SALTED CARAMEL & PRALINE MACARONS

Recipe by Patisserie Makes Perfect

A fabulous Salted Caramel Macaron Recipe. Macarons sandwiched together wih salted caramel, half dipped in Valrhona Chocolate and coated with praline dust.

Ingredients

• for the Macaron Shells
• 200 g ground almonds
• 200 g icing sugar
• 50 ml water
• 175 g granulated sugar
• 150 g egg whites (about 3 eggs)
• 1 x Quantity of Salted Caramel
• for the praline:
• 100 g any nuts of your choice (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts etc)
• 150 g sugar
• to decorate:
• 150 g 70% dark chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C Fan and line four baking trays with baking parchment. You can use these macaron sheets as a guide when piping out 5cm circles.
2. Add the water and sugar to a pan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
3. Put half of the egg whites into a stand mixer and whisk them on a medium speed until frothy.
4. Bring the syrup to a boil and heat until it reaches 118 degrees.
5. Pour the syrup in a slow steady stream into the egg whites as they are being whipped on a high speed. Keep whipping until the meringue forms a stiff peak, about 5mins.
6. Grind the ground almonds and icing sugar together in a food processor and then sift them into a clean bowl.
7. Add the remaining egg whites to this mix and beat it, until it forms a paste.
8. Add a third of the meringue to the almond paste and beat it in thoroughly.
9. Fold through the remaining meringue, ensure the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
10. Put the macaron mix into a piping bag and pipe out 48 macarons.
11. Tap the bottom of the tray to remove any bumps or air pockets, then put the macarons in the oven for 12-14 mins per tray. Turn the trays halfway through cooking to ensure an even bake.
12. Let the cooked macarons cool completely before trying to remove them from the tray.
13. To make the praline, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. You will spread your praline out onto this.
14. Heat the sugar in a pan until it turns liquid and golden. Stir in the nuts, working quickly to coat everything, pour the praline out onto the tray and allow it to set.
15. When the praline has set, tip it into a food processor and blitz until the praline is crushed and resembles breadcrumbs.
16. Then sandwich the macarons together with the salted caramel and place them in the fridge to chill and firm up, you want them quite cold for dipping in the chocolate, otherwise they will separate.
17. Melt the chocolate and then let it cool to around 30C, place the praline in a separate bowl. Take the macarons, dip half of them in the melted chocolate and then coat the melted chocolate with praline, place them on some baking paper to set.
18. Macarons are usually best left in the fridge for a few hours before eating, so that the shells can soften up.

View the recipe instructions at Patisserie Makes Perfect