Macaron Sherry Trifle with Berries

British Sherry Trifle With a French Macaron Twist

A traditional British sherry trifle is all about layers of soaked sponge, fruit, custard and cream.

Here, I replace the sponge with unfilled French macaron shells.
I call it my Merry Berry Macaron Trifle - a nod to Mary Berry and the proper British trifles I grew up with in Scotland, but given a French twist.

Although using imperfect shells is a brilliant way to avoid waste, Antoine and the girls actually ask me to make this even when I have perfectly good macarons.
It's that good.

My shells in these photos weren't cracked. They were the result of one of those kitchen moments when multitasking gets the better of you.

I was testing a macaron mat, forgot to set the timer and left them in the oven for around 10 minutes longer than the extra 2-3 minutes I'd planned. They came out thin and flat - wee flying saucers.

Far too overbaked to fill normally, but absolutely perfect once soaked in berries and sherry. If you're interested in what happened, see my updated guide to silicone macaron mats.

For fresh shells, start with my beginner French macaron recipe.

How to Make Macaron Sherry Trifle with Berries

There's no raspberry jam or jelly in this version.

Instead, mash or blitz some of the raspberries and strawberries with medium-dry sherry, keeping a little texture. Pour this berry-sherry mixture over the macaron shells and let them soak up all that fruit and flavour.

The macarons soften beautifully without becoming a heavy sponge layer, while their almond flavour works naturally with the berries. Use raspberries, strawberries and blueberries here - rather appropriate for red, white and blue flags.

Thick Vanilla Custard for Trifle

This updated version finally has what every proper trifle needs: a good layer of custard.

Classic French crème anglaise is deliberately thin and pourable, which makes it perfect with cakes and fruit desserts but too loose for a trifle.

For this recipe, I thicken the same homemade vanilla custard with 10g cornflour.
That gives you a silky custard that stays in a proper layer once chilled.
Strain it through a fine sieve after cooking for the smoothest result.

Can You Use Cracked or Overbaked Macarons?

Absolutely. Cracked, wonky or slightly overbaked macaron shells are ideal here because they soften once soaked with berries and sherry.

Use unfilled shells, and weigh them rather than counting them.
For this recipe, 120g is the right amount for my serving bowl and gives enough macaron in every spoonful without overwhelming the custard and fruit.

Don't think this trifle should only be made as a rescue recipe. As my family will tell you, it's worth baking perfectly good shells for.

Red, White and Blue Trifle for Bastille Day or 4th July

This is where the berries have a little fun.
Arrange blueberries over one side of the whipped cream. Leave a white strip of cream through the centre.

Finish with raspberries and strawberries on the other side. You've instantly got the colours of the French flag for Bastille Day on 14 July.
And conveniently, the same red, white and blue decoration works beautifully for 4th July too. No food colouring needed.

Make-Ahead Macaron Trifle

This is a very easy dessert to prepare ahead.
Make the thick vanilla custard the day before if you like and keep it chilled. You could cheat and buy one ready-made, but I love this homemade version. It's quick enough to make with 4 ingredients and the taste is so much better!

Assemble the berry-sherry macarons and custard layer a few hours before serving.
Add the whipped cream and final berry decoration nearer serving time so the berries stay fresh and don't bleed into the cream.

I wouldn't assemble it the night before. Macaron shells soften much faster than traditional trifle sponge. However, this dessert is just as good next day if you do have leftovers!

What to Do with Leftover Macaron Shells

If you have a few unfilled shells rather than enough for a whole trifle, crumble them into my Baked Peaches with Amaretti instead of amaretti biscuits.

Or freeze your shells until you have enough to make this trifle. Defrost them uncovered for about 1 hour, then use them exactly as you would fresh shells.

Incidentally, if the shells didn't turn out as planned, my French Macaron Guide will help you work out what happened before your next batch.