Salted Caramel Macaron with Smoked Gouda & Candied Bacon

This post is dedicated to Leah Still who is one special little girl!  I have been following this story since the beginning and I couldn’t wait to share, and spread the word about the charity registry.

In a few day there will be the wedding of the year — The Knot Dream Wedding! On Friday, May 13, NFL player Devon Still will be tying The Knot with his fiancee, Asha Joyce. The couple has been selected as this year’s The Knot Dream Wedding couple, after putting their wedding plans on hold while they focused on Devon’s daughter’s health, Leah Still, who was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma.  So in lieu of wedding gifts, Devon and Asha have a charity registry to raise funds for pediatric cancer research; a donation is greatly appreciated!



Salted Caramel Macaron with Smoked Gouda & Candied Bacon is one of the dishes being served at the wedding and I am fortunate enough that I get to share it with you…I hope you’ll enjoy!


 
Ingredients are as follows: 

Macarons
3 egg whites
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups 10X confectioners' sugar 
1 cup finely ground almonds 


Smoked Gouda Rounds 
1⁄2 lb. Thick Sliced Smoked Gouda

Bourbon Candied Bacon 
1lb Thick cut bacon
1⁄2 Cup Brown Sugar
1⁄2 Cup Bourbon
1⁄4 Cup Maple Syrup       


Directions: 

Macarons

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking sheet. 
2. Beat egg whites in a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until they are foamy; add in granulated sugar and continue beating until egg whites are shiny and hold soft peaks. 
3. Sift 10X confectioners' sugar and ground almonds in a separate bowl and gently fold the almond mixture into the egg whites till incorporated.
4. Put meringue mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip.
5. Pipe the batter onto the baking sheet in rounds, leaving space between the disks.
6. Leave the sheet pan out at room temperature until they form a hard skin on top, about 1 hour. 
7. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
8. Bake cookies until set but not browned, about 10 minutes; let cookies cool completely before removing from the silpat.

Smoked Gouda Rounds
Cut rounds of smoked gouda with a round cookie cutter that fits inside the diameter of your macarons giving it the room to melt when heated. 

Bourbon Candied Bacon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Lay bacon on wire rack and bake for 10 minutes to render fat. 
3. Combine Sugar, Bourbon, Maple Syrup till sugar disolves. Brush both sides of bacon and bake for 30 minutes till bacon is crisp. 
4. Cool & chop finely. 
5. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Assembly Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray. 
3. Lay out the macarons flat side up. 
4. Top each with the round of smoked gouda and bacon.
   These can be fragile so make sure to warm in the oven just to melt the cheese (about 5 minutes). 
5. Let sit for a few minutes and then serve – yum!   

 Recipe from Marcia Selden Catering