Salted Caramel French Macarons -

Salted Caramel French Macarons

Sweet and salty come together perfectly in these delightfully caramel cookies.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: caramel, French macarons, sweet and salty

Prep Time: 50

Cook Time: 28

Resting Time: 30

Servings: people

Calories: 108kcal

Author: Candace Bourzac

Ingredients

Vanilla Cinnamon Shells

130 grams almond flour
130 grams powdered sugar
75 grams granulated or caster sugar
105 grams egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Vanilla Buttercream Filling

4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

Caramel Filling

1/4 cup caramel bits
2 teaspoons milk or cream
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

Vanilla Honey Drizzle

1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Vanilla Shells

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside. Weigh out the almond flour (120 grams), the powdered sugar (130 grams) and the granulated sugar (75 grams). I also set up the piping bag for when I'm done mixing the batter. I use a Wilton reusable bag and the Wilton 12 tip, which provides for greater control when piping the shells. Add the bag, with the tip, into a large cup, folding the tip up before adding it in, and fold the top down around the cup. This makes it much easier to add the batter to the bag.
Using a fine mesh sieve, sift almond flour and powdered sugar together in a large glass or metal bowl along with the 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Add the egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use a hand mixer, but it can be tough on your hands and arms. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are foamy and no longer liquid. The whisk should leave track marks in the foam. Turn the speed down and add the granulated sugar in three batches, waiting a few seconds in between each addition.
Once you've added in all of the sugar, turn the speed up to medium-high, which is between 4 and 5 on my KitchenAid stand mixer. You'll see the egg whites begin to build in volume and turn a glossy white color. The whisk will also start to leave track marks in the whites and will look thick. After a few minutes, you can stop the mixer and check for stiff peaks. If the meringue runs off the whisk, it's not ready. Keep going for another few minutes and then check for stiff peaks. If it's almost ready at this point, I'll turn the mixer up a little bit higher and let it run for 30 seconds before checking again. When the meringue is done, it will form a stiff peak when you pull the whisk out. It may have a slight curve to it, but it should not flop over. If it does, continue mixing the meringue in 30-second bursts at the higher speed and checking for stiff peaks.
Using a rubber spatula, add the meringue to the flour/sugar mixture in three batches. It won't mix together completely until you have added all of the meringue. Continue mixing until there are no dry ingredients. We are essentially deflating the meringue and making a cohesive batter. Once the dry ingredients are completely mixed in, use a circular motion with the spatula against the side of the bowl to continue mixing the batter. Do a few circles around the bowl, then bring the spatula through the batter. Do this process a few times, then check for the 'honey-like' stage. The batter should flow off the spatula like honey without breaking. You should be able to draw a figure eight with the batter that will sink into itself in 10 seconds when done. You don't want to overmix the batter, so check for doneness after every few passes.
Once the batter is done, add it to the piping bag. Take the cup over to the lined baking sheets. Take the bag out and, holding the top closed just above the batter, squeeze the batter down gently so it just starts coming out. Hold it a bit sideways until you get over the baking sheets. Holding the bag upright, pipe the shells onto the baking sheets. If you are using the silicone mats with the stencils, you can aim for the dot in the middle of the circle. Count to 4 while piping, then move on to the next circle. Continue this process until you have filled the sheet pans or run out of batter. If you don't have the preprinted circles, just start from the top, going across before moving down. Leave about 3 inches in between each piped circle to leave room for it to spread out.
Now that all the shells are piped, it's on to removing the air bubbles. Bang the trays firmly on your countertop a few times. This helps to dislodge the air bubbles in the shells. I also like to go through with a toothpick and pop any remaining air bubbles I find.
Let the shells rest so they form their skin. This should take from 30-40 minutes. In humid weather, this can take longer. If the weather is really dry, it could take less time. When the skin is formed, you'll be able to touch the tops of the macarons without getting any batter on your finger. Preheat the oven to 300 F about halfway into the shells resting.
Now that the shells have formed their skin, it's time to bake them. Bake the sheets individually in the oven on the middle rack at 300 F for 14 minutes. The tops will be matte and they will not jiggle on their feet when they are done. Remove them from the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes before removing them to a baking rack to continue cooling down. The shells must be completely cooled down before adding the filling.
For the filling, we'll be using caramel sauce in the middle surrounded by a vanilla buttercream. We'll sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on the caramel.
When the shells are cooled, it's time to fill them. Match the shells by size. Flip one over of each pair.
For these macarons, I like to use the small Wilton 12 tip. We are basically piping a dam of vanilla butter cream around the perimeter of the shell to keep the caramel from squeezing out since it is so soft.
Once you've added frosting and caramel to each pair of shells and sprinkled the salt on the caramel, it's time to sandwich them together. Sandwich the macarons gently so you don't crack the tops. I use a circular motion with the flat of my fingers to gently sandwich the macarons together.
Using a spoon, or a small squeeze bottle with a tiny tip, drizzle the honey vanilla glaze over the macs if desired. I prefer the free-form look of using the spoon, but if you want more precision and cleaner lines, use the squeeze bottle.
Yay! You've completed a batch of macarons! Be proud of yourself. Not everyone is willing to try their hand at baking delicate cookies.

Vanilla Buttercream

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the 1/2 cup softened butter until it's smooth, about 30 seconds or so.
Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat together. Start slow so the sugar doesn't fly everywhere. Add in the 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon of milk. Add in the last 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.

Salted Caramel Filling

Add 1/4 cup caramel melts and 2 teaspoons milk to a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 10-15 second bursts, stirring in between. You don't want to burn the caramel so it's very important to microwave in short bursts to prevent this.

Vanilla Honey Drizzle

Add the 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons honey, 2 teaspoons milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract into a small mixing bowl. Mix everything together until smooth.

Notes

Beat egg whites just until stiff peaks form, then stop.
Be careful not to overmix the batter. Once it flows like honey and passes the figure eight test, stop mixing.
Store macarons in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week for maximum freshness.

The nutrition information listed is for comparison purposes only and may vary based on individual cooking styles and measurements. The nutritional information calculated uses a third-party algorithm. Please consult a health professional for any nutrition guidance.

Nutrition