These caramelized white chocolate macarons first appeared on the blog wayyyyyy back in 2014. They were the first (relatively) successful macarons I’d ever made and I was so damn proud of myself. I’m even more proud now that I’ve (almost) mastered them and can get pretty consistent results.
I’m also really glad I’ve improved in my food photography since then. They original pictures of these were BAD. And honestly, that’s an understatement. Truly awful is probably a better way to describe them.
Caramelized white chocolate
Way back when I first made these, I made my own caramelized white chocolate by slowly baking the white chocolate and stirring it until it was caramelized. I still think that’s a great way to do it, but this time I used Dulcey feves from Valhrona, which are pre-caramelized for us!
This saved my knee the hassle of standing around, waiting and watching the chocolate so it doesn’t burn. All I had to do was heat up some cream, pour it over the chocolate, add a little butter, and stir. Then I just left it until it was a pipeable consistency. Easy!
Let me tell you guys, the chocolate from Valrhona might be pricey, but it is worth every penny. Chocolate is one of those ingredients that I will spend more on for a better product.
Let’s talk about the shells though. These have a tiny bit of cocoa powder in them because why not? Otherwise, its our typical shell recipe. Remember when you’re making the macaron batter that it will start out really thick, and you have to fold/beat it until it’s a nice “lava-like” consistency. It might take a while and some arm power, but it’s totally worth it. Resist the temptation to try and add anymore liquid ingredients. That’ll throw the whole thing off.
Anyway, these caramelized white chocolate macarons are really, really good. Make sure you give them a try! I’m going to try shipping a few out this weekend and I’m a little nervous that they will be broken crumbles by the time they get there, but we’ll see. Happy baking, friends!
Caramelized White Chocolate Macarons
Ingredients
- Macaron Shells:
- 210g egg whites, aged
- 210g sugar
- 275g almond flour
- 246g powdered sugar
- 4g cocoa powder
- Filling:
- 10oz. Valrhona Dulcey feves
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Directions
- Step 1 Shells:
- Step 2 To start, put the almond flour, powdered sugar, and coca powder in a food processor and blend thoroughly. Sift into a bowl to ensure there are no lumps.
- Step 3 In the bowl of a stand mixer (make sure it’s clean and dry), beat the egg whites until foamy. Slowly add the sugar, about 2 tbsp at a time, beating on a medium speed. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase speed to medium high and beat until a thick glossy meringue forms (if adding food colouring, add it now). The mixture should form stiff peaks and you should be able to tip the bowl over your head with none of the mixture coming out.
- Step 4 With a large, flat rubber spatula, gently fold 1/3 of almond flour/powdered sugar mixture into egg whites until combined. Repeat until all of the almond mixture has been added. Fold to combine until you see no streaks of almond flour in the batter. The batter should be pretty fluid, a lot of people describe as a lava-like consistency. It should run smoothly off the spatula when you pull it out. This part comes with practice. Once you know the consistency, you’ll just be able to feel when it’s ready.
- Step 5 Pipe the batter into circles onto parchment or silicone lined baking sheets. Bang the tray a few times on a table to remove air bubbles and allow to sit for about 30 minutes before baking. To see if they’re ready for baking, touch your finger to them. If you get batter on your finger, they need to rest longer.
- Step 6 While resting, preheat your oven to 300°F with a rack placed in the lower third of the oven. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 15-18 minutes (this depends on your oven, my old one was fine at 15 minutes, this one needs 17-18). The shells should cool completely before you remove them from the parchment/silicone.
- Step 7 Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache:
- Step 8 Put the cream in a small saucepan and heat until just boiling.
- Step 9 Place the feves in a heatproof bowl and pour the cream over it. Let sit for 1-2 minutes, then add in the butter and stir thoroughly until combined.
- Step 10 Refrigerate slightly or leave it out until it reaches a pipeable consistency.
- Step 11 Assembly:
- Step 12 Pipe a dollop of ganache onto one half of each macaron shell, then sandwich together.
- Step 13 Macarons should be refrigerated until ready to eat. They will have the best consistency if they are taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before eating.
