CBC 17 - Burnt Caramel

Let me just clarify the title of this post.  The caramel was meant to be burnt.  Honest!  See ...

Being off work for a week left me with plenty of time to dedicate to my much neglected cook book collection, specifically the chocolate section!  This recipe comes from a book that Hubby bought me when we fist started seeing each other and, following on from the tradition of the Cook Book Challenge (CBC!), I've never made anything from it.  This recipe is used as the base for several other recipes, the Hot Chocolate we sampled last night and this weekend I'll be attempting some truffles (time off also meant the bank account took a hammering when I found a fantastic website with callebaut chocolate at really reasonable rates!)

Burnt Caramel Base
3 1/2 cups granulated cane sugar (I used Billington's, which I was chuffed to bits to find was a product of Mauritius!)
1 cup water

If your kitchen has an exhaust fan, turn it on (also open all your windows and doors!!!).  Put the sugar in a medium (I would advise an extra large!) heavy bottomed pot.  Use an unlined copper pot if you have one.  Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sugar melts.  Then continue to cook, without stirring, until the sugar turns black, about 10 mins.  If any crystals form on the sides of the pan as the sugar darkens, wash them down with a wet pastry brush.  Just before it turns black, the sugar syrup may foam up.  If it does, reduce the heat to low and, wearing on oven mitt, carefully stir it down.  When the sugar syrup is ready, it will smoke (oh buy will it smoke!) and large bubbles will break on the surface.

While the sugar is cooking, bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.  When the sugar is black, remove the pot from the heat and put a sieve or splatter guard over it.  Wearing the oven mitt, slowly pour the hot water into the sugar syrup a little at a time.  The mixture will splutter and foam (oh boy will it splutter and foam!).  Be careful, as it is very hot.

Let the syrup cool to room temp.  Transfer to a tightly capped storage container and refrigerate until needed.

Makes about 2 cups
Chocolate Obsession

I turned my back for a split second to read the instructions through and in that time the caramel went from a golden well behaved mixture, to a black bubbling mass that did more than just threaten to bubble over the top of the saucepan.  With very steady hands I managed to get the pan to the sink before it boiled over the stove top!!!!  It only took 4 minutes to get to that point and not the 10 stated in the recipe.  I wasn't sure if the end result would have been effected or not so we tried it in another recipe from the book just as a test.

Milk Chocolate with Burnt Caramel Drink
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp burnt caramel base, at room temp
55g milk chocolate, grated (I used callebaut buttons instead)

Bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Pour the hot milk into a large clear vessel.  Add the burnt caramel and the grated chocolate.

Blend with an immersion blender until the chocolate has melted and the drink is smooth.

Pour into cups and serve.

Serves 2
Chocolate Obsession

Both Hubby and I thought this could do for being a slightly 'longer' drink, with more milk to help dilute the sweetness.  The burnt caramel adds a new level to an ordinary hot chocolate, which was lovely.  After the initial hit of sweetness subsided the burnt caramel flavour lingered and surprisingly it didn't have a burnt flavour, just a mellow caramel.

Sweet and Simple Bake Number 1 - Not So Jammy Doughnut Muffins!

These little beauties are my first ever attempt at a Sweet and Simple Bakes monthly bake (Rosie and Maria just as soon as I figure out how to add your badge I promise it will be done)! This one has been mulling around in my mind for a little while now and as a result its not quite the same as the original recipe and it is entirely possible that I may have bent the rules slightly, very sorry if I have offended. The inspiration behind them being filled with Dulce de Leche and topped with caramel icing is twofold;

1) Iced doughnuts are the best.

2) I still had quite a bit of Dulce de Leche still kicking about

after the Banana and Mars Bar Cake.

But is a muffin with icing still a muffin?!?!?!?!?

So, I had the recipe, now all I needed was an excuse to bake ~ generally speaking having the recipe is normally reason enough but we're both still suffering with honeymoon weight gain and have promised each other to be extra strict with our WW points this week ~ and then Mr DF went and got himself admitted to hospital. Emergency baking action was required (as well as surgery for DF but he is home again now and driving Miss SD completely bonkers which is a sure sign he is returning to normality). Surely a trip into hospital and surgery and, in SD's case at least, having to look after a grumpy patient is reason enough for some nice Iced Doughnut Muffins? I knew you would agree.

