Salted caramel macarons
It has been quite a while since I made this macarons but I can still remember how good they were. If you are as much of a caramel lover as I am then you have to try these macarons.
The first time I heard of "salted caramel" I was not that excited, but I decided to at least give it a try. So I made a batch of regular caramel and added a few sea salt flakes and the flavor was amazing. I kept on adding the salt and the flavor just got better and better. It is amazing how much a simple ingredient like salt can change the whole dessert. From that moment on I always add a little salt to all of my desserts, especially to the desserts where the main ingredient is chocolate or caramel.
One of the most important things when making the caramel is that you caramelize the sugar to dark amber color, which gives the caramel this unique bitter quality that cuts through its sugary taste. The second important thing is that you do not stir the caramel, because you can cause the caramel to break and crystallize. Instead of stirring just shake the pot a couple of times to ensure that the sugar caramelizes evenly.
Don't be intimidated to make your own caramel, because once you try a home made caramel you will never buy another one again. The taste is so much better than the store bought version and it requires just a few ingredients.
For the salted caramel filling:
The preparation for the shells is the same as in the Basic macarons recipe. I have used a few drops of yellow food coloring. Add the food coloring when you are making the sugar syrup for the Italian meringue.
Making the salted caramel filling:
Put the sugar in a medium sized heavy bottom pot. Melt the sugar over low heat until it caramelizes, shake the pot occasionally so that all of the sugar melts. Meanwhile heat the cream, vanilla seeds and vanilla pod in a separate saucepan until it boils. When the sugar turns dark amber slowly pour the hot cream into the melted sugar and whisk constantly. Set aside for the caramel to cool down. When the caramel reaches 45°C (113°F) add the butter and whisk until well combined. Place cling wrap on the caramel to prevent a skin from forming and put in a fridge to cool. When the caramel is set, bring it back to room temperature and sprinkle in the sea salt flakes. Whisk until the color of the caramel changes and becomes glossy.
Assembly:
Pair the same sized shells together. Pipe the caramel on the flat side of half the macaron shells, then top with the remaining shells. Put the macarons in the fridge to set. Let the macarons rest in the fridge for 24 hours to ensure the best texture of the macarons. When you are ready to serve them, take them out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving.
The first time I heard of "salted caramel" I was not that excited, but I decided to at least give it a try. So I made a batch of regular caramel and added a few sea salt flakes and the flavor was amazing. I kept on adding the salt and the flavor just got better and better. It is amazing how much a simple ingredient like salt can change the whole dessert. From that moment on I always add a little salt to all of my desserts, especially to the desserts where the main ingredient is chocolate or caramel.
One of the most important things when making the caramel is that you caramelize the sugar to dark amber color, which gives the caramel this unique bitter quality that cuts through its sugary taste. The second important thing is that you do not stir the caramel, because you can cause the caramel to break and crystallize. Instead of stirring just shake the pot a couple of times to ensure that the sugar caramelizes evenly.
Don't be intimidated to make your own caramel, because once you try a home made caramel you will never buy another one again. The taste is so much better than the store bought version and it requires just a few ingredients.
Slated caramel macarons
(Makes about 35-40 macarons)
Time:
Preparation: 40min
Resting: 30min
Baking: 14-17min
For the shells:
- 95g room temperature egg whites
- 125g granulated white sugar
- 40g water
- 135g almond flour or finely ground almonds
- 135g icing sugar
- yellow food coloring
For the salted caramel filling:
- 125g whipping cream
- 175g granulated white sugar
- 175g butter (small cubes)
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
The preparation for the shells is the same as in the Basic macarons recipe. I have used a few drops of yellow food coloring. Add the food coloring when you are making the sugar syrup for the Italian meringue.
Making the salted caramel filling:
Put the sugar in a medium sized heavy bottom pot. Melt the sugar over low heat until it caramelizes, shake the pot occasionally so that all of the sugar melts. Meanwhile heat the cream, vanilla seeds and vanilla pod in a separate saucepan until it boils. When the sugar turns dark amber slowly pour the hot cream into the melted sugar and whisk constantly. Set aside for the caramel to cool down. When the caramel reaches 45°C (113°F) add the butter and whisk until well combined. Place cling wrap on the caramel to prevent a skin from forming and put in a fridge to cool. When the caramel is set, bring it back to room temperature and sprinkle in the sea salt flakes. Whisk until the color of the caramel changes and becomes glossy.
Assembly:
Pair the same sized shells together. Pipe the caramel on the flat side of half the macaron shells, then top with the remaining shells. Put the macarons in the fridge to set. Let the macarons rest in the fridge for 24 hours to ensure the best texture of the macarons. When you are ready to serve them, take them out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving.
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