No chocolate in this month’s macaron recipe! It’s summer, and these delicate macarons with a smooth and light lemon curd are so refreshing and perfect for the season. Nothing beats the flavour of lemon on a hot day.

For the shells, I used my favourite basic recipe for macarons. I simply omitted the cocoa powder and added a few drops of yellow food colouring to the beaten egg whites before the second addition of sugar.

The lemon curd filling is adapted from I Love Macarons, by Hisako Ogita.

Ingredients for lemon curd

• ¼ cup corn starch
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 ½ tablespoons water
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• grated rind of half a lemon

Directions

1. Mix the corn starch and sugar together in a saucepan.
2. Add water, stir and place over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture becomes translucent and the starch is cooked.
3. Remove from heat, cool slightly and stir in egg yolk.
4. Add lemon juice and rind and stir until smooth.

Note: I doubled this recipe, except for the cornstarch, in order to obtain a generous amount of curd sufficient for two dozen macarons.

For best results, these macarons should be eaten within 24 hours. Because of the moisture in the curd, they tend to soften if left too long in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

I Love Macarons is a delightful and beautifully illustrated guide to making French macarons.

I received this book as a gift recently and look forward to trying more of its recipes.

The author, a Japanese pastry chef and author of three books on French pastry, provides step-by-step instructions on how to make macarons using both the French and Italian meringue methods, as well recipes for a variety of classic fillings.

Filled with tips and practical advice, this book provides plenty of inspiration for those who wish to master these delicate but finicky little pastries!