Iced Doughnut Muffins

275g plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

100g caster sugar

2 eggs

200ml milk

75g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla extract

12 tsp Dulce de Leche

For The Topping

150g icing sugar

2 tbsp Dulce de Leche

2 tsp hot water

Chocolate Strands, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl, and stir through the sugar. In a large jug. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir gently until just combined. (Do not over mix, its fine to have a few lumps in the mixture). Spoon half the muffin mixture into the base of each paper case, top each muffin with a teaspoon of Dulce de Leche. Now top each paper case with equal amounts of the remaining mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins until well risen, golden and firm to the touch.

For the topping; combine icing sugar, Dulce de Leche and hot water in a bowl. Dip the tops of the cooled muffins into the icing mixture and sprinkle with the chocolate strands.

Adapted from Sweet and Simple Bakes Blogspot

The original recipe would have made 12 muffins but mine made 7 owing to the fact that these ones are HUGE. I wanted to try and recreate the ones that you get in cafes that look as though they have exploded over the tops of their paper cases so filled them right to the very top. I got the desired effect but I think investing in some of those Texas muffin pans might help them along even further. I made a batch following the same recipe yesterday and used greaseproof paper instead of muffin cases but they weren't as successful. My tried and true taste testers (Hubby and SD) both sampled the ugly ducklings and confirmed that they were still entirely eatable and possibly would have scoffed the lot had it not been time to head back to work!

Next time I'm going to add white chocolate to the mixture (this received a thumbs up from both testers) and possibly replace the vanilla extract with some banana flavouring as Miss SD loves Banoffee Pie and sounded quite keen to taste test the Banoffee Pie Muffins.

Going Banana's!

This one has been a true labour of love! I first attempted to use the over ripe banana's (I am ashamed to admit that they have been sat in the fruit bowl for far longer than I care to recall) to make this cake on Sunday but the baking god's were plotting against me and everything I attempted failed miserably, so it was placed on the back burner for safe keeping. Then I went to make it yesterday, only to discover that I had used every last gram of self raising flour in the Carrot Cake! Oops.

Hubby loves banana's, and secretly I think we purposely buy more than he can eat in a week so as there will be some form of banana baking at the end of the week for him to look forward to (banana's and I don't get along as a general rule so the banana population in our home is a burden he has learnt to carry alone - and he does it well!) but I have slowly used up my recipe repertoire for the overripe fruits. Until I discovered this recipe on http://www.taste.com.au/ (love this web site!)

Banana and Mars Bar Cake
150g butter
100g light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 banana's, mashed
300g SR flour
3 x 60g Mars Bars, chopped
125ml milk
150g icing sugar
2 tbsp caramel topping (I've used ready made Dulce de Leche - cheating I know!)
2 tsp hot water

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 7 x 11 x 21cm loaf pan with non stick baking paper. Beat the butter and brown sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs and banana's.

Combine SR flour and the Mars Bars. Fold into the butter mixture with milk. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 mins. set aside to cool.

Combine icing sugar, caramel topping and hot water. Drizzle over the cake to serve.

Serves 12
Taken from http://www.taste.com.au/

Wedding Cupckes ~ The Final Installment

As well as those Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cupcakes, the bride also requested White Chocolate and Raspberry cupcakes, which were made with the recipe as normal, but this time I made two icings, one plain and the other flavoured with a couple of tablespoons of raspberry sauce that I made by reducing raspberries with some sugar to taste.  I then used the sauce in place of the milk in the normal buttercream icing recipe.  To a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle I added the plain icing to one side only, then filled the other side with the raspberry icing and piped the icing on top of the cupcakes.  These were then sprinkled with some little white chocolate hearts.

The final choice of cupcake were the Dulce de Leche ones and this is how I made them;

Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
110g unsalted butter, at room temp
110g caster sugar
2 large eggs
110g SR flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp Dulce de Leche
1 tin condensed milk, caramelised (I bought mine already made!)

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Fill a 12 hole non stick muffin tin with paper muffin cases.

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.  Sift the flour and baking powder together and add this, a third at a time, to the butter, follow this with the dulce de leche.

Place in the centre of the oven and bake for about 20 mins until the cakes are springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Place on a wire rack and leave to cool.  Once cool, scoop a hole in the centre with a melon baller or a teaspoon and fill the gap with a spoonful of the caramelised condensed milk.

Makes 12
Adapted from Eat Me

Dulce de Leche Icing

125g butter, softened

240g icing sugar

3-4 tbsp Dulce de Leche

 

Beat the butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer until as white as possible. Gradually beat in half the icing sugar (good idea to sift it in), milk, then the remaining icing sugar.

