This macaron recipe uses a silky smooth Dulcey ganache with addition of salted caramel to provide more layers of flavors! The Dulcey ganache recipe is rather easy to make and will enhance your French macarons.
5-10gsaltor to taste (I recommend using fleur-de-sel)
Instructions
Mise-en-place:
Pre-heat oven to 300F
Wipe with vinegar the silicon mats, bowls and baking trays. Print templates if using.
Weight all the ingredients in separate bowls
The egg whites can be directly taken from the fridge and do not require aging.
Prepare dry ingredients:
Add egg white powder to the bowl containing the granulated sugar and mix well.
If the almond flour is not super fine, I recommend doing 2-3 pulses in a food processor. Only do this for short amounts of time.
Sift the almond flour and powdered sugar. Do this two times.
Note: keep all the containers covered with lids.
Prepare the French Meringue:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip egg whites on medium speed until foamy/frothy.
Gradually add the granulated sugar/ powdered egg white mixture, continue whipping on medium speed until glossy stiff peaks
Macaronage:
Add half of the meringue to the almond flour / powdered sugar mixture.
Add gel food coloring
Fold gently with a spatula until the dry ingredients are incorporated
Add the remaining meringue
Fold gently until the batter becomes glossy and falls off the spatula like ribbons.
Piping:
Fit a round tip (e.g., Wilton 12) in a pastry bag, place the bag inside a tall measuring cup or a deli container, wrap the bag in the edges of the cup to keep it open
Pour the macaron batter into the pastry, remove from the cup
Pipe circles onto the tray with silicon mat or pre-printed template under a piece of parchment
Resting and baking:
Let the piped macarons rest on the kitchen counter until a skin is developed, you will be able to gently touch them without batter sticking to the fingers.
Once the skin is formed, place inside the oven, bake at 275-300F (this will depend on your location and other factors like humidity) for 15-18min.
Use an oven thermometer to make sure the oven is not too hot.
Let the macarons cool before removing from the baking surface
Filling macarons:
Fit a small tip, I recommend tips like 4B, 1M for nice piping designs, inside a pastry bag. Place inside a tall measuring cup or deli container.
Pour the ganache inside the bag
Take 1 macaron shell, pipe the ganache in the center
Take another macaron shell and sandwich the filling. The best ratio of macaron to filling is 2:1
Dulcey ganache recipe
Chop the chocolate in small pieces, place in a heatproof bowl
Heat the heavy cream with the inverted sugar in a saucepan until it begins to gently boil
Pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 30-60s, do not disturb.
Using a spatula gently mix in the center of the bowl in a circular motion until the chocolate is fully combined.
Add the butter and combine with the spatula.
Let cool completely to room temperature, for about 1hr, without stirring, this will allow the cocoa butter crystals to form.
Cover with a plastic film and place in the fridge to further set and store.
Salted Caramel recipe:
In a small saucepan combine the sugar and water, cook in medium-low heat without stirring
While the sugar cooks, heat the heavy cream and maintain warm.
After some cooking time caramelization of the sugar will occur and the color of the syrup will start becoming darker, remove from the heat once it becomes amber color.
Off the heat add the heavy cream, do this in small amounts, carefully whisk as the cream will bubble up and could splatter. If needed, re-heat the cream if necessary until it becomes smooth and fully incorporated.
Whisk in butter and salt off the heat.
Adjust amount of salt if needed to reach the desired flavor.
Re-heat as necessary. If the caramel is too thick, place back in the saucepan and add small amounts of warm heavy cream to obtain the consistency that is desired.