Lemon Drop Macarons...gone terribly wrong

Our Mactweet challenge this month is to create a macaron that reflects a favorite song. I ran through the obvious list but nothing struck my fancy until I remembered the lemon drop reference in "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz.  I love that movie although it scared the daylights out of me the first time I saw it

 (flying monkeys...no, no, no),

 but I've watched it many times since I was 5 years old and its become one of my all time favorites.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high,

There's a land that I heard of

Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Skies are blue,

And the dreams that you dare to dream

Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far

Behind me.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Bluebirds fly.

Birds fly over the rainbow

Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly

Beyond the rainbow

Why, oh why can't I?

I've made macarons quite a few times in the past several months and was feeling more confident in my ability to get the many elements of that elusive dessert just right.  I know how touchy they can be and it just didn't occur to me that adding a tiny bit of a new ingredient could have such disastrous results.  I crushed lemon drop hard candy to fine pieces and sprinkled them on the just piped meringues.  They dried perfectly and they looked exactly right when I stuck the baking sheet into the oven.  Even at the half way point they were perfect.  Then something went terribly wrong in the last few minutes and the shells imploded, most of the feet spread and the candy bits turned to liquid and made my precious macarons looks like they had the pox.

I managed to salvage enough for this post and we consumed the rest
 in the privacy of our own home.
 Even the disasters were delicious when I filled them with the luscious lemon curd
 that I discovered at A Feast for the Eyes. 
 Debby posted a recipe for Lemon Curd Ice Cream and her recipe is so quick and easy to make and is the perfect filling for my not quite perfect macarons. This amazing ice cream is on my menu this weekend.  I can't wait for that one.


You can find my step by step recipe and instructions for making macarons here. 
For a previous Mactweet event I made peanut butter and jelly macarons that were so good, and they actually turned out the way they were supposed to. If you haven't made macarons before, now is the time to do it!  It may take a try or two but the results are  worth it, and you will be oh, so proud of yourself when they turn out right.


I'm joining the group this week for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.
 You're invited to join me and all the other participants in this always wonderful event.
Hope to see you there.