 

Makes enough to generously ice one batch of cupcakes

Adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly Kid's Party Cakes

 

 

Once these little babies were all iced and packaged I sprinkled over some caramel flavoured chocolate curls.

The Wedding and Those Cupcakes Too

It's a done deal, Miss KH is now Mrs KS!  She was the most beautiful bride I have ever seen, I had fully intended to turn and watch her groom's face as he saw his bride for the first time (one of my favourite parts of a wedding) but my gorgeous friend was just too stunning to miss a second of her entrance!

Here she is on her Dad's arm with her little sister holding her train just as she was about to walk down the aisle, complete with thunder, lightening and rain!  The ceremony moved indoors shortly after her arrival.

Mr and Mrs S!



And here is how the cupcakes ended up looking too;

They look OK huh?  I was really pleased with how they had been laid out by the catering company.

The Groom's Mum made the top cake for cutting, a traditional fruit cake with a marzipan covering.

So I guess I had better add a cupcake recipe, and there is no better place to start than with the bride's choice!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cupcakes
225g unsalted butter
150g plain chocolate, 85% cocoa solids
4 large eggs
225g soft dark brown sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
410g can evaporated milk
225g SR flour
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 bag Hershey's Reese's pieces

Preheat the oven to 170C.  Line two 12 hole muffin tins with paper cases.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water, or chop the chocolate and place in a bowl in the microwave for 90 seconds.

When the chocolate is melted, beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the sugar.  Stir the cocoa into the evaporated milk and add half of it to the chocolate mixture.  Sift the flour and bicarbonate and add half to the mixture.  Then add the remaining milk and the rest of the flour.

Divide the mixture between the paper cases and add 3 or 4 Reese's pieces to each cupcake.  Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 20-25 mins until springy to the touch.  Remove and place the cakes on a wire rack to cool.

Makes 24
Adapted from a recipe in Eat Me

I managed to get 36 cupcakes out of this recipe! 

Peanut Butter Icing
70g butter
80g smooth peanut butter
260g icing sugar
25-40ml milk

Make sure the butter is soft. Cream the butter together with the peanut butter until smooth and well combined.

Add the icing sugar (Katie says to do this a third at a time ... but I have to admit I whacked it all in at once, by this point I just wanted it done!) and mix well until it is incorporated with the butters. Add the milk as and when needed if it becomes a bit stiff.

Use more milk to slacken the frosting to the right piping consistency (I used a fair amount).

Fill a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle. Pipe on top of your chosen cupcakes and decorate with shards of peanut brittle.

Makes enough for 12 cupcakes

I stole this recipe from the wonderful Apple and Spice.  Thank you Katie!

Salted Peanut Brittle
200g roasted and salted peanuts
200g caster sugar

Add the caster sugar to a frying pan and gently shake to ensure it melts evenly.  When it reaches a lovely amber colour add the peanuts and stir to ensure they are all coated in the caramel.  Spread onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and leave to set hard.

Once set break into shards and place on top of the cupcakes.

Makes enough to decorate 50 cupcakes

Chocolate Teapot Goes Retro - CBC 12

The final offering for today is in honour of my boys (that would be the Socceroo's - check me out!  I actually know something about soccer!)

And lets not forget Mark Webber who also did us Aussie's proud in the Canadian Grand Prix.  Not first place but he gave it all he had.  Oh why could it not be a month of F1?  Now that I could handle!

This is a Donna Hay recipe, originally for Apricot Upside Down Cake.  I didn't have any apricots so I replaced them with a pineapple.  It turned out really well, a very moist cake with sweet pineapple and caramel to top it all off.  Served with a scoop of ice cream and all is right with the world.

I remember way back in the 80's Pineapple Upside Cakes being all the 'rage'.  Complete with glace cherries!  I even remember being about 13 or 14 (this was right at the end of the 80's mind -ahem) being quite infatuated with one of my brother's friends, summer weekends were spent in either our backyard or theirs having a barbie.  Dessert at ours was pretty much either cheesecake (my brothers favourite) or choux buns filled with whipped cream and topped with chocolate sauce (can't quite remember who's favourite this one was lol) made by my Mum.  Dessert at 'dreamboats' was always Pineapple Upside Down Cake made by his Mum.  I loved it because his mother made it and presumably she made it because it was his favourite ~ anything to get in the good books.  Truth be told it came from a packet mix and was dry and flavourless and the caramel rock hard!

