Make this Strawberry Cheesecake Macaron Recipe today! Step by step instructions with tips and tricks included.
Gather and measure out all of your ingredients before starting
Special Equipment Needed:
- Handheld or Stand Mixer
- 1/2 Baking Sheet – Aluminum
- Silicone Baking Mat
- Piping Bags (2)
- Kitchen Scale
- Sifter
Tips and Tricks
Meringue – The meringue is a key component to macarons! If you have a weak meringue, your macarons simply won’t turn out. You’ll start off with egg whites in a large bowl (metal or glass – not plastic as it can hold onto fats which will make your meringue fail.) Whisk the egg whites until they start to foam then add in cream of tartar. Continue whisking while gradually adding the granulated sugar. I like to add in food coloring and extracts when I’ve reached medium peaks. Then continue whisking again until you have stiff peaks. And there you have it, your meringue!
Macaronage – Another key component (to be honest, all these steps are pretty specific and necessary to making successful macarons lol) is the macaronage. This is basically just folding your dry ingredients into the meringue. You’ll do so by sifting half of the already sifted (we really don’t want lumps) almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue. Then gently fold those together until mostly incorporated. Sift in the rest of the dry mixture and continue folding. You want your batter to have the consistency of “flowing lava.” To check for this, try making a figure 8 with the batter and it not break like in picture #4. Over or under mixing causes hollow shells, so be mindful to check for the figure 8 often.
Piping and Assembling – You can prepare a piping bag with a large round tip to achieve perfect circles. I prefer just cutting a straight line across the bag 1.25 inches up from the tip. Pipe 1 inch circles on a silicone mat. You can use parchment but, I find that when I do the paper becomes wrinkly and warps the shells. Bake @ 315 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes if using an aluminum baking sheet. If you’re using a darker baking sheet you may need to adjust the temperature and time.
*Special Note – Don’t skip the maturing step! You want to give the macaron shells time to soak up some moisture from the filling, making it a cohesive cookie. After maturing enjoy a Strawberry Cheesecake Macaron (or a few ;)!)
Check out more macaron recipes here!
Strawberry Cheesecake Macaron Recipe
Macaron Shells
Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
Instructions
Macaron Shells
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Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar into a bowl and set it aside. Measure your sugar in a small bowl, and also set that aside.
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Then in a large bowl add egg whites. Start whisking the egg whites and add the cream of tartar once they start to foam. Then gradually add the granulated sugar. Whisk until you have medium peaks, then add the food coloring and strawberry flavoring. Continue to whisk on high speed until you have stiff peaks. This is the meringue.
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Then sift half of the already sifted almond flour and powdered sugar into the meringue and gently fold with a rubber spatula until it is mostly incorporated. Then sift in the remaining dry mixture and fold it in until the batter has the consistency of “flowing lava.”
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Prepare a baking sheet by flipping it upside down and lining it with a silicone mat.
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Fit a piping bag with a round tip. Then fill the bag with the batter and pipe the shells by holding the bag perpendicular to the pan. Pip until the shells are 1 inch in diameter. Do not lift the bag while piping. Once all of the shells are piped, pick up the baking sheet and drop it on the counter 3-4 times to pop any air bubbles that may be in the batter.
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Let the shells rest for 45 minutes. Preheat your oven when there is 15 minutes left on the timer. Bake @ 315 degrees Fahrenheit for around 15 minutes. Every oven is different, so the time may vary.
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Once the shells have been baked and cooled down to room temp, remove them from the silicone baking sheet. Then pair up the shells with its “twin.”
Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
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Cream the butter, powdered sugar, and strawberry flavoring. Then add cream cheese. Beat until combined and fill a piping bag with the frosting.
Assembly
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On the bottom macaron shell, pipe the strawberry cheesecake filling. Then place the top macaron shell on the filling and slightly "squish". Continue with the rest of the macarons. Once they are all filled, store in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight to mature.
