Karamel Sutra Macarons (Chocolate Caramel Macarons)

I love ice cream.  In high school, I used to eat an entire pint of ice cream in one sitting without blinking an eye.  It was a habit that quickly stopped once I started counting calories in college.  Yes the number of calories scared me, but I didn’t love it any less.
One of my favorite ice cream is Karamel Sutra from Ben and Jerry’s.  Featuring “a core of soft caramel encircled by chocolate & caramel ice creams & fudge chips”, it is a sinfully indulgent treat.  I’ve been haunted by the idea of putting macarons on mini ice cream cones for the longest time. So, I decided to take the plunge with one of my all-time favorites.
Sitting on top of a caramel filled cone and chocolate frosting, this macaron has a chewy caramel center that is encased by chocolate frosting.  It is delightfully charming and insanely delicious.  So delicious in fact, the entire batch disappeared within one night! (FYI This is pretty rare.)

Karamel Sutra Macarons
(Chocolate Caramel Mini Ice Cream Macarons)

You will need:
Mini Ice Cream Cones
Macarons
Chocolate Frosting
Salted Caramel Filling
Whipped Cream (Optional)
Sprinkles (Optional)
Maldon Salt (Optional)

Basic French Macarons
Adapted from Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller, Sebastien Rouxel

Ingredients:
212 g. almond meal
212 g. powdered sugar
172 g. egg whites, divided to 82 g. and 90 g (aged, if possible)
236 g. sugar
158 g. water

Instructions:

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, add the almond meal and powdered sugar and pulse until thoroughly combined.
3. Sift the mixture over a large mixing bowl, throwing out the lumps as they appear.  Add 82 g. of the egg whites and stir until you get a thick mixture.
4. In a small pot attached with a candy thermometer, combine the sugar and water over medium heat and boil until the syrup reaches 200˚F.
5. Once the syrup reaches 200˚F, start whipping the remaining 90 g. in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks are reached.
6. Once the syrup reaches 248 degrees, remove the pot off the burner and slowly pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl with the egg whites on medium speed.
7. Once the egg whites are fully incorporated, increase the speed to medium high until egg whites form glossy, stiff peaks.  Add two drops of the pink gel food color and mix until batter turns a light shade of pink.
8. Mix a ⅓ of the egg white mix to the almond mixture and stir together until the batter is slightly lighter and less pasty.  From then on, fold in ⅓ of the egg white mixture at a time until the mixture “flows like magma”.  The mixture should be smooth and run thick ribbons off the spatula.
9. With a pastry bag fitted with a ½ in. plain tip, pipe 1¼ – 1½ in. rounds.
10. The piped batter may have peaks but should smooth away in a minute or two.  Let the batter stand until the tops of the macaron batter are dry to the touch, about 30 mins to 1 hour.
11. Preheat the oven to 275-325˚F.  If your oven tends to run hot go for 275˚, if not then 325˚.
12. Bake 10-13 minutes, until the feet are formed and the tops are smooth.  The batter is done when you slightly wiggle it and it starts to come off of the parchment paper / silicone mat.
13. Let cool and fill.

Salted Caramel Filling

Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
3 tbsp. water
¾ c. heavy cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a small pot, mix and boil sugar, corn syrup and water until a golden amber color forms.
2. While the sugar mixture is boiling, mix the heavy cream, unsalted butter, kosher salt, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
3. When the sugar mixture turns amber, add the cream mixture.  Be careful!  It will bubble up and create a lot of steam.
4. Attach a candy thermometer and cook sugar mixture until the mixture reaches 235 degrees.
5. Promptly remove to a large glass spout cup and cool.
6. Once cooled, transfer into a squeeze bottle.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:
⅔ c. all-purpose flour
⅓ c. cocoa powder
1 c. milk
⅛ tsp. salt
8 oz. butter
⅔ c. sugar
8 oz. chocolate, melted and cooled
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a saucier pan, put milk, salt, cocoa powder and flour and whisk until combined on medium heat.
2. Continuously whisk mixture until thickened to a pudding like consistency.
3. Once thickened, strain through a mesh strainer into a bowl with a spatula to remove lumps.
4. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the flour mixture and put into the refrigerator until fully cool.
5. In a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the sugar and butter on high speed until fluffy and pale about, 5-10 minutes.
6. Add the chilled flour mixture and continue to whip on high speed until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is no longer gritty, about 5-10 minutes.
7. Add the vanilla extract and melted chocolate and mix until combined.
8. Fill frosting in a piping bag fitted with a ¼ or ½ in. plain piping tip.

Assembly:

If the filling has cooled too much at any point of the assembly, rewarm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until fluid once more.

1. On one cooled macaron shell, frost a round dam around the edge of the cookie.
2. Put into freezer to set frosting for 5 minutes.
3. Fill the inside of the macaron with caramel filling. Top with another macaron shell.
4. In a mini ice cream cone, fill about 1/3 of the way with caramel filling.  Pipe a round of chocolate frosting onto the lip of the ice cream cone.  It should look somewhat like a doughnut. (As shown in the above photo.)
5. Put an assembled macaron on top of the chocolate frosting on the ice cream cone and set in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
6. From here you can enjoy as is or go further with your decorations:
   1. Top your macaron with another macaron for a double scoop effect. (As shown in the above photo.)
   2. Top your macaron with reserved caramel filling and sprinkle with maldon sea salt (or any other flaky sea salt you have on hand). (As shown in the above photo.)
   3. Top your macaron with reserved caramel filling and top with whipped cream and sprinkes. (As shown in the above photo.)