So some reinventing for the modern day was required, without losing any of the the retro appeal if possible.  One thing was a certainty though, no glace cherries here!  I was a bit nervous about making the caramel but it was actually pretty simple and I didn't get burnt once which was a bit of a bonus ;0)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
1 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g butter, melted
Topping
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
75g butter
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 160C.  To make the topping, place the sugar and water in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Increase the heat and boil until the syrup is a golden brown colour.  remove from the heat and stir through the butter.  Pour into a well greased 24cm round cake tin.

To make the cake, sift together the flour and baking powder three times and set aside.

Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 mins or until thick and pale.

Sift the flour and baking powder over the egg mixture and gently fold through.  Fold through the butter.  Place the pineapple in an even layer over the caramel.  Spoon over the cake mixture and bake for 1 hour 5 mins or until cooked when tested with a skewer.  Allow to stand for 5 mins then invert the cake onto a plate.  Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Serves 10
Adapted from Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 2

C'on the Aussies!!!!!

The Girl's Christmas Hamper 2010 - Christmas Cream Liqueur

Saturday saw our Christmas Lunch with 'The Girls', that's 'The Girls' in the photo below. 

We booked a table at A Room In The West End for lunch (I had Smoked salmon on a coriander tattie salad with balsamic reduction for starter, then Char grilled chicken breast on (minus this for me - ick!) black pudding with a wild mushroom cream sauce for main and for dessert a very dreamy Chocolate Brownie with Raspberry Ice Cream) and then we happily sipped our way through cocktails at Sygn before heading over to Oloroso for some more of the same.  Sis In Law and I finally managed to get home at midnight!

Each year I usually make 'The Girls' a small hamper of goodies to enjoy in the lead up to the big day, truffles are always a feature.  This year I decided to make them something slightly different so truffles haven't made an appearance ... I did get ordered home to make some once they found this out but hopefully they will forgive me when they discover what they do have!

Christmas Cream Liqueur
300g Dulce de Leche
1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water
1 tsp vanilla extract
300ml frangelico
284ml and 142ml pot single cream

Spoon the Dulce de Leche into a bowl, then beat in the coffee, vanilla and frangelico until smooth.   Stir in both pots of cream until well mixed.

Pour into 1 large or several smaller sterilised bottles.  This will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.  Drink in liqueur glasses or serve over ice.

Makes approx 1 litre
Adapted from Good Food

I made this for Christmas Eve a few years ago and it was so delicious that I've made it pretty much every year since.  Mum In Law especially has a soft spot for it so its a double batch every time its made!  My version uses frangelico but the original states brandy, I guess any kind of alcohol could be used (within reason) so feel free to use your own favorite as I have.

This post is to be continued ... part two is coming up ;0)

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars

No Fresh From The Oven challenge this month I am afraid, it completely slipped my mind! Oops. We've had a really horrific week here, two dear souls have now departed this world and now Sis-in-Law is in hospital with a broken ankle in three places courtesy of one of Mister Mack's disappearing acts (remember him? The cute adorable faced Westie ... butter wouldn't melt?...Yes, that's the one!) as he passed by a bog. Mack only went home last night and now he is already back with us, under threat of some very good behaviour or else!

We were in some need of cheering up and in need of some goodies to take on tomorrow's hospital visit and this cookie bar ticked all the boxes.

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars

For the Crust

130g unsalted butter, room temp, plus more for parchment

55g brown sugar

240g plain flour

1/4 tsp table salt

For the Chocolate Caramel

400g milk chocolate, chopped

350g granulated sugar

55ml water

85g unsalted butter

235ml double cream

1/2 tsp table salt

1 tbsp sea salt, preferably fleur de sel

Preheat the oven to 180C. Make the crust; line a 9" square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides, butter parchment, excluding over hang. Beat butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 mins. Add flour and table salt and beat until just combined.

Press dough evenly into pan and bake until lightly browned, about 30 mins (mine was probably done at about 15 to 20 mins though)

Make the chocolate caramel; place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, washing sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until amber, 10 to 12 mins (try 25 mins in my case and even then I was being optimistic about the shade of amber!). Remove from heat. Add butter, cream and table salt. Bring to a boil, stirring until smooth. Pour over chocolate. Let stand for 2 mins. Stir to combine and let stand until cool, about 10 mins.

