Crisp and chewy French macarons sandwiched together with your choice of fruity cheesecake filling. Lemon, strawberry and blueberry cheesecake flavors offer colorful fillings that are perfect for Easter. Each shell is decorated with color-coordinated sugar crystals to match the filling. Surprise your family and friends these homemade Easter Cheesecake Macarons. Recipe and photo courtesy of Jen Sobjack from Baked by an Introvert.
Place the powdered sugar, almond flour, and salt in a food processor and process for 2 minutes, until finely ground and well blended. Sift the mixture to remove any larger bits.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy. Gradually add the granulated sugar. Turn the speed up to medium-high and whip just until stiff peaks form. Take extra care not to over whip.
Sift the almond flour mixture into the whipped egg whites in three separate additions, folding only 3 to 4 times after each addition. After the finally addition, fold until batter becomes thick and smooth. When folding, cut through the meringue and then fold up and over. Scrape the sides and turn the bowl as you go. Let the batter sit for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, line 2 large baking sheets with silicone mats and fit a large piping bag with a 1/2-inch tip. Twist the bag right above the tip and tuck it down inside the tip. This will prevent the batter from leaking out as you fill the bag.
Fill the pastry bad with the batter, be as gentle as you can with the process. Try not to over work the batter. Pipe 1 to 2-inch rounds onto the prepare baking sheets. Gently tap the baking sheet onto the counter top to bring any air bubbles to the surface. Use a wooden toothpick to pop the bubbles. Sprinkle the piped mounds with your choice of sprinkles immediately after piping, while they mounds are still wet. Let the macarons sit for 45 to 60 minutes, until a thick dry skin forms on the surface. They should not feel sticky to the touch when going into the oven.
Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the to 325 degrees F. Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through.The macarons are done when you can just barely separate the shells from the silicone mat. The cookies will brown slightly. If the bottoms begin to get too brown place a second cookie sheet underneath.
Cool the shells completely on the baking sheet set on a wire rack. Do not attempt to remove the shells from the silicone mat until they are completely cooled or they may stick and break off.
Cheesecake Filling
Divide the cream cheese into 3 equal portions. Place each portion in it's own bowl. Add the lemon curd to one, the strawberry jam to another, and the blueberry jam to the last one. Mix each bowl of cream cheese and jam until well combined and free of lumps. Place each filling into its own sandwich bag and cut off a tiny bit of the bottom corner. Squeeze a small about of filling into the bottoms center of one cookie, don't go all the way to the rim. Place an equal size cookie on top to sandwich the filling. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.
Store the macarons in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature just before serving.
