Vanilla Caramels with Sea Salt

Vanilla Caramels with Sea Salt

• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tb vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 4oz salted butter, room temperature
• coarse sea salt (we used La Baleine Coarse Sea Salt)
• special equipment: candy thermometer 

1. Combine sugar, honey, and vanilla extract in a large non-reactive pot. Turn on the heat and let the sugar and honey melt and cook until caramelized (it will slowly become a deep, dark brown color.)
2. While the sugar is cooking, bring the cream to a simmer.
3. When the sugar reaches the color you like, whisk in the butter in small knobs, until well mixed, then add the warmed cream, whisk until smooth. 
4. We let this mixture cook until the temperature reached 260F.  However, we live at high altitude (5,000 ft) and if you do not you may want to try cooking these caramels to a slightly lower temperature.  A couple of pros (via the comments section) let us know that typically 244 is the appropriate temperature to cook caramels to in order to achieve the perfect consistency.  Also, check out the comments for tips on how to rescue caramels that have become too hard!
4. Pour the hot caramel onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Let cool about ten minutes, and then sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Continue to let it come to room temperature, and then cut into small squares, roll, and wrap in packets of parchment or waxed paper. 




http://www.two-tarts.com

Shortbread Caramels

 

SHORTBREAD LAYER

• 10 tbs salted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg yolk, whisked
• 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour

Prepare an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper with the edges of the parchment hanging over two of  the sides. This allows you to remove the bars easily once cooled. Combine the melted butter, sugar, and salt with a fork in a large bowl. Add the yolk and again combine with the fork. Add the flour and stir with a heavy spoon or your hands and combine the dough until it is well combined. Place the dough in the prepared pan and press down evenly with your hands until the pan is covered. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour. Remove and bake at 350 for 25-28 minutes, until very lightly browned. Allow to cool while you are preparing the caramel.

CARAMEL LAYER

• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tb vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 4oz salted butter, room temperature
• lavender or sea salt for sprinkling
• special equipment: candy thermometer

Combine sugar, honey, and vanilla extract in a large non-reactive pot. Turn on the heat and let the sugar and honey melt and cook until caramelized (it will slowly become a deep, dark brown color.) While the sugar is cooking, bring the cream to a simmer.When the sugar reaches the color you like, whisk in the butter in small knobs, until well mixed, then add the warmed cream, whisk until smooth. Let the mixture cook until the temperature reaches 240F (for high altitude - we are at 5,000 ft) or 260F for lower altitudes. Pour the caramel over the pre-baked shortbread. Sprinkle with lavender or sea salt, and refrigerate until cool. Cut into small squares and enjoy.

http://www.two-tarts.com/

Homemade Twinkies

By Jeanne, on February 5th, 2010

My kitchen smells like a Hostess bakery. Those of us who grew up in a town that had a Hostess bakery will never forget that smell. Driving through that part of town was always pleasant, since the air smelled of Wonder bread, Twinkies, or whatever snack they happened to be baking that day.

And now it’s in my kitchen. Sweet, sugary Twinkie goodness. Even better than the original.

I’ve only eaten Twinkies a few times in my life. As a kid, I wasn’t allowed to eat very many “fake” foods. It seems to have worked out well because to this day I don’t have much desire to eat processed foods. Thanks mom!

I won’t say that these Twinkies are healthy, but they certainly are worth the rare indulgence. I made these as a surprise treat for my boyfriend. He loves Twinkies, but knows that I don’t really approve of the store bought variety. The verdict? Much better than store bought!

To get the light, spongy cake shell requires a few extra steps. First, beat the egg whites until they are very stiff.

After mixing the batter, fold the egg whites in gently. The volume of the batter will increase greatly. See all those bubbles? This batter is fluffy!

To get the authentic Twinkie shape, use this canoe pan. Or, if you prefer, use a cupcake pan. I couldn’t resist trying the canoe pan. The cakes came out looking exactly like Twinkies!

The fun part is filling the cakes. Hold them in the palm of your hand, stick the icing tip into the cake and squeeze! Not too much, or the cake may explode. When you’re done, they’ll look very professional.

Final score? Store bought Twinkies: 39 ingredients. Homemade Twinkies: 12 ingredients.

Vanilla Snack Cakes (Twinkies)
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Yield: 24 cakes

Snack Cakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon Princess flavoring (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
7 eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a canoe pan or muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are very stiff. They should hold their shape when removed from the bowl. Set aside.

Combine the flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together or beat on low speed for a minute, until combined. Add oil, water, Princess flavoring, and egg yolks. Beat on medium speed until smooth.

Using a rubber spatula, gently scoop 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Fold the egg whites in by slicing the spatula through the center of the bowl, gently scooping batter from the bottom and wrapping it over the top. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat until the egg whites are barely visible. Repeat this process with each remaining 1/3 of the egg whites.

Spoon the batter into the pan, filling the wells 2/3 full. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cakes are golden brown and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cakes will puff up when cooking, but will settle as they cool. Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently remove them from the pan using a rubber spatula. Allow them to cool, flat side down, directly on the cooling rack.

Filling:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk (I used soy milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar

In a small saucepan, heat the flour and milk over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture becomes a paste (about 5 minutes), remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and set aside to cool completely.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Use the pastry filler that comes with the pan (or a pastry bag with round tip) to fill the cakes. Place the tip about halfway into the cake and squeeze gently. Holding the cake in your palm while filling it will allow you to feel when it is full. Fill each cake 3 times to ensure that each bite contains cream filling!

