Green Apple Caramel Macarons

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It’s officially Autumn, so now I’m breaking out all of the Fall bakes!

These Green Apple Caramel Macarons taste like a little Apple pie bite! There’s a ring of caramel pastry cream surrounding a dollop of cinnamon apple pie filling. So good!

I also decided to make one side green for the Apple, and the other brown for the caramel. This way, it represents the best of birth worlds.

To do this, I divided the batter in half after I was half way through with the macaronage. This is because the batter still has to be mixed when the color is added and you don’t want your batter to be over mixed. Then the Macarons will not turn out right.

Hope you enjoy them. Happy Fall!

Macarons:

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 cup almond flour

• 3 egg whites

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

• pinch of salt

• 1 tsp vanilla

• Green food gel

•Brown food gel

Buttercream:

• 1/2 stick butter

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 2 Tbsp heavy cream

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

•4 tbsp cream cheese

•2 tbsp salted caramel

Apple Filling:

2 apples, peeled, cored & chopped

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp water

Macarons:

1. Sift confectioners’ sugar and almond flour together, discarding any bits of almond flour that are too large to pass through the strainer.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on high speed until foamy, then with the mixer running, slowly add the sugar. When the mixture reaches soft peaks, add vanilla. Continue whipping just until mixture forms stiff peaks.

3. Gently pour the almond mixture over the whipped egg whites so they don’t deflate. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the almond flour mixture into the egg whites until you are about half way through with the macaronage. Divide between 2 bowls. Add a very small amount of green to one and a very small amount of brown to the other. Continue mixing both until the mixtures hold a 10 count, meaning when batter falls from the spatula to the bowl it takes about 10 seconds until it fully blends into the rest of the bowl in the batter. This way, the almond mixture is fully hydrated but egg whites still retain some air. The mixture is thick enough to pipe without running everywhere, but the peak at the top of each piped cookie will fall on its own, making a perfectly smooth cookie. This takes about 45 turns in total, but depending on how aggressively you fold, it can be more or less.

4. Transfer the both batters to a decorating pastry bag with a 1A tip. Pipe 1 inch rounds of batter onto the parchment lined pans, spacing at least 1 inch apart. Tap the pans hard on the countertop 4-5 times to release trapped air, and then let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes or until the unbaked macaron form a skin and do not stick to your finger when touched. Allowing the macaron to crust over is what leads to their signature “feet,” the holey ring that arises during baking at the base of each cookie.

5. Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees.

6. Bake for 14 minutes on a shelf in the center of the oven. Set a timer.

7. Cool the macaron completely on a cooling grid.

In a piping bag, place the buttercream. Pipe around the edges of each brown macaron. Spoon a small amount of apple filling in the middle. Sandwich with the green Macarons.

Makes 36 to 48 sandwiched cookies.

Buttercream:

Place all ingredients in a standing mixer and blend.

Apple filling:

Add ingredients to a small saucepan. Cook until apples have softened and the mixture has thickened. Cool completely. It can be placed in the refrigerator overnight.