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This post was originally published on Feb. 3, 2015.
My absolutely favorite Starbucks drink is the salted caramel mocha; I look forward to it every year (for unknown reasons they only offer it in the fall).
For those unfamiliar with it, it’s a chocolate and toffee nut espresso drink with steamed milk, a dollop of whipped cream, caramel sauce drizzled over the cream and a coarse salt and sugar mix sprinkled over that.
I always take the lid off and drink the topping off first, it’s so delicious. And that brings me to these macarons, they taste just like those first few sips of the salted caramel mocha. The shells are flavored with chocolate, espresso and vanilla and the filling is a caramel buttercream sprinkled with coarse salt. If you like the salted caramel mocha I guarantee you will love these!
RECIPE NOTE: If you’re interested in visual instructions, I have step-by-step photos on how to make macarons in this post: Salted Caramel Macarons.
More delicious salted caramel recipes:
Salted Caramel Mocha Macarons
Ingredients:
For the macarons:
- 200 grams powdered sugar
- 110 grams blanched almond flour
- 3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
- 90 grams egg whites (about 3 eggs), at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 25 grams granulated sugar
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1.5 tablespoons caramel sauce
- coarse salt
Instructions:
For the macarons:
- Whisk powdered sugar, almond flour, espresso powder and cocoa together in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- Whip egg whites and vanilla to a nice bubbly foam.
- Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites, continuing to beat until you have a glossy meringue that just barely holds stiff peaks.
- Fold the almond mix into the whipped egg whites until well combined. (It’ll be a very sticky, very slow-flowing, thick mass).
- Using a large round tip, pipe the macaron onto two cookie sheets* lined with parchment paper.
- If your macarons keep a little tip in the center, get your finger wet with a little bit of cold water and push the tip down.
- Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 280 degrees F.
- Bake the macarons for 15 to 20 minutes, switching positions of the cookie sheets halfway through.
- Once baked, leave the macarons in the oven, turn the oven off and open the oven door a crack. After 15 minutes, take the macarons out.
For the filling:
- Beat powdered sugar, butter and caramel together until you have a smooth cream.
- Match the macarons into pairs by size.
- Put a dollop of caramel buttercream on one shell, sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt and fit a second shell on top.
Notes:
Nutrition
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WOW…WOW…WOW…DID Isay Wow…these are fantastic…I have ben struggling in making macarons…this is the 5th different recipe I have tried…and trying to pay attention to technique…this is only the second time I did not get hollows…I think your tips are excellent…I always how stiff the peaks were supposed to be and you pointing out that they you should stop just as the stiff peaks start to form…you have made my day…I didnt make the salted caramel filling but opted to make a baileys buttercream…very yummy…I like your baking technique as well…and to top it all off…you are an amazing photographer
And you have made MY day!!! Wow, thank you SO much for such a wonderful comment, I appreciate it immensely!!
I am dying over here… These are so gorgeous!!! So glad to have found your blog through FoodBloggers Group on FB…. This recipe is just EVERYTHING! Pinned pinned pinned! And loved!
Thank you so much, Mila, so nice to hear that! I love that Fb group, such great people there! :)
Nicole, I am so happy to have found your food blog here. The recipes and photography are stunning. I can learn a lot from you and your post recipe styling and photography tips. I’m so excited. :)
Nothing lovelier than starting the day by reading a comment as wonderful as this one. Thank you, Kevin. :)
Thank you! The comment is well deserved and I appreciate your input. I think I’m going with the Lowel EGO Digital Fluorescent Light box and educate myself more. Your Hensel Integra Pro Plus 500 strobe is for the big kids! Need to work a little harder to afford those bad boys! Thanks again. :)
They are bad boys indeed. :) I have to say I am impressed (and surprised) to see what some photographers do with that Lowel light.
This is STUNNING as usual, but beyond that, wow what a recipe! I have never successfully made macarons. The flavour of this is sensational! I adore salted caramel!!
Thank you, Nagi! I have to admit I’m really proud of this recipe :). I only very recently got the hang of macarons (thanks to the incredibly talented Helene at Tartelette).
Salted caramel + mocha.. sounds like such a decadent combination! These macarons look beautiful and I bet taste incredible too.
Wowww…these are seriously gorgeous!! I haven’t made macarons in a while (I feel like for the amount of work, I get more satisfaction from chocolate chip cookies), but I may have to dig out the almond flour for these beauties!
Beautiful photography & lighting and your macarons are so perfect…I’ll take a baker’s dozen, please!
I’m having such a challenge w/macarons these days (seemed to have lost my mojo w/macs!)…maybe today will be the day! :)
Have a lovely week, Nicole!
Thank you, Cristina! I’ve been lucky with them lately but they certainly are tricky little things. Hope you have a wonderful week as well! :)
I love salted caramel mocha too! All that flavor in a little macaron – omg! These look and sound absolutely fantastic!
I had to smile when I bit into the first one, it tasted just like the drink (well, just not as liquidy… :)).