sweet and salty – Peach Pear Plum Cafe

Caramel Salted Macarons

These macarons are a great treat with a good cup of coffee. Grab your favorite book, snack and sip and you’ll be smiling all day. I tried quite a few different caramel salted macaron recipes. From homemade caramel to this ingenious idea to boil a can of sweetened condensed milk. I’d have to say this is one of the easier macaron recipes I’ve tried and highly recommend it for your first attempt at macarons. Make sure it matches your taste buds though; not everyone likes the sweet and salty caramel treat. I made mine a bit sweeter by adding light brown sugar into the egg whites instead of regular granulated sugar. Bake, share and enjoy!

Macaron Filling – Dulce de Leche

Ingredients:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Make sure that you put enough water in the pot to completely cover the can.
Remove the label from the can of sweetened condensed milk and carefully submerge it into the boiling water using a pair of tongs. Make sure you place the can on its side, so it can roll around.
Boil the can for 3 hours, making sure the can is covered with water at all times. Add more boiled water if needed.
Using a pair of tongs, take the can out of the pot and place it onto a heatproof surface to cool. Make sure it has cooled to at least room temperature before opening the can, otherwise the dulce de leche will squirt out like a fountain.
Once cooled, place dulce de leche in the refrigerator for an hour and a half (cooled dulce de leche can be stored, tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks) .
When finished cooling, open the can, stir and scoop the cooled filling into a piping bag. Pipe a small amount onto the macaron shells. Don’t overfill.
Gently place matched shells together.

Macaron Batter

Ingredients:

¾ cup almond flour

1 cup of powdered/confectioners sugar

1 tsp of cream of tartar

2 egg whites

¼ cup light brown sugar

1 tsp coarse sea salt

Instructions:

Line parchment paper on two baking sheets.
Have a piping bag prepared with a ½ inch tip and place it in upright in a glass cup.
In a medium bowl, sift almond flour, powdered sugar and cream of tartar. Set aside until step 6
In another medium bowl, beat egg whites at high speed using a wire whisk attachment
When it begins to foam, add in brown sugar and continue to mix until peaks form (2 drops yellow food coloring – optional)
Using a spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg whites. Do this in TWO batches.
Scoop batter into prepared piping bag.
Pipe batter onto the parchment paper about 1 inch in diameter. Remember to tap the trays so air bubbles surface and macaron shells flatten.
Preheat oven to 300
Sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt on top of each macaron. Let the macarons sit for 20 to 30 mins until a “skin” forms.
Bake one pan at a time for 12 to 15 mins. Depending on your oven
Remove the pan from the oven and let the macaron shells cool completely.
Once cooled, begin flipping and matching liked sized macaron shells. This way they are ready for the filling.