Salted caramel macarons

This year Santa got me a very spacial gift. I received a book about macarons by Pierre Herme. Inside are dozens of very interesting flavor combinations that I wouldn't ever think about. For my first macarons from this book I chose a simple caramel filing that I was confident I could make.

I used my basic recipe for the macarons shells. It always works and the macarons turn out gorgeous. The filling is a recipe from a book. It's quite simple and requires a few ingredients (mostly butter :)).

This caramel filing is so good and very hard to resist. It can be used in many different ways, not only for macarons. It comes out fluffy and buttery and it compliments the crunch of a macaron shell perfectly. 

I really love caramel desserts and these macarons didn't disappoint. I even brought them to a Restaurant day here in Slovenia and the feedback was great. After a few hours they were all gone and I was extremely happy.

Caramel macarons

(Makes about 35)  

Time:

Preparation: 30min

Resting: 30min
Cooking: 30min
Baking: 15-18min

For the macaron shells:

• 95g room temperature egg whites
• 125g granulated white sugar
• 40g water
• 135g almond flour or finely ground almonds
• 135g icing sugar
• a drop of brown food coloring (optional)
• powdered violet food coloring (optional, for stripes) 

For the salted caramel:

• 165g heavy cream
• 150g white granulated sugar
• 32g butter (small cubes)
• a pinch of salt

For the caramel cream:

• 145g room temperature butter
• 1 recipe caramel (above)

Making the macaron shells:

The preparation for the shells is the same as in the Basic macarons recipe.

Pipe the macarons on a parchment paper/silicone mat.

Tap the trays with the macarons on the table a few times to pop the air bubbles in the shells. Leave the macarons to rest for about 30 minutes or until they are not sticky to the touch.

Bake in the preheated oven at 150°C (302°F) for 17 minutes. Let the macarons cool completely, if the macarons are still sticky at the bottom return them to the oven and bake some more.

Making the salted caramel:

Place the sugar in a medium sized pot. Set on medium heat and cook until dark amber.

Meanwhile pour the cream in a small pot and bring to a boil then set aside. 

when the sugar is done cooking add the butter in small pieces and stir to combine. 

Add the hot cream in two parts. Place back on heat and cook the caramel to 108°C (226°F). 

Blend the caramel with the immersion blender and set aside to cool completely.

Making the caramel cream:
Place the butter in a bowl of your electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk and beat the butter for 10 minutes until fluffy. Add the cooled salted caramel and whisk until very smooth.

Transfer the cream in a piping bag and set aside until ready to assemble.

Assembly:
Using a very thin pastry brush, dip it in water and in the violet food coloring. Make stripes on half of the macaron shells.

Fill the macarons with caramel cream and sprinkle with roasted hazelnuts (optional). Place them in the fridge for a day.

Waiting or "maturing" allows the flavors to come together and the macarons will become soft and extremely flavorful. Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor.