This recipe is from my friend and macaron queen Camila Hurst’s newest cookbook, Macaron school! These strawberry shortcake macarons are filled with mascarpone frosting and homemade strawberry jam and topped with a delicious strawberry shortbread crumble.
Macaron School is an amazing book that shares the fundamentals with in-depth tutorials, step-by-step photos and all of Camila’s best tips and tricks.
It’s an incredible resource for anyone who loves making macarons or is eager to try their hand at them!
Making These Strawberry Shortcake Macarons with the Swiss Method
There are a few different ways macarons are made. I usually default to the French method, but this recipe is made using the Swiss method! The main difference is that we heat up our egg whites and granulated sugar to make our meringue.
It requires a little bit more time and equipment but creates a more stable meringue!
Equipment You’ll Need to Make These Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
I’ve made quite a few batches of macarons, and they definitely turn out best when the ingredients are weighed, and the macarons are baked on a silpat mat.
These are the tools I like to use when I make macarons:
- Large saucepan or pot
- Heatproof bowl
- Fine Mesh Strainer
- Kitchen scale
- Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
- Large piping bag
- Round piping tip
- Large, flat baking sheets
- Silpat Mats
How to Make These Strawberry Shortcake Macarons – Step by Step Process
While the recipe below is quite detailed, I find visual cues to be super helpful!
Below are some photos of the process to help guide you through this recipe.
Step #1: Make the Swiss Meringue
First we make the Swiss meringue! Fill a pot with about 1-inch of water and bring to a low simmer over medium heat.
Whisk together the granulated sugar and egg white powder (optional) in a large, heat-proof bowl.
Pour the egg whites into the bowl and place over the simmering pot. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl!
Whisk the ingredients together for 2 to 4 minutes, until the sugar has completely melted, and the egg whites have reached 160 F / 71 C. Wipe down the bottom of the bowl with a towel so that it doesn’t drip into the meringue, then pour the egg/sugar mixture into the bowl of a mixer.
Whip the mixture on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-low for another 30 seconds, then increase it to medium. Finish whipping on a medium to medium-high until the meringue reaches stiff peaks like in the photo below.
Keep a close eye on your mixer to avoid over-mixing the meringue.
Step #2: Sift and Fold the Dry Ingredients into the Meringue
If desired, add in gel food coloring at this point. It will get mixed in as you fold in the dry ingredients.
Sift the superfine almond flour, powdered sugar, and freeze-dried strawberry powder into the meringue, then fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula.
Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pull through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together.
Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8’s with the batter running off your spatula in a continuous stream once it is the right consistency.
If the stream of batter breaks before you’re able to this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
Step #3: Pipe the Macaron Shells
Fill a large piping bag with macaron batter and pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto silpat lined baking sheets. Space them about 1-inch apart.
Firmly bang or drop your pans on the counter a few times.
This brings any trapped air bubbles to the surface, which can be popped with a toothpick or scribe. Popping these little bubbles can help you avoid hollow or cracked shells.
Step #4: Rest the Macaron Shells
Let the macarons rest for about 30 minutes, or until they form a skin.
They should be mostly dry to the touch and look matte once they’re ready to be baked! While the shells rest, preheat your oven.
Step #5: Bake the Macaron Shells
Bake one tray of macarons at a time and place the tray in the middle rack of your oven.
Let the macarons cool fully on the pan, then gently remove them from the silpat mat. If they’re properly baked, they should peel off the mat cleanly.
Step #6: Make the Strawberry Shortcake Crumble
Combine the flour, sugar, and butter. Use a fork to mix the ingredients together until a crumbly dough forms.
Spread on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir the mixture with a spatula to separate it into small pieces and help it bake evenly.
Return the crumble back to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes. Stir again, then bake for one final 5-minute interval. At this stage, the crumble should look golden brown.
Remove the crumble from the oven and give it another stir to break it into small pieces, then stir the freeze-dried strawberries into it. Set aside and let the mixture fully cool.
Step #7: Assemble the Macarons
While the macaron shells bake and cool, make the mascarpone filling. Place the filling in a piping bag fit with a small round piping tip.
Pipe a ring of mascarpone frosting on one macaron shell. Fill the center with 1 tsp of strawberry jam. Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining shells.
Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for an hour.
Step #8: Decorate these Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
Place the white chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl and microwave it for 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted.
Remove the chilled macarons from the fridge and dip half of each macaron in the melted white chocolate. Let the excess white chocolate drip off, then place the macarons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
While the white chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the macarons with the shortbread crumble.
Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then enjoy! I like to let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving them.
Letting the filled macarons rest overnight softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
Troubleshooting These Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
While I’d love to think everyone’s first batch of these strawberry shortcake macarons will turn out perfectly, my own experience has taught me that’s not how things usually go.
Macarons are incredibly temperamental, and it might take a few tries to get them just right. If you run into any issues, check out my macaron troubleshooting guide!
