Salted Butter Caramel Macarons

Well, I'm back in Paris. I expected things to be a little easier--I stocked the fridge up with vegetables to make quick stir-fries all week long. Then, I realized cutting a lemon became a 20 minute-long chore all of a sudden. Ah, the joy of broken wrists. The plan for lunch today is to eat lettuce with my hands and no dressing. Well, that or go get a falafel. I'll let you guess which alternative I prefer.

Basically, I can't cook until the beginning of February, but my mind has replaced my mouth. I'm stocking up on recipes I want to make in a few weeks, and I can finally take a step back and think about everything I've recently baked. More specifically, these salted caramel macarons I made for Christmas. If you like strong but not burnt-strong caramel, then you'll love these. Ooh-ooh. They pack a lot of taste and are extra creamy.

Like all macarons, they take a little while to make--it's all about advance planning, really. I'm amazed at how successful and fail-proof each one of Pierre Hermé's recipe has been so far. In fact, I met him at a book signing a month or two ago and awkwardly wanted to say something, so I told him that I had successfully made his lemon macarons and that they were delicious. He mumbled something along the lines of "Good, that's how the book was meant to be", and went back to looking a little sad / bored that nobody was waiting in line to have their book signed. Oh, poor Pierre.

Back to the macarons: they're good, fun to make and small. Meaning that you can eat one, or two or three, and feel just fine about it. You can even eat the leftover filling with a spoon, but don't tell anyone I suggested it. Or you can justify it by spreading it on scones or fresh bread, but honestly, go the simple route.

Caramel + butter+ spoon + mouth = go for it!

makes approx. 72

for macaron tops:

300g almond powder

300g confectioner's sugar

110g "liquified" egg whites (placed in a bowl and put in the fridge for at least 72 hours before use)

15g cofee extract

15g dark yellow food coloring

+

300g granulated sugar

75g mineral water

110g "liquified" egg whites



for salted butter caramel  cream: 

300g granulated sugar

350g liquid crème fraîche

65g 'demi-sel' (salted) butter

290g unsalted butter

-Sift confectioner's sugar and almond powder together. Add food coloring to the first bowl of "liquified" egg whites and mix. Pour onto the sugar-almond mixture, without mixing them together.

- Bring water and sugar to a boil, 118°C. When the syrup reaches 115°C, start beating second batch of egg whites with a stand mixer. Pour syrup onto the whites (which should be at soft peak stage by now), continue beating and wait until mixture is down to 50°C before incorporating it into the sugar/almond mixture. Fold everything in delicately.



- Pipe mixture onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet, making round shapes approx. 3,5cm in diameter. Space them approximately 2cm apart from one another. 

- Tap baking sheet on kitchen counter, and let macaron tops crust for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Bake tops for 12 minutes, opening oven door twice. After removing them from the oven, place parchment paper on counter or table.



- Make caramel filling. Bring cream to a boil. Pour 50g of granulated sugar into a large saucepan. Let it melt, and repeat 4 times. Let sugar caramelize until it reaches a dark amber color. Remove saucepan from heat, and add salted butter. Mix with a heatproof spatula and add cream. Mix and reheat until cream reaches 108°C.

- Place in a deep dish. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure that it touches the caramel. Place in refrigerator until cold. Beat unsalted butter with a mixer 8 to 10 minutes, and add caramel cream.