-http://www.simplemathbakery.com

Homemade Hostess Sno Balls

Oh, the weather outside is…weather. There is not exactly a Jack Frost nip in the air; in Maine this week it’s fifty degrees and drizzly. Strange, but not altogether unpleasant. We’ll just have to make our own snowballs, I decided. Sno Balls, that is! Hostess Sno Balls, to be correct. Those icky sticky ooey gooey plastic pink coconut treats your dad would bring home from the grocery store. Why anyone over the age of eight would want to eat these saccharine spheres of corn syrup and red dye #7 is a mystery to me, and why I would attempt a homemade version is an even greater koan. Such is the life of a food blogger. Sometimes, you just have to persevere without insight or satisfying answers.

The process was not so difficult. The cake portion is simple enough, and yields a delicious, spongy chocolate cake, a recipe I would use again in a less psychedelic dessert creation. You will need a candy thermometer, but beyond that no special tools are required. BTW, if you don’t have cream of tartar in your pantry, go get some now so you won’t have to stop what you are doing elbow-deep in eggwhite, drive to Hannaford, ask the gommy stockboy to help you find the cream of tartar, have a meeting of the minds in aisle three to determine what sort of black magic this tiny jar of weird is made of, drive through Starbucks for a peppermint mocha, and get home an hour later. Honestly. It’s a fun, rainy day baking project, if messy and somewhat elaborate. Don’t worry, it’ll be great. Here’s how I did it.

Homemade Hostess Sno Balls

Ingredients:

For the chocolate cake:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk

For the filling/frosting:

• 6 room temperature egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 3 drops red food coloring

Method:

For the chocolate cake:

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla. In another bowl whisk the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add about half the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture, pour in the milk, and then the rest of the flour mixture, until just combined. Ladle batter into greased muffin/cupcake tins and bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen. Let cool completely before beginning the next step, which is to cut a cone out of the bottom of each cake. Trim (and discard, if you wish) the pointy end, leaving only a small circle to cap the cake once filled.

For the filling/frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat egg whites until soft peaks form. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water and cream of tartar and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool until the syrup reaches 242 Farenheit. Slowly pour syrup into the egg whites, followed by the vanilla and coconut extracts. Whip for another ten minutes, until the mixture is thickened and room temperature. Meanwhile, process coconut until fine in a food processor, adding the food coloring, if desired. This goes in a shallow bowl for rolling/sprinkling the almost-finished product. Use a pastry bag (or Ziplock with the corner cut out) to fill each cupcake, and replace cake cap, leaving upside down for frosting. With a small spatula coat the sides and bottom with a light layer of frosting, then add the coconut sprinkles. The End.

Epilogue. There is a slight problem with this method, I feel I must disclose. As I had never tasted a sno ball, I didn’t understand that the exterior coating ought to be thicker, more like a fluff than a frosting. Makes sense. The filling’s looseness made for kind of drippy work, and a treat that is not a proper copycat recipe, as far as consistency is concerned. But the flavor is right on, super sweet, synthetic, but better, than a packaged version would be. And, as I mentioned, the cake itself is fantastic. I feel like the end result of these experiments is often less-than-conclusive, why-did-I-bother, I could just go down to the Cumby’s and buy a package for, I don’t know, forty-nine cents. They are awfully cute. Malcolm suggested that his recipe for marshmallow fluff might result in a more viscous frosting. Which means a third step. But if you are going to the trouble…I would think the three textures intermingling with every bite is part of the thrill for the sno ball afficianado. Like so much in baking, this recipe affords you time to think, slow down, meditate while you mix and measure. I found it rather soothing and deliberate. Go for it, if you have a few extra hours this time of year (and who doesn’t?) There you have it, friends: life, the universe, and sno balls. All in a day’s work.

http://www.fromaway.com

Homemade brie burgers

Ingredients

• 500g lean top-quality minced beef, preferably freshly minced
• 1 small onion, grated
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 large basil leaves
• 50g brie, cut into 4
• 2 sundried tomatoes in oil, halved
• salad leaves, cornichons and sliced tomatoes, to serve

• Method

  1. Remove the mince from the fridge 30 mins before cooking to reach room temperature. Put the mince in a bowl and mix in 1 tsp sea salt, pepper, the grated onion and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well with your (clean) hands, then divide into 4 equal-size balls. Wrap a basil leaf around each slice of brie and press into the middle along with the tomato and re-shape the meat to a flat patty, 11⁄2cm thick.
  2. Heat the grill for 5 mins. Fit the grill rack to its highest level. Lay the burgers evenly over the rack so they are under the hottest parts of the grill. Brush with oil from the sundried tomatoes and season.
  3. Grill the first side 3 mins for medium-rare or 5 mins for well done. Brush the other side with oil, season and grill for the same length of time. Allow to stand for 3 mins before serving. Pack into a crusty bun with salad leaves, cornichons, tomatoes and relish.
  4. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com
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  Homemade Ravioli Recipe

• 

• MAKES: 6 servings

  Ingredients

  • 6 to 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 Eggland's Best Eggs
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • SAUCE:
  • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 1-1/2 cups tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • FILLING:
  • 1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Eggland's Best Egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

  Nutritional Facts

  10 ravioli with 3/4 cup sauce equals 901 calories, 25 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 307 mg cholesterol, 963 mg sodium, 124 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 45 g protein.

  Directions

  1. Place 6 cups flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Beat the eggs, water and oil; pour into well. Stir together, forming a ball. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes, adding remaining flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. Divide pasta dough into