Name: Shortbread, mascarpone, and passion fruit
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 250 oz ofwhite flour; 120 oz ofbutter (limp); 100 oz ofsugar (white sugar, or brown sugar for a caramelized flavor, or muscovado sugar for a more pronounced flavor); 2 eggs (1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk); 1 bag ofbaking powder; 1 pinch ofsalt; 6 passion fruit; 150 oz ofmascarpone; 50 oz ofheavy cream; 50 oz ofpowdered sugar; 6 pastry rings (8 to 10 cm in diameter, or shortbread molds); 1 baking mat ((optional: you can use parchment paper instead))

desserts baking cookies pastries valentine's day

Updated on 17 February 2026 by

juju

7 reviews 4.3 : Very good

Diet

Vegetarian

Level

Intermediate

Preparation

30 minutes

Cooking

15 minutes

Wait

1 hour

Here’s one of my recipes that always impresses guests: mascarpone and passion fruit shortbread cookies. These little cookies are a delicious, gourmet-style dessert—yet quite easy to make. You’ll just need to make sure you have the necessary utensils, which I’ve listed along with the ingredients.

Plus, this recipe can be adapted in many ways. Here, I’ve chosen to top the shortbread with passion fruit pulp, but you can also use other fresh fruits depending on the season: blueberries, figs, mandarins… Depending on the fruit (juicy or not), serve the fresh fruit pieces with a coulis or jam diluted with a little water.

These mascarpone shortbread cookies can be prepared in advance—both the cookies and the topping—in which case you should store them in the fridge in an airtight container for no more than one day (since mascarpone is a fresh, uncooked cheese).

When it’s time to serve, all you’ll need to do is slice the fruit and top the shortbread cookies.

I hope you’ll enjoy making these mascarpone and passion fruit shortbread cookies, and I wish you a delightful tasting experience. Your comments, photos, and suggestions are welcome!

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For the shortbread cookies
8.8 oz of white flour
4.2 oz of butter limp
3.5 oz of sugar white sugar, or brown sugar for a caramelized flavor, or muscovado sugar for a more pronounced flavor
2 eggs 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
1 bag of baking powder
1 pinch of salt

For the filling
6 passion fruit
5.3 oz of mascarpone
1.8 oz of heavy cream
1.8 oz of powdered sugar

Kitchen utensils
6 pastry rings 8 to 10 cm in diameter, or shortbread molds
1 baking mat (optional: you can use parchment paper instead)

Making the shortbread dough
- 1
  Take the mascarpone out of the fridge and let it soften at room temperature.
- 2
  In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, butter, sugar, and salt.
  Rub the mixture between your hands for about 3 minutes, until it resembles coarse crumbs, much like couscous.
- 3
  Add the whole egg and the extra egg yolk. Mix by hand to combine all the ingredients, and as soon as you see the dough starting to form, stop mixing; otherwise, it will become too elastic.
- 4
  Shape the dough into two balls (if it’s too sticky, sprinkle a small handful of flour on it first).
  Flatten the dough balls slightly, dust them with a little flour, then place them in an airtight container.
- 5
  Place the airtight container in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 40 minutes so the butter can firm up.
  The airtight container will help the dough retain its moisture, especially if you let it rest overnight!
Making the mascarpone cream
- 6
  Place the mascarpone in a mixing bowl, then add the crème fraîche and the powdered sugar.
  Mix vigorously until the ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth.
Baking shortbread cookies
- 7
  Take the shortcrust pastry out of the fridge and roll it out on a silicone baking mat or, if you don’t have one, a sheet of parchment paper.
  The rolled-out dough should be about half a centimeter thick.
  The Chef's Tip
  The dough shouldn’t be too thick because it will rise further during baking due to the baking powder.
- 8
  Next, cut the dough into rounds using pastry rings with a diameter of 8 to 10 cm.
  The Chef's Tip
  Be sure to keep the pastry rings around the dough rounds, even while baking (unlike in the photo, where I had removed them!). This way, they won’t lose their shape during baking, ensuring a perfect final result.
- 9
  Place the baking mat or parchment paper with the dough rounds on a baking rack.
  Bake the shortbread cookies for 15 minutes.
- 10
  Remove from the oven as soon as it's done baking and let it cool.
Final assembly
- 11
  Spread a layer of mascarpone cream on each shortbread cookie, using the pastry ring to keep it from spilling over. Remove the pastry ring.
- 12
  For each shortbread cookie, cut the passion fruit in half and spread the pulp and seeds over the cookie.
  The Chef's Tip
  Don't do this on the serving plate, as you'll end up getting it dirty with crumbs, filling, or passion fruit seeds.
- 13
  Decorate your serving plates. Place a shortbread cookie on each one and serve them to your amazed guests 😋😍.

Notes

WHAT TO DRINK WITH THESE MASCARPONE SAND CAKES? Champagne or a white sparkling wine... or why not a Lambrusco to stay true to the Italian spirit of mascarpone!