Choosing the Right Filling for These Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
While we put tons of energy into the shell of a macaron, most of the flavor in a macaron comes from its filling.
You can use just about any type of frosting or ganache to fill these macarons, but the mascarpone frosting really takes them to the next level!
If you don’t want your macarons to be very sweet, I recommend using white chocolate ganache, Russian buttercream or my Swiss meringue frosting.
Recipe Yield
This recipe makes about 40 large macaron shells, which can be used to make 20 macarons.
You can double or halve this recipe as needed.
The yield and bake time will vary based on the size of macarons you pipe. I piped these shells with a diameter of 1 1/2-inches.
Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
- Wipe your mixing bowl and whisk with lemon juice or vinegar to remove any traces of grease before making the meringue. It will help your egg whites whip up better!
- Separate your own eggs and age them if possible. Do not use egg whites from a carton.
- Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale. You really need to be precise with this recipe. Your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
- Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it’s good to know your game plan before you start!
- Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
- FIRMLY bang/drop your pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This will release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevent cracked or hollow shells.
- Rest the macaron shells for 30 minutes before they’re baked to allow them to develop a skin.
- If you’ve never baked macarons before, pipe a small number of macarons on a few sheets to test your oven for hot spots and see if it bakes accurately. This way you won’t waste a whole tray of macs if your oven runs hot or cold.
- Let your baked and filled macarons mature! This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
- If your macarons don’t turn out, check out my macaron troubleshooting guide!
Making These Strawberry Shortcake Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips
- These macarons need to mature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge before being eaten. This gives them time to develop the best texture and taste.
- Refrigerate macarons for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze filled macarons for up to a month in an airtight container.
- Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
- Do not make the mascarpone frosting in advance! It will deflate and be difficult to use.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this recipe for strawberry shortcake macarons, we’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.
Also tag me @chelsweets and @piesandtaco and use #chelsweets and #macaronschool on social media so that we can see your amazing creations!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
These strawberry shortcake macarons taste just like summer! They're filled with mascarpone frosting, strawberry jam and are topped with a delicious strawberry shortcake crumble.
Ingredients
Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
- 100g granulated sugar
- 2g egg white powder - optional
- 100g aged egg whites - about 4 large eggs
- 105g superfine almond flour - blanched
- 100g powdered sugar
- 5g of freeze-dried strawberry powder
- pink gel food coloring - optional
Strawberry Shortbread Crumble
- 23g all-purpose flour (3 Tbsp)
- 12g granulated sugar
- 21 g unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 Tbsp)
- 6g freeze-dried strawberries (1 Tbsp)
Mascarpone Filling
- 60ml heavy whipping cream, cold (1/4 cup)
- 170 g mascarpone cheese, cold and drained (3/4 cup)
- 188 g powdered sugar, sifted (1 1/2 cups)
- 2ml vanilla extract (1/2 tsp)
Filling
Decoration
- 85g chopped white chocolate (1/2 cup)
Equipment
- Large Pot or Saucepan
- Heatproof Bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
- Large, flat baking sheets
- Silpat Mats (or parchment paper)
- 2 Large Piping Bag (18-inch)
- Round Piping Tip - Ateco 805
Instructions
Strawberry Macaron Shells
- Fill a pot with about 1-inch of water and bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Whisk together 100g of granulated sugar and 2g of egg white powder (optional) in a large, heat-proof bowl. Pour 100g of egg whites into the bowl and place over the simmering pot. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl!
- Whisk the ingredients together for 2 to 4 minutes, until the sugar has completely melted, and the egg whites have reached 160 F / 71 C. Wipe down the bottom of the bowl with a towel so that it doesn’t drip into the meringue, then pour the egg/sugar mixture into the bowl of a mixer.
- Whip the mixture on low speed (2 on a KitchenAid) for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-low (4 on a KitchenAid) for another 30 seconds, then increase it to medium (6 on a KitchenAid). Finish whipping on a medium to medium-high until the meringue achieves stiff peaks (8 on a KitchenAid).
- Once the meringue is stiff, sift 105g almond flour, 100g powdered sugar, and 5g freeze-dried fruit powder into the bowl. If you want to use food coloring, add it at this point. Use a circular motion that sweeps around the edge of the bowl and then pull through the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed together. Fold until a thick ribbon of batter runs off the spatula when it is lifted. You should be able to draw a couple figure 8's with the batter running off your spatula when it is the right consistency. If the stream of batter breaks before you're able to this, you may need to stir it a bit more.
- Pour the batter into a large piping bag fit with a medium-sized round piping tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds on a large baking sheet lined with a silpat mat, spacing them about 1-inch apart.
- Once you finish piping one tray, set the remaining batter aside and bang the pans firmly on the counter or against the palm of your hand a few times to release air bubbles, then pop any remaining air bubbles that come to the surface with a toothpick or scribe.
- Use the remaining batter to pipe the second tray of macaron shells and repeat step 6.
