A few months ago, you may remember me telling you that I don’t make caramel. What I didn’t tell you was that I don’t have to – because my 16-year old can do it for me.
After our trip to France this summer, she wanted to recreate the caramel macarons that she ate at Laduree. Laduree is world-renowned for its delicate macarons, and well before we packed our bags, I knew we’d be visiting one of their sumptuous locations.
We saved Laduree for a final stop on the last day of our trip. After a week in Normandy, we spent our final night in Paris in a hotel just a couple of blocks away from the Arc de Triomphe. The Champs Elysees Laduree was packed with fans waiting to buy their favourite treats, and we stood in line for twenty minutes on a rainy August evening making our choices. We dodged raindrops on our way back to the hotel to enjoy them at leisure, and no one loved them more than she did.
Thus, her determination to make them herself when we got home. Luckily, a few days later, the Globe and Mail published a recipe for caramel. She improvised the cookie part, but for the caramel centres she went strictly by the book.
Unlike me, she isn’t unnerved by vague directions like “take it off the heat when it turns an amber colour”. Her caramel was a perfect colour and texture. The finished product was absolutely delicious – I’d be embarrassed to relate how quickly we finished off those macarons.
And if I ever get the nerve to make caramel, I know who my tutor will be.
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| When you make your own macarons, you can put extra caramel sauce on top, just because you like it that way. |
Salted Caramel
(from the Globe and Mail website, Lucy Waverman)
If you want to use the remainder of this mixture for caramel sauce, reheat it and add enough whipping cream to thin it to a pourable consistency.
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream, warmed
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Method
Sprinkle sugar and lemon juice over the bottom of a large frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until melted. Continue to cook until dark amber, then remove from heat and carefully add cream (it will sputter and pop). Add salt and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cream is incorporated. Let cool about 10 minutes, then stir in butter. Cool to room temperature before using. Makes 1 cup.
Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/recipes-making-whoopie-pies/article1680199/print/
Wow, can she come here for a week or so? Those look so delicious! Always fun to read about your travels.
I LOVE caramel, but tend to burn things (not on purpose–it just happens a lot…hazard of having a two-year-old running around the kitchen). Even so, this looks so tasty I might just try it!
A few days ago, I threw out the purchased caramel sauce that had been in the fridge since September. "It doesn't go bad!" exclaimed my son. And have been thinking of making some for him. Perfect, delicious timing! Brava to your daughter and her lovely caramel!
Wow! Very impressive! It took me a long time to get over my caramel fears (they still creep back up on me now and then.)
It looks as though you have a budding pastry chef. Lucky you! 😀
Wow Beth. Your caramels looks out of this world! I know how hard it is to prefect the caramels, trust me. You've donea great job with those little drops of heaven.
Havea grat week ahead.
Now I just need to have your sweet girl come over to my house the next time I need a caramel sauce. This looks just heavenly! It was lovely to hear a bit more about your trip too! Thank you for sharing with me today. I hope you have a joyous Monday!
Geese,,,pass that spoon!
You definitely deserve to be proud of her. They look very elegant and prof.
I love caramel but I've definitely been intimidated to try it out myself. I might just have to wait until I have a teenage daughter myself.
You should be very proud. That caramel looks perfect! The addition of lemon juice is interesting–I'll have to remember that.
wow looking forward to when your daughter starts a blog!
Looks fabulous. Kudos to your daughter! 🙂
WOW! She is brave 🙂 I wouldn't even attempt! And they macarons came out fantastic! So did the sauce. Perfect!
Great job to your daughter! They look delicious.
Just want to dip my finger onto your spoon…
How wonderful that you and your daughter share a love for cooking and baking. I wish I had helped my mom out more in the kitchen; my love for baking and cooking didn't come until much later. And making macarons is no small feat…I heard they are really painstaking to make! Hats off to your daughter!
I tried making caramel once and it was absolutely awful and burnt! Good thing you have someone to make it for you 🙂
Hello, Industry. I am SO impressed that your girl made that happen. Actually, I'm impressed by anyone who is brave enough to take a whack at making caramel 🙂
If I had caramel that looked that good, I'd drizzle it on everything! Your daughter definitely has a knack for caramel – lucky you. 🙂
I would love to try a Laduree macaron one day. I'll have to give this caramel recipe a try. So great that she was fearless.
