake for another 5 minutes, and rotate the cookie sheet again, bake for 3-5 minutes. 13-15 minutes in total. The macarons should not have any color to them, and they should peel off of the mat easily.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
9. Peel off of the mat and match each shell to another that is the same size.

Whipped Lime Curd

1. In a medium heat-proof bowl whisk together the sugar, lime juice, egg, and egg yolk.
2. Place the bowl over a small saucepan (I used this one) of simmering water and add the butter.
3. Let the mixture cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.
4. You will know the curd is ready when a thermometer reads 180 degrees (F) or when it is the consistency of mayonnaise.
5. Remove the curd from the heat and cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap. This will prevent the curd from forming a skin on the top. Place the curd in the fridge until fully cooled.
6. In a medium bowl use a hand mixer to whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Be sure not to overwhip.
7. When the curd is cooled gently fold the curd into the whipped cream until fully combined.
8. Transfer the whipped lime curd to a piping bag and pipe your desired amount onto the inside of a macaron shell. Sandwich another macaron shell on top.

Topping

1. Gently melt the white chocolate over low heat until fully melted and a thin enough consistency to drizzle.
2. Use a spoon or a fork to drizzle the white chocolate over each macaron. Sprinkle the lime zest over the wet chocolate. This is optional, but I think it really adds to the overall flavor.

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