fleur de sel caramels

Now you see them, now you don't. Santa liked them a lot too. These little caramels disappear as soon as anyone gets their hands on them. Soft and pliable gooey caramel. What's not to like? Oh, and it's just a little bit salty to keep enticing you to coming back for more. These are not impossible to make, but I suppose they are are also not incredibly difficult to make if you don't mind potentially burning down your house with bubbling sugar on the stove and if you have a hefty arm to slice and dice the pieces into bite-sized morsels. Not impossible, but not entirely without effort and patience either. Although, once you try them, you won't really care if they take a little effort. If you like caramel, and even if you think you don't, after you try these caramels you will change your mind, and be convinced to make these; or so I've been told by many a new lover of caramel. Fleur de Sel Caramels Adapted from Julie van Rosendaal's blog, Dinner with Julie, who in turn adapted the recipe from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert. Thanks Julie! 1 cup golden corn syrup 2 cups granulated sugar 1 tsp fleur de sel 2 cups whipping/heavy cream 2 tbsp butter 1 tsp pure vanilla extract fleur de sel or flaky sea salt (such as Muldon) 1. Carefully line a 9x9 pan with aluminum foil, trying to avoid excessive creases, and spray with canola oil, your best bet to get all those nooks and crannies. 2. In a small saucepan, put the cream on medium-low only to bring to a small simmer to be ready by the time step 3 is completed. 3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, or saucier with a lid, combine the corn syrup, sugar and salt on medium heat. Stir to combine, and as soon as it gets closer to being combined, alternate between stirring and wetting down the sides with a wet pastry brush. Keep a small bowl of water, and the pastry brush near. Continue alternating until the sugar is well combined and any remaining granules of sugar on the side are combined in the mixture. When the mixture begins to bubble, cover with the lid for three minutes. 4. Uncover the pan, but do not stir. Do wet down any pieces of undissolved sugar on the edge of the pan with the pastry brush. Attach a candy thermometer (I prefer electronic), and continue to cook until the mixture reaches a temperature of 250 degrees fahrenheit. 5. Immediately remove from the heat, and stir in the butter, and the hot cream shortly after. Continue to stir; do be careful, as this can spit and sputter everywhere. 6. Place the pan back on the heat, and continue to stir and cook until the thermometer reaches a temperature of 240 degrees fahrenheit. This might require some time, but do not increase the heat too high, as the risk for burning increases. However, it is quite likely the the heat will need to be raised to a medium-high heat. The mixture will become quite thick, and it is advisable to stir with oven mitts on, or very thick skin. 7. Remove the pan from heat, and add in the vanilla extract. Pour the candies to be into the foil-lined pan. Let it set for a few minutes, and then sprinkle over additional fleur de sel. 8. After 3-4 hours the caramel can be cut into pieces. Using a heavy wooden cutting board, and a large heavy-duty knife, carefully slice the caramels into the desired size. It seems to work best with one large solid downward motion, virtually breaking the pieces apart even though they are soft. Be sure to cover the caramels immediately in an air-tight container, separated with layers of wax paper. Be certain to share these delightful little treats!
Add Post To: | | | | | | | | |

creamiest cinnamon & honey ice cream

Trust me, this doesn't appear to be half as good as it is. I'm seriously not kidding. I would dare to say that this recipe is beyond creamy, it is so very decadent. Even a little bit extravagent, although certainly, a necessary indulgence. If you're going to have something sweet, you may as well go all the way, yes? Just go for it. It is so much more satisfying, and when something is this rich and creamy, it is almost impossible to want to eat too much anyways. Not that Jeff and I had any problem polishing this off, mind you. But our freezer might have lost power, and then it would spoil. Or surely, it would get nasty freezer burn. There was urgency in this high priority matter. Oh well, in any case. It was an extremely difficult wait, while the ice cream set in the freezer. Jeff wasn't home when I made it, so fortunately for me, I got the last bits out of the dasher all to myself. So there wasn't too much whining in the meantime, just my tummy wanting more and more. Cinnamon. Is there any spice more widely used? Surely, turmeric is up there in world stats I'm sure. But cinnamon is just so extremely versatile. I do try to eat a lot of it, as spices are supposed to be good for us, and are virtually calorie free. But truth be told, it is just darn good. Really, really good. I've never made anything that was too terrible with it, or that I thought had too much cinnamon. Not yet anyways. Plus it easily goes with most things, and always just makes it better. When I first made this ice cream, I was concerned that perhaps a tablespoon of cinnamon was too much. The colour of the ice cream was so brown, it was going to be a sunk ship, or so I thought. I was mad too, because I had to run to the store just for more cream. But then, it all figured itself out. So don't worry too much, it all turns out in the end with this one. Now I know a lot people are terrified of salt. Well sure, like anything else, too much isn't fabulous. But a little too much occasionally, to highlight here or there, is just plain fantastic! I increased the salt content to be similar to the amount I would add to make a salted caramel ice cream. Salty, but only to make the ice cream so delicious, that only eating a little bit is necessary to feel satisfied. There actually moments when I served myself a couple scoops of this stuff that I realized, that there was too much in the bowl. It is that rich. Oops! The honey is also an important component of this ice cream, but the amount of salt really helps it sing. Cinnamon and honey are just classic pairings, they seem so simple, and are virtual pantry staples. This ice cream is great to make when it seems like there is nothing good in the cupboards; you know, like Nutella, or good quality cocoa, or even chocolate. Just go for it. Creamiest cinnamon & honey ice cream 3 cups heavy cream 1 tbsp cinnamon 4 egg yolks 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup orange blossom honey 2 tsp fleur de sel 1. In a saucier, or sauce pan, heat on medium the 2 cups of the heavy cream, until bubbles easily form around the edge, and it is just barely steaming. In a separate, heatproof bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. In a thin stream, add half of the cream to the eggs, whisking constantly.* Add the eggs and cream back to the saucier, and cook on medium low. *This is tempering the eggs...or attempting to keep them from instantly scrambling by just adding them to the pot. 2. Add the sugar, honey, and cinnamon to the mixture. Continue to stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture appears quite gelatinous, and as if it will turn into scrambled eggs at any second, or coats the spoon with the consistency of melted ice cream. Remove from heat. 3. Whisk in the salt. Add the third cup of cream. 4. Allow the mixture to cool before placing in an ice cream dasher, and churn according to manufacturer's directions. The mixture should still be semi-soupy when removed, and added to a chilled container. Immediately place the container in a very cold freezer, later moving it to a warmer freezer. Enjoy!
Add Post To: | | | | | | | | |

