Snickers Macarons

I knew I wanted to bake my dad something special for Father's Day when he was in town last week, and French macarons seemed to be the perfect answer. Our whole family has loved them ever since we discovered them on a trip to France when I was in high school, but no one more than Dad! And, just at the right moment, Tartelette posted this amazing recipe for Snickers Macarons! What could be better than combining my grandpa's favorite candy bar with my dad's favorite cookie for Father's Day!

The cookies are super tasty, both at room temperature and chilled. All the flavors blend together perfectly and you definitely get a little Snickers feeling! I ended up using Martha Stewart's macaron recipe along with Tartelette's recipes for all the delicious fillings. Although each part is pretty simple, there are lots of components so you might want to spread this project over two days.

Snickers Macarons (See Tartelette's recipe for the original version)
Recipes for all components are after the photos.

Chocolate macarons
Milk Chocolate Ganache
Peanut Butter Nougat
Peanuts
Dulce de Leche or another caramel sauce


First, spread one macaron with milk chocolate ganache.

Then top with a bit of nougat that has been squished into a disc and half a peanut.

Drizzle some dulce de leche caramel on top.

Top with another macaron that has been spread with milk chocolate ganache (like in the first photo). Enjoy!

Chocolate French Macarons (from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 T Dutch-process cocoa powder
4 ounces sliced almonds, finely ground, or almond flour
3 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Whisk in almonds; set aside. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats (I used tin foil and it turned out fine).
2. Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy, then beat in salt. Beat in granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, until medium-soft peaks form.
3. Using a rubber spatula, fold half the almond mixture into the egg white mixture until just incorporated. Fold in vanilla and remaining almond mixture until just incorporated. Firmly tap bottom of bowl on counter to eliminate air pockets.
4. Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe mixture into 1 1/2 inch circles on baking sheets. (You can also just scoop small mounds of dough with a spoon; the finished cookies just won't be quite as pretty.) Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until macaroons are slightly firm and can be gently lifted off parchment (bottoms will be dry), 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer macaroons on parchment to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Milk Chocolate Ganache (from Tartelette)

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Place the chips in a small bowl and set aside. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan and immediately pour over the chocolate. Let sit a few minutes, then whisk briskly until everything comes together. Chill until firm. You'll need to let the ganache sit out at room temperature for a while for it to come to a spreadable consistency.

Peanut Butter Nougat (from Tartelette)

2 cups marshmallows
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Melt both ingredients together over medium low heat. When everything is fully melted and combined, remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. To use, wait until fully cooled and then shape small pieces into discs.

Dulce de Leche (from Desert Candy)

1 can sweetened condensed milk
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a glass pie plate and stir in a few flecks of sea salt. Put the pie plate into a larger pan and add hot water until it comes halfway up the sides of the pie plate. Cover the pie plate with aluminum foil and bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours until brown and caramelized. Check during baking and add more water as necessary to ensure that the sweetened condensed milk is always surrounded by water. Once the dulce de leche has cooled, whisk until smooth.