Salted Caramel Macarons

Salted caramel macarons are elegant and sophisticated French pastries that require a certain precision in their preparation. Here is the recipe with an Italian twist in the caramel.

Ingredients

For the macaron shells:

• 125g of almond flour
• 200g of powdered sugar
• 100g of egg whites (about 3 medium-sized)
• 30g of granulated sugar
• A pinch of salt
• A few drops of gel food coloring (optional, to give the macarons the typical beige-golden color of caramel)

For the Italian-style salted caramel:

• 200g of granulated sugar
• 90g of salted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces
• 120ml of fresh cream
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, preferably flakes of Sicilian sea salt or whole sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena (to add an Italian touch)

Preparation

1. Start with the macaron shells: sift together the almond flour and powdered sugar into a large bowl to remove lumps.
2. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until frothy, then gradually add the granulated sugar, continuing to beat until reaching a firm and glossy meringue state. If desired, you can add the food coloring now.
3. Gently fold the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture into the meringue, using a spatula and bottom-to-top movements until you obtain a smooth and shiny mixture that forms a ribbon when lifted.
4. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a round tip and pipe discs about 3 cm in diameter onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving space between each one.
5. Let the shells rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes, until they form a crust to the touch.
6. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 150 °C.
7. Bake the macarons for 12-15 minutes, until they come off the parchment paper. Let them cool completely before removing them from the tray.

For the Italian-style salted caramel:

1. Dissolve the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously until you obtain an amber liquid.
2. Add the butter, being careful because the caramel might splatter. Stir until the butter is completely melted.
3. Slowly pour in the fresh cream, again careful of the splattering, and stir until the mixture is smooth.
4. Add the sea salt and balsamic vinegar, stir and let it cook for another minute. Then, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature until it thickens.

To assemble the macarons:

1. Once the shells and caramel are cool, pair the macaron shells by size.
2. Fill half of the pairs with the salted caramel, then cover with the other shells, pressing lightly to seal the filling.

The salted caramel macarons are ready to be enjoyed. Store them in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving; this allows the flavors to blend better and the texture to improve, becoming ideal.

Trivia

Salted caramel is a classic of French pastry that has also found wide approval in Italy. The addition of traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena is a reinterpretation that wants to honor Italian excellence in the context of international pastry.