Wow, your daughter is a pro! I have never heard of Laduree macaroons but I know all food abroad is typically amazing :o)
Thanks for the recipe! I'll be trying that out soon 🙂
What a great job she did! I can just imagine how delicious it was by the photo of the caramel dripping off of the spoon!
oh wow, how awesome 🙂 i'm intrigued by the lemon juice! it was not in the recipe that i made… i'll have to try this version, too, since you can never have enough caramel sauce!
There's nothing I like better than a sundae with vanilla ice cream and caramel Going to try this recipe ASAP. Kudos to your daughter!
I was weary about making caramel for the first time too, but after I did, it definitely turned into something I make often! You're lucky to have a fearless caramel making daughter!
NOt long ago, I made my own caramel. I was always afraid it would be too hard, but it wasn't that bad. Actually it was quite tasty 😉
*kisses* HH
Your 16 year old is a bron foodie; lucky you! I am sure this is very good eaten right out of teh spoon. Now, I wonder if I could make this.
This is ao awesome. You must be so proud…..yum
What a clever little duck! I've only just started to make caramel in the last few years or so, you have a masterchef on your hands 🙂
Wow, she sounds like a very talented teenager! And her caramel looks delicious. I found caramel a bit difficult at first, but it becomes easier over time…
It's so great getting the kids to help out in the kitchen. I have to say, its one of my proudest moments!
The caramel sounds wonderful. I've never tried making my own caramel, but I think I will soon!
Cheers~
I experienced my first macaron in Paris this past summer. Macarons are not easy to tackle and she did fabulous-wow, the caramel sauce too. Totally impressive.
Whoa I am impressed! That looks like it's the perfect color and consistency! Bravo!
Dee-Vine!!
Caramel–one of my weaknesses. So impressed that your sixteen year old is so adept.
You won my heart on this one, Beth. We were in Paris this summer, too! I am so so so impressed with your daughter's skills and desires – and do I have a treat for her. I attended Laduree's Macaron Making class when I was there in July, and salted caramel macarons were one of the ones we made. I have the entire lesson with all recipes posted in two posts on my site: one of the fillings and one of the shells – and then, Ta-da! I did it! After a year (or more) on a personal quest to conquer the elusive French Macaron, myself, I made the salted caramel macaron SUCCESSFULLY. I was so excited. I have a post on that, too. It is so exciting to have a child that loves to cook. That is what this is all about: creating traditions for future generations. My daughters are older, but, I would love to share in your daughter's quest, trials, and triumphs. This is a formidable task. I admire that!
🙂
Valerie
This is the first year I've had 'salted' caramel anything! There really is a flavor difference. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Angela @ the Bookshelf Muse
Bravo to your daughter! What perfectly delicious-looking caramel! And what a fitting remembrance to your wonderful trip.
Thanks to everyone for your awesome comments. Valerie, I checked out your blog and found the very-detailed description of how you made macarons. Wow — that was a real labour of love! I've bookmarked it for my daughter to read.
Oh my gosh, that caramel looks absolutely beautiful and perfect! I'd LOVE to try one! I see a foodie blog in your daughter's future:)
That's just the way I'd have mine too – with extra caramel on top! It looks perfect! Your daughter has natural baking talent.
I have always wanted to try to make caramel but have been intimidated by it. Thank you for the recipe. Very impressive that your daughter would try and recreate this. Good for her…sounds like she did a great job:)
I would love to master caramel. Maybe the trick is not knowing that it's a scary thing to make!
Wow, your daughter did a terrific job with caramel, excellent!
No wonder you feel proud! The caramel looks terrific!
Oh, gorgeous! I am always so impressed by people who don't allow themselves to be intimidated by vague directions. I agonise over things like that, leave them cooking, worry, wonder and then usually let it go too far!
Bravo, bravo! Well done to your daughter. I know how scary caramel can be, so she did a really great job. And macarons on top of it, wow you are one lucky mama 🙂 Loved your market post too, I always try to fit a market in whenever we travel whether local or overseas. I love markets, doesn't matter if it's a craft market, food market, flea market, I'm there 🙂
Wonderful. Caramel is my favorite and would love to learn how to make it.
Caramel has to be one of my all time favorite foods. Ever. How neat that your daughter had the tenacity to not only tackle that recipe, but to perfect it on the very first try! Good for her!
Next time in Paris…I'll be checking out these sweet treats. I was vacationing there last year for 4 days…and never made it through a quarter of the things I wanted to visit. I guess this is why people keep going back ;o)
Your daughter's sweet tooth for caramel has pleased me enough to want to try it and compare the one recipe I've been counting on for years. Looks incredibly yummy!!!
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
Parfait! She couldn't have done a better job. Bravo!