Salted caramel and chocolate ganache combine beautifully in Chocolate-Filled Salted Caramel French Macarons.
Chocolate-Filled Salted Caramel French Macarons
Serves: 20
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup sifted almond meal
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups dulce de leche
- Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache Filling (recipe follows)
- Garnish: sea salt flakes*
Instructions
- Place egg whites in a medium bowl, and let stand at room temperature for exactly 3 hours. (Aging egg whites in this manner is essential to creating perfect macarons.)
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a pencil, draw 40 (1¼-inch) circles 2 inches apart onto parchment; turn parchment over.
- In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together confectioners’ sugar, almond meal, and salt until combined.
- Beat egg whites with a mixer at medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar and vanilla extract, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. (Egg white mixture will be thick, creamy, and shiny.)
- Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold almond mixture into egg white mixture until batter falls in thick ribbons. Let batter stand for 15 minutes.
- Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (Wilton #12), and pipe batter onto drawn circles on prepared pans. Tap pans vigorously on counter 5 to 7 times to release air bubbles. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before baking to help develop the macaron’s signature crisp exterior when baked. (Batter should feel dry to the touch and should not stick to the finger.)
- Preheat oven to 275°.
- Bake until cookies are firm to the touch, approximately 20 minutes. Let cool on pans completely. Remove from pans, and place in airtight containers with layers separated by wax paper; refrigerate until ready to fill and serve, up to 3 days.
- Place dulce de leche in a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (Wilton #12). Pipe dulce de leche along outer edge of flat side of 20 cookies.
- Place Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache Filling in a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip (Wilton #12). Pipe ganache to fill centers of cookies. Cover each with a remaining cookie, flat side down, pushing down gently and twisting so filling will spread to edges. Sprinkle sides of dulce de leche filling with sea salt flakes, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
*We used Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache Filling
Serves: ¼ cup
Ingredients
- 1 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate premium baking bar, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and cream over low heat. Let chocolate melt, stirring as necessary until smooth. Let cool slightly before using.
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