Salted Caramel Spiced Apple Macarons #appleweek
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends! Hope you all had a great weekend.
Thanks to Mr. Columbus, it’s a three-day weekend and it does not feel like Monday today. I’m going to keep this post very short so I can carry on with my lazy Monday plans which includes waking up after 10 am (check), sharing these salted caramel spiced apple macarons with you (almost check), and meeting my mother-in-law at the mall at 2 pm for a girls’ date!
I went to our annual apple festival this Saturday to enjoy more apples. I may have a problem which is why I am dedicating an entire week to apple recipes! Get ready for some great apple creations to celebrate my favorite fall harvest. Starting with these scrumptious salted caramel spiced apple macarons.
One of the first things I made with my 15-pound haul of apples was a big batch of applesauce and I used some to fill these salted caramel spiced apple macarons. There is nothing like homemade spiced applesauce. It makes your house smell heavenly and is much better than store-bought. I always can my applesauce to enjoy it year long.
The macaron shells are perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and are filled with homemade applesauce and topped with salted caramel sauce to give you a delightful fall sandwich. Just make sure you have a glass of milk to go with these cookies.
Macaron Update: Since I made these S’mores macarons, I have acquired a kitchen scale (thanks LTP!) and this is reflected in the recipe below. Using exact measurements has helped me make more successful batches of macarons and I would strongly suggest you get a scale if you are having difficulties with macarons.
Salted Caramel Spiced Apple Macarons
The macaron shells are perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and are filled with homemade applesauce and topped with salted caramel sauce to give you a delightful fall sandwich.
Ingredients
Spiced Apple Macarons
- 4 ounces (115g) almond flour
- 8 ounces (230g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 5 ounces (144g) egg whites, room temperature
- 2 ½ ounces (72g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 3 medium apples (I used a combination of Macintosh, Granny Smiths, and Galas), peeled, cored, and chopped.
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or more if you want it sweeter)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons water
Topping:
Instructions
Spiced Apple Macarons
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. I used a 1½-inch round cookie cutter to draw circles on the parchment paper and flipped the paper (drawing side down).
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees and prepare a pastry bag with a round tip. I used Wilton 2A.
- Using a food processor, pulse the powdered sugar, almond flour and spices into fine powder. Sift several times until there is less than 2 tablespoons of almond bits left. Add in almond bits to sifted dry ingredients
- In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, sugar and salt. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and whip for another minute.
- Add the dry ingredients to the meringue in two additions and fold with a rubber spatula. Gently fold to deflate the meringue by pressing against the side of bowl and scooping from bottom until batter is smooth and shiny; about 20-25 folds. To check consistency, drop a spoonful of batter and it should have a peak that quickly relaxes back into the batter. Start checking the batter after 20 folds.
- Transfer batter into pastry bag and pipe the batter into the pre-traced circles on the baking sheet. Tap baking sheet hard on counter to release any air bubbles trapped in the batter.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until hard and slightly golden, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking time. You should be able to peel off the macaron from the parchment. Cool completely on cookie sheets before peeling from the parchment.
Filling
- Combine all the ingredients in a small pot and bring to boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer until apples are soft, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and mash apples with a fork or potato masher. Let cool to room temperature before using. You will have way more apple sauce than you need to fill the macarons.
- Use applesauce to fill macarons. Drizzle with salted caramel. Fully assembled macarons should be enjoyed within a day.
Stay tuned for more apple recipes this week! Have a great day 🙂
I made these macarons and they definitely were a hit! It’s a great recipe, but my shells did get a little too wet with the applesauce filling. Any suggestions on how to avoid the macarons from getting too wet?
Hi Katelyn, so glad to hear the macarons were a hit! I do agree, given the nature of applesauce, the shells do get soggy. I always fill the shells right before serving. That’s really the only way to avoid the shells from getting wet. macaron shells attract moisture and applesauce is just that.
Can you mind telling me how long these take to bake?
these bake for 15-20 minutes as the directions state. how long, in the end, would depend on your oven. I would start checking them at about 10 minutes.
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Someday I will try a macron!! These look so incredible, I could just lick the caramel right off of each one! Thanks for sharing at Saturday Night Fever!
Thank you Tanya!! I hope you can try macarons soon. They are worth the fuss! Thanks for hosting each week.
Holy Moly! You and your sweet treats are going to be the death of me. Good thing you don’t gain weight by looking at desserts or I’d be in some real trouble! 🙂 Thanks for a fantastic recipe my friend!
Wow. I have had successes and failures with macarons. These are simply amazing looking. Beautiful photos too.
Stopping by from the Saturday Night Fever link party! These look absolutely divine! I LOVE macarons – just trying to get up the nerve to attempt to make them myself! Definitely pinning this recipe!
Thanks Angela! You should just break it and make these!
I have never had a macaron, but these looks delicious!
Thanks!
These look and some amazing! My husband loves things like this, and with all these flavors, I am sure to love them too. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Chelsea! I’m sure he will love these. Maybe you can add them to your next date night 🙂
I have always been intimidated to try making macarons but after reading this, I’m gonna try! We’d also love to have you share these at our Super Saturday Link Party going on now!
Deb
http://www.madefrompinterest.net/2013/10/super-saturday-link-party-15/
You need to try them Debbie. They are not that bad, I promise! Let me know if you have any questions, I’d be happy to help 🙂
Hello Zainab,
I found your blog through the Best Of The Weekend Link Up and I must say your macaroons look amazing!!! I am totally salivating just looking at them. I feel in love with macaroons on my honeymoon in Paris and I have been meaning to make some but keep putting it off. Now that I have your wonderful recipe I am definitely going to make some soon! Especially considering my apples should be ripe soon.
Super duper excited to make them now.
Love Gi
xx
Gi thanks!! I really appreciate your sweet comment and I’m glad I found your blog too. It’s so cool you went to Paris for your honeymoon. I would like to go there and just eat macarons and shop of course! Give this recipe a try dear and let me know!! If you have any questions feel free to ask 🙂
Apples + Macarons equals some form of heaven to me. You have done it again.
Thanks Jennifer!