- As the macarons rest, preheat your oven to 315 F / 158 C. Let the trays rest for about 30 minutes, or until they form a skin and look matte. Once they're ready to bake, you should be able to touch the surface of a macaron shell with your finger without it sticking.
- Bake one tray at a time in the middle rack of your oven for 18-21 minutes, or until the shells are fully baked and no longer jiggly. If you notice the shells start to brown, cover them with a foil tent. Leave the oven on (and make the crumble next). Remove the first tray from the oven and bake the second one. Let the macaron shells fully cool on the pan (about 15 minutes), then gently remove them from the silpat mat.
Strawberry Shortbread Crumble
- In a small bowl, combine 23g flour, 12g sugar, and 21g of butter. Use a fork to mix the ingredients together until a crumbly dough forms.
- Spread the mixture on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and bake for 5 minutes bat 315 F / 158 C. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir the mixture with a spatula to separate it into small pieces and help it bake evenly.
- Return the crumble back to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes. Stir again, then bake for one final 5-minute interval. At this stage, the crumble should look golden brown.
- Remove the crumble from the oven and give it another stir to break it into small pieces, then stir the freeze-dried strawberries into it. Set aside and let the mixture fully cool.
Mascarpone Frosting
- In a medium-sized bowl, whip 60ml cream with an electric hand mixer at medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until you can see texture around the edges of the bowl. The whipped cream should be thick and able to keep its shape. It takes about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes in my stand mixer to reach stiff peaks.
- Once you've made the whipped cream, add 170g of cold mascarpone cheese, 188g of powdered sugar and 2 ml or 1/2 tsp of vanilla to the bowl. Mix on medium speed for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Place in a small piping bag with a round tip, and set aside.
Assembling These Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
- Pipe a ring of mascarpone frosting on one macaron shell. Fill the center with 1 tsp of strawberry jam. Gently press a second shell on top of the frosting to create a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining shells.
- Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for an hour.
- Place 85g of white chocolate in a small heat-proof bowl and microwave it for 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted.
- Remove the chilled macarons from the fridge and dip half of each macaron in the melted white chocolate. Let the excess white chocolate drip off, then place the macarons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat. While the white chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the macarons with the shortbread crumble.
- Place the finished macarons in an airtight container and chill in the fridge overnight, then enjoy! I like to let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving them.
Notes
Recipe Yield:
This recipe makes about 40 macaron shells, which can be used to make 20 macarons. You can double or triple this recipe to make more macarons if needed. Just make sure you use a large enough mixer to whip up that much meringue!
The yield and bake time can vary based on how large you pipe your shells. I piped these shells with a diameter of 1 1/2 inches, so they're about the size of a standard macaron.
Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Shortcake Macarons
- Measure your ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale! You really need to be precise with this recipe. Your macarons will turn out best if the ingredients are weighed.
- Separate your own eggs and age them if possible! Do not use egg whites from a carton.
- Carefully read through the directions before making these macarons. There are quite a few steps and it's good to know your game plan before you start!
- Use gel food coloring to color these macarons. If you try to use liquid food coloring, it can throw off the consistency of the batter.
- Use a macaron mat or print out a template to help you pipe consistently sized macarons.
- FIRMLY bang your pans on your counter after piping your macarons. This helps release any air bubbles that may be trapped and prevent cracked or hollow shells.
- Rest the macarons for 30 minutes before they're baked to allow them to develop a skin.
- Pipe a small number of macarons on a mat to test your oven for hot spots and see if it bakes accurately. This way you won't waste a whole tray of macs if your oven runs hot or cold.
- Let your filled macarons mature in the fridge overnight! This softens them (in a good way) and allows the flavors to develop.
- If your macarons don't turn out, please check out my macaron troubleshooting guide for help!
Making These Strawberry Shortcake Macarons in Advance & Storage Tips
- French macarons need to mature overnight (or ideally 24 hours) in the fridge before being eaten! They taste best 24 hours after being made.
- Macarons can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Filled macarons can be frozen for up to a month, but the length can vary based on the filling.
- Unfilled macaron shells can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight container.
- I do not recommend making the mascarpone frosting in advance! It will deflate and be difficult to pipe with.
Nutrition Information
Yield
20Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 188Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 54mgSodium 62mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 1gSugar 21gProtein 4g
Suzanne Shields
Saturday 21st of January 2023
What do you do with all your egg yolks?? I made your chocolate macarons with the chocolate ganache yesterday. First time making macarons and they were perfect! Going to try these next! Thank your for your help!
Chelsweets
Saturday 21st of January 2023
Hi Suzanne,
So happy to hear that! And great question, it can be a struggle to use up all the egg yolks. I usually make different types of curds or custards with them. Hope your next batch of macarons turns out delicious!! :)
Amy True
Thursday 7th of July 2022
I loved these!!!!!
Dalilah Drakeford
Wednesday 30th of March 2022
Can I switch the mascarpone cheese for cream cheese with the same measurements.