I'm going to show you how to make heart shaped macarons

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 of times

then process for about a minute and a half.

(fun upbeat music)

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 are 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.

Add 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 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 3/8 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 15-20 times

to release any air bubbles.

Poke any 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 12-15 minutes.

While the cookies cool to room temperature

on the baking sheets we're going to 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 one and a half cups of powdered sugar

half a cup at a time and stirring between each addition

so that 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.

Finally add 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.

Yeah, you'll want to lick 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!

Oh, they're done!

And these were so much fun to make.

Normally you'd want to let these rest for a day or so

because the shell gets softened by the cream,

it absorbs some of that cream and they're just phenomenal!

But the cook has to have her sample

(laughs)

So I'm just going to try one of these out

Here we go.

(moans)

Wow!

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 Valentines Day!

And, hey, before you go

make sure to check out our raspberry macaroon recipe.

They are raspberries from top to bottom

and they are phenonemal!