Napoleon’s Macaron’s Salted Caramel Macaron Recipe!

About three years ago, Razmig Tchoboian, a self-taught French baker dropped off a box of colorful macaron cookies at my doorstep and I have been a fan of Napoleon Macarons ever since. Today, they have since opened up 3 Los Angeles locations and will soon open up a 4th in SF proper before the holiday season.

Recently Razmig invited me and a few blogger friends to his kitchen to learn how to make his famous macarons. I must say — making macarons are as hard to make as you might imagine they are! With so many painstaking steps and delicate attention to detail, I think I will leave the macaron making to the professionals and instead pick up a custom box of one of their newest holiday flavors – Cranberry Blood Orange, Bourbon Pumpkin Chai Cheesecake, Chestnut Rum Raisin Macaron and Chocolate Peppermint Maca’Leon (a chocolate-covered macaron!).

OR if you’re feeling brave, try out the recipe for their Salted Caramel Macaron below and comment below to let me know how it turns out!

Salted Caramel Macarons

Recipe courtesy of Razmig Tchoboian of Napoléon’s Macarons

Serves: 50 macarons

Macaron Shell Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup + 4 tablespoons hazelnut flour
• 1 cup egg whites, room temperature
• A few drops of natural food coloring
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• ¼ cup of water

Salted Caramel Ganache (Filling) Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
• ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ cup salted butter
• 1 ¼ cup milk chocolate (preferably 40%)
• ¼ cup cocoa butter (or white chocolate)

Macaron Shell Instructions:

1. Preheat oven at 350 ˚F degrees.
2. Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a bowl, sifting until evenly mixed. In a separate bowl, combine ½ cup of the egg whites with a few drops of natural food coloring. Pour on top of flour/sugar mixture without stirring. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, combine the superfine sugar and water, warming on medium heat.
4. Once the sugar/water mixture reaches 215 ˚F on an instant-read thermometer, pour the remaining ½ cup of egg whites into a separate bowl. Beat at medium speed until soft peaks form, gently stirring the sugar water mixture simultaneously.
5. When the sugar/water mixture reaches 245 ˚F on an instant-read thermometer, carefully pour, in small portions, on top of the egg whites being beaten. Continue beating on high speed for 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form, careful not to overbeat the meringue.
6. Sift the flour mixture over the meringue, folding until the mixture is smooth (but not liquid) and just incorporated.
7. 7.     Pour the batter into a piping bag with a cake icer tip. Pipe out 1.5” inch rounds on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. (Tip: lightly outline your circles with pencil before piping.)
8. Gently tap your baking sheets on your kitchen counter or working table, letting the piped rounds sit for approximately 20 minutes.
9. Bake the rounds for approximately 12 minutes; let cool.

Filling Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream on medium-high. Once it starts simmering, turn off the heat.
2. In a separate saucepan or pot, start heating approx. 1/3 of the granulated sugar. When it begins to melt, add another 1/3 of the sugar. When it reaches an amber-brown color, add the remainder of the sugar, mixing with a spatula.
3. When the sugar reaches a rich, dark brown color, turn off the heat and add the salted butter. Continue stirring with a spatula until the butter is melted.
4. Pour the cream into the sugar/butter mix in three stages while stirring, making sure it is completely combined with each addition.
5. Once the sugar, butter and cream is well stirred, pour it over the milk chocolate and cocoa butter (or white chocolate) in a mixing bowl. Begin mixing at high speed.
6. When the ganache has reached room temperature on an instant-read thermometer, stop mixing and pour it into a wide, flat container (preferably a glass baking dish). Lay plastic wrap over the ganache, making sure there is no air between the two. Let the ganache sit in the refrigerator for approx. 15 minutes.
7. Remove the ganache from the refrigerator and pour into a standard piping bag. Carefully pipe small balls (approximately the size of a quarter in diameter) of the filling onto 25 macaron shells.
8. Add the top shells, gently pressing until the filling spreads to the edges of the macarons.
9. Let the macarons sit for 24-48 hours in the refrigerator. Et voilà – enjoy!

Team Macaron Makers! with owner Razmig Tchoboian