Le Grand Sandwich

Sometimes, I just can't help myself. I love salt. It enlivens our tastes buds, and literally piques our interest. Vegetables, even roasted ones, can taste a little bit bland. But add a little salt, and the flavour goes through the roof! Fortunately, this sandwich "rests" (you deserve it too!) before eating, so all that flavour gets to meld together into each delicious bite. It no longer tastes like zucchini, eggplant, or salt... These things can be boring on their own, but combine them in this sandwich, and you will be surprised. This is a recipe in which it is fun to experiment. Why not? It is often impossible to have all the ingredients a recipe calls for anyways. Change a few things, and make it your own. You can use a spinach pesto, a basil pesto, or a sundried tomato pesto. No pesto? No problem. I do try to make too much pesto...a great predicament to be in...so I can freeze the extras. You can also grill too many vegetables.....oooops.... and save them for salads, or soups. I generally dislike the messiness of roasting bell peppers, as it can feel unnecessarily tedious to remove the skins...so do so at your own discretion. Do cut the pieces a little smaller so you can chew through the skin without noticing. I do find that peeling roasted peppers works best when you char the things to near death, and then cover the poor dears up in a bowl with plastic wrap and wait about fifteen minutes. I can't say the same for your fingertip's when trying to peel off the skins! There are many similar recipes out there, but I love adding portobello mushrooms, for their meatiness...and of course for their ability to improve with salt! Sandwich (Serves 4 large appetites, or 8 smaller ones): 1 large ciabatta loaf (1/2) - (3/4) cup prepared pesto 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise, about 1/8 of an inch 1 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise, about 1/4 of an inch 2 red peppers 2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed, and lightly cleaned olive oil kosher salt pepper Pre-heat the BBQ. Start with the peppers, as it will take awhile to get them nicely blackened. Toss the zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms in a bowl with some olive oil, a couple tablespoons will do, and a few good pinches of salt. Grill about 2-3 minutes per side, adding a bit more salt to the mushrooms. Be patient, and wait until the grill marks have formed before trying to move the items, or they will get stuck. The vegetables will soften slightly after cooking as well. Remove the blackened peppers to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Wait, about fifteen minutes, and then the skin should come off fairly easily. Slice into strips. Slice the mushroom as well. To assemble the sandwich, slice the loaf of bread in half. Pick out some of the extra bread, which you can freeze in a zip bag for breadcrumbs..very handy. Use a grapefruit spoon to help your humble cause, but don't get too concerned. Spread the bottom half with pesto, and layer the cooled vegetables on top. Does the pesto contain a decent amount of salt? How about the veggies? Taste them, and don't worry if there are enough. Sprinkle a little more salt, if necessary. Okay, and some pepper too. Keep in mind that there are not any pre-fabricated, nearly plastic like sauces or deli meats...there isn't much sodium other than what you add...so go ahead and don't worry about it. Drizzle a litte olive oil over the inner top half of the loaf. The only really tricky part: Securely wrap the entire sandwich in plastic wrap. Place it on a cookie sheet (preferably small enough to fit in the fridge), and cover with something heavy (cutting board with a cast-iron skillet on top). Wait at least one hour (go for a nap!), but no more than three. Unwrap your glorious goodie and slice it up. It is pretty isn't it? Devour.
Add Post To: | | | | | | | | |