salted caramel french macarons

happy november. we're in november already?!! well, that's a-okay with me. we are getting closer and closer to THE. BEST. TIME. OF. THE. YEAR. you know what that is! christmas. actually, no. thanksgiving and christmas. best holidays ever. or two of the best. ;)

okay, so i had my second wedding baking gig last month and these salted caramel french macarons were one of the four flavors requested. i have to say it was quite the yummy request because these turned out great. the salted caramel buttercream was light and almost fluffy-like. so airy and just perfect with the right amount of salty and sweetness combo. i don't think i've made a better salted caramel buttercream than this one.

below's the recipe for these good-looking french macarons should you want to make some. i say why not?! salted caramel is quite the hit these days. you cannot go wrong with it. and especially with the holidays coming up, these would make for a great holiday gift to anyone and everyone. i know i plan to bake some goodies and give them away this holiday season. you can too! :)


i think i've found the perfect salted caramel buttercream recipe. these cute little french macaron cookies are so good and tastes even better as you age them longer. i say at least 3 full days.

french macarons with salted caramel buttercream

for the macaron shells:
1 cup (100g) powdered sugar
3/4 cup (60g) almond meal
2 large egg whites (60g), at room temperature
5 tablespoons (65g) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp golden yellow or any gel food coloring of your choice
salted caramel buttercream (recipe below)

for the salted caramel buttercream:
1/4 cup salted caramel sauce (recipe here)
1 stick (8 oz) butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

directions:

to make the macaron batter/shells:

1. line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.
2. sift together the powdered sugar and almond meal so there are no lumps. set aside.
3. in the bowl of a standing electric mixer (or if you prefer, you can use a bowl and hand mixer), beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. while whipping, beat in the sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. add in the gel food coloring. then carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. when the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons. then let it sit for at least 30-60 minutes depending on humidity before baking them in the oven (okay, if you can't wait 30-60 minutes, i say at least 15 minutes to let them settle a little. just make sure the humidity isn't ridiculously high or your macarons won't turn out so pretty). about 10-15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350°F. bake for 15 minutes.
7. once the macaron shells are out of the oven, let them sit for 30-60 seconds before removing the hot baking sheet underneath. let the macarons cool completely before removing them from the parchment paper.

to make the salted caramel buttercream:

1. make the salted caramel sauce according to the recipe and cool to room temperature.
2. in an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium high, speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. then gradually add in the 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce.
3. put the mixer on low and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. then increase the speed to medium and beat until fully incorporated.
4. your buttercream should be good and ready for use!

to assemble the macaron cookies:

1. before assembling these cookies, make sure to pair up all the cookie shells so they are as close as possible in size.
2. using a knife, spread a good amount of the salted caramel buttercream on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together. you can also put the buttercream in a piping bag and pipe the filling onto the cookie if you like. i do that sometimes, but most time i just spread it on.
3. let them stand at least one day (keep them refrigerated) before serving (serve at room temperature), to meld the flavors. note: i say 3 days is the magic number. they taste so good after 3 days.

store in airtight container for up to 5 days. makes 20-24 macarons. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)

vanilla cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream

i have another wedding baking gig upcoming up sometime this october thanks to one of my coworkers' friend who is getting married. last october i baked a bunch of goodies for the friend who is getting married now's sister. this time around, this sister is asking for the same red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and vanilla cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream; in addition to a bunch of french macarons as well. those macaron flavors are still to be decided.

anyway, i mentioned i could make all these cupcakes with these flavors. well, as it turns out, i'd never really made salted caramel buttercream frosting before! hehehe oops, i know. but i have made caramel and salted caramel (from scratch) before. so to make sure i could actually do it, i did a test bake last night after my one of two strength training workouts for the week. i used my go-to vanilla cupcake recipe these days and still had some leftover caramel sauce in the fridge i had made not too long ago. long story short, my first attempt of salted caramel buttercream was somewhat successful. why only somewhat? because i'm not sure how much salt you can taste in the "salted" part of the salted caramel buttercream/sauce. i forgot to put the salt in my sauce when i was melting it and threw it in at the last minute while making the buttercream. regardless, i'll make the sauce again and remember to actually put some sea salt in it before making the actual buttercream.

below's the recipe for the salted caramel buttercream. it's quite intensive if you make everything from scratch but if you already have certain items lying around, it's not so bad. actually, it's not that bad. you can do it. i say salted caramel buttercream goes well with any chocolate or vanilla cupcake. so bake yourself some cupcakes today and top it off with this delicious frosting. trust me, it'll be quite the hit. ;)


i think this salted caramel buttercream is a keeper and goes so well with any cupcakes.

salted caramel buttercream frosting **updated 10/28/13**

ingredients:

• 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce (recipe below), more for cupcake drizzling if you like
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 3-4 cups confectioners' sugar
• milk or cream

directions:

1. using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the butter and salted caramel sauce in a good size bowl until incorporated.
2. then add in the confectioners' sugar and mix until you have the right consistency. if it looks like it's a little thick, add in some milk or cream to thin it out. if it's too thin, you can add in more sugar.
3. once you have the right buttercream consistency, fill your piping bag and frost away.
4. makes enough to frost 24-26 mini cupcakes. you can double the recipe if you like for frosting more cupcakes.

**note: i updated the buttercream frosting a tad because i found a better way of making it. of course, adding the caramel with the butter before adding in the sugar was a no-brainer. i don't know why i didn't think of that before. and using more butter to start off so it's more buttery and just delicious all around. :)

salted caramel sauce
adapted from tartine

ingredients:

• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons sea salt or regular salt
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

directions for salted caramel sauce:

1. Pour the cream into a small, heavy saucepan. Then add in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Place over medium-high heat and bring to just under a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low to keep the cream warm.
2. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, sea salt and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then cook, without stirring, until the mixture is amber colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. The mixture will continue to cook off the heat and become darker, so make sure to have your cream close by. Carefully and slowly add the cream to the sugar syrup. The mixture will boil vigorously at first. Let the mixture simmer down, and then whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
4. Cut the butter into 1-inch chunks and add them to the caramel one at a time, whisking constantly after each addition. Then whisk the caramel periodically as it continues to cool.
5. The caramel will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
6. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

*note: Use a good-sized pan when preparing this caramel. When the hot cream is added, the caramel will boil furiously at first, increasing dramatically in volume. Have ice water nearby in case of burns.

cupcake recipe used: egg-less vanilla cupcakes