Dulce De Leche Macarons For The Win!

I've enjoyed a great almost two weeks without baking or posting anything. I'm still on track for the 52 recipe posts by the end of 2017, so that makes me happy. I keep saying that I am going to bake something other than macarons but I'm addicted to baking them. It's not like they are a breeze to make. I'm literally in the kitchen for hours between making batter, cleaning mixers and bowls, letting cookies rest, baking cookies, cleaning kitchen again, making fillings, yada yada yada. It takes a lot of time. I just feel a sense of accomplishment when I sandwich those two macaron shells together to form a beautiful treat. Oh and by the way I was watching season two of Versailles online and started craving macarons just like Louis XIV and Philippe I,  Duke of Orléans. My favorite macaron flavors of all time are Pistachio, Lemon, and Coffee. Anytime I actually purchase macarons it will always be one of those three flavors. I was also teetering over making salted caramel for some reason. I attempted to make caramel like a year ago but I didn't have a thermometer and the caramel looked like it was great but when I tasted it, it was burnt so it had the most disgusting bitter  taste. I have been scarred and never attempted the caramel making again. This brings me to a great alternative, dulce de leche. You can totally buy dulce de leche already in a jar or can at most stores, but I found out you can basically make it yourself with condensed milk and a whole lot of patience. I also didn't want to make three different batches of macaron and end up with hundreds of macaron shells so I took my go to recipe and split it into three mini batches (chocolate was my base). With chocolate being my base I split the batter into three bowls making red velvet, mint chocolate cookie, and mocha. For the purpose of this post we will focus on the mocha macaron with dulce de leche filling.

Mocha Macaron with Dulce De Leche Filling

 It kind of reminds me of my favorite Starbucks drink, a caramel macchiato.  It definitely has a kick with the espresso powder dusted on top and within the shell. The dulce de leche filling has a sweet taste that compliments the bitter coffee notes. I really enjoyed this macaron and will be making it again in the future with a few tweaks here and there.

First lets go over the filling

you need

Dulce De Leche Filling

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 saucepan or small pot
• 1 jar with a loose lid
• water

This is so easy, first, pour you sweetened condensed milk in your glass jar

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Next, place the jar of condensed milk into your small saucepan or pot

Fill the pot with water just a little above the condensed milk (it's hard to see in the picture below) you want to cover the condensed milk not submerge the whole jar (does that make sense?)

Now all you have to do is sit and wait, and stir. I had my stovetop burner on medium heat for 1 hour. You should check after one hour, you may need to add water due to evaporation. After the hour mark you may like a more liquidy dulce de leche sauce (like for ice cream sundaes, or a drizzle on a dessert) feel free to stop but for a thick filling it needs to cook at least two more hours. You also need to stir every 30 minutes. I cooked mine for 3 hours and you also need to add more water to make sure it covers the condensed milk (every 30 minutes I stirred and refilled the water in the pot)

Once the dulce de leche reached the consistency and color/flavor I wanted I took it out of the water and let it sit on the countertop to cool (remember this is basically a caramel and it will thicken as it cools)

*If you use this as a filling I would recommend making it a day before that way it cools and sets and thats one less thing you have to do.

Dulce De Leche aka 3-hour boiled sweetened condensed milk

Mocha Macaron Shell

• 150g of powdered sugar
• 150g of almond flour/meal
• 150g of granulated sugar
• 50g of water
• 120 g of room temperature egg whites separated into two bowls (60g each)
• 35 g of granulated sugar
• Brown food color gel
• 2 tbs of espresso powder or instant coffee
• 5g of cocoa powder

Ok for the macarons

First take your powdered sugar, almond meal, cocoa powder and run that through a fine mesh sieve. Then take a whisk and mix all the ingredients after they have been sifted, then just set aside.

Take 60g of your room temperature egg whites and fold it into your dry ingredients. This is going to form a thick almond paste, after folding just set the almond mixture aside.

Now take your other 60g of egg whites and place them in your stand mixer on medium until they start to get foamy.

When your egg whites get foamy add in the 35g of granulated sugar slowly and mix on medium to high speed until soft peaks form.

when you achieve soft peaks turn down the speed of your mixer and keep your egg whites beating on low speed (like 1-2 speed)

Now take your 150g of granulated sugar and 50g of water  and place it in a saucepan on your stove on medium heat. 

Let this boil until the temperature on your thermometer hits 240F (soft ball on candy thermometer)

Carefully take your sugar syrup and pour it down the side of your stand mixer ( in a slow steady stream) while the egg whites are whipping.

Continue whipping this mixture on high speed until your bowl cools down and stiff peaks form so about 10-15 minutes you should have a very glossy, shiny merengue, flip the bowl over and it shouldn't move.

Nice Italian meringue

Now take 1/3rd of the egg whites and fold it into your almond paste

Now once your 1/3 meringue  and almond paste combine you can add all of the meringue and continue folding.

One that was all folded together I added some espresso powder

Oooooo it smells so good

Hahahah it was kind of strong

I also added in a few drops of warm brown gel food coloring

Take your macaron batter and place in a large piping bag with a round tip attached.

On a parchment lined tray pipe out 1.5 inch circles, tap your tray on the counter top once finished piping. I then dusted more espresso powder on top of each shell for garnish so they would let you know what flavor macaron you are eating. I wanted a strong coffee flavor, if that's not your thing, you can dust with cinnamon, cocoa powder or nothing at all, maybe add sprinkles, or nuts. 

Waiting to be baked

Preheat your oven to 300F

Let them sit on your counter to create a skin (I like to let them rest at least 30 minutes, normally an hour as I clean up the kitchen) You will know they are ready when you touch the macaron shell and nothing sticks to your finger. The macaron will also turn a flat matte finish.

Place your macarons in the 300F oven for 14-16 minutes (I rotate the tray at the 7 minute mark)

I then take them out of the oven and off of the baking tray and place them on the counter top still on the parchment paper to cool 

After a few minutes I like to match up the macaron shells of similar size and get them ready to be filled.

I think the funnest part is matching the macaron shells together.

Place the dulce de leche in a piping bag and place it in your fridge to chill and firm up. This can be made ahead of time. 

Ready to get some delicious filling

Just pipe a bit in the center of your mocha macaron, I added a few sprinkles of coarse sea salt to give the filling that salted caramel taste. 

Dulce deliciousness

Look at those little flecks of salt

Now just sandwich them together. Place your macarons in an airtight container in the fridge and let them mature for at least 24 hours. They will taste amazing and all of the flavors will meld together. I think if you love chocolate, caramel, and coffee these are the treats you need in your life. They really remind me of a caramel macchiato. They also look fancy af. 

So fancy, so good 

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