Pour mixture over crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Run a knife around edges. Lift parchment to remove whole bar from tin. Sprinkle with sea salt. Trim edges and cut into 16 bars. Bars can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Makes 16 bars

Cookie Of The Day

I converted the recipe into grams but if you would prefer the cups and ounces version then it can be found on Martha's site using the link above. I used a larger pan so I got a lot more slices out of it, about 22 in total. Hubby prefers his without the sea salt but I think the salt adds a nice depth of flavour to the caramel and chocolate. This is the first time I've ever made caramel, it was scary but a lot of fun as well so I'll be looking out a few more caramel recipes to make for Christmas.

Now. Hubby's laptop is still in the laptop hospital. So my post are still infrequent but I promise just as soon as laptops and life in general returns to normal that this blog will positively over flow with yummy offerings (no pressure there!) and I will be able to visit all my fave blogs every time there is a new post, thank you for hanging in with me thus far ... and here's to a better week just a round the corner ;0)

We Should Cocoa ~ The Caramel Challange Round Up

It is the end of the month again and time for another round up for We Should Cocoa, where Choclette and I will challenge you to create a masterpiece using chocolate and a monthly 'special' ingredient.  For November I picked caramel and we have 12 tasty creations.  Thanks to everyone for taking part again, its always exciting seeing how many different ways the challenges can be interpreted.  (Apologies in advance for the photo's, I seem to be experiencing some technical glitches which is resulting in odd sized pics)!

Without any further ado, here is this month's round up ...

First cab off the rank is Hannah from the Corner Cottage Bakery with Caramel Doughnuts with Chocolate and Caramel Icing.  These little guys look amazing, although Hannah forgot to send a photo in for the round up.  Check them out for yourself on her wonderful blog, I dare you not to drool once!

Corina from Searching For Spice was the first entry for Millionaire's Shortbread.  Love that wonderful thick layer of caramel (mine always seems to sick into the base!)

Suelle from Mainly Baking came up with a variation on the theme of Millionaire's Shortbread with her Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Bars.  Hazelnuts are always a good addition in my book ;0)

Phil at Strong As Soup made these wonderful Caramelised Pear and Chocolate Friands.  Fantastic use of seasonal ingredients Phil!

Choclette did not fail to impress with some very scrummy looking Chocolate and Caramel Cupcakes.  Salted Caramel has got to be one of the best inventions ever, especially in buttercream form ;0)

Need more cupcake inspiration?  Then how about these beauties from Sarah over at Maison Cupcake (is that a great name for a blog or what!?!?!), Dime Bar Dulce de Leche Cupcakes ... yes ... I'm drooling again!

The (not so) Ordinary Cook but her talents to good use making her version of the Marathon Bar in slice form.  Its a great post which made me chuckle out loud so please give it a read!

Some Say Cocoa really pushed the boat out with this month's challenge and not only created one drool worthy treat but two!!  Chocolate and Caramel Popcorn and Fleur-de-Sel Caramel Sticks.  I'm sure you will agree they both look utterly delicious.

Our very own TV personality (sorry Dom, couldn't resist!) from Belleau Kitchen has also entered the challenge with Billionaire's Shortbread (all that stardom Dom has achieved means he has surpassed Millionaires Shortbread teehee).  Unfortunately, Dom also forgot to send a photo in with his entry, but for pure food porn head over to his blog.

Cake, Crumbs and Cooking made some lush looking Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream which her workmates benefited from.  Wish I got to work in the same office!!!

Ros the Baking Addict (better known as The More Than Occasional Baker) made this wonderful looking (and sounding) Giant Chocolate and Caramel Cupcake.  This work of art was created as a leaving cake for one of Ros' colleagues ... lucky thing!

Lastly is my creation ... a Masterchef Australia inspired dessert based on the Aussie classic a Golden Gaytime ice cream.  Think caramel ice cream smothered in chocolate and flecked with honeycomb and peanuts.  Yep, a years worth of calories in every mouthful!

Once again, a massive thanks to everyone who has taken part and for all the creative posts you have submitted for this month's challenge.  To find out what December holds please head over to Choclette's Chocolate Log Blog on the 1st!

PS - I'm back with a couple of updates to the Nov challenge.  Dom sent in a pic of his billionaire's shortbread;

Thanks Dom! 

Brownieville Girl was a little late in posting her creation of Malteser and Caramel Squares but never fear, she has made the second cut ;0)

Poor old Rhyleysgranny had a rough old time of things in November and thought she was too late to have her Chocolate Caramel Oaties included!  With cookies like this all is certainly forgiven!  Hope December is shaping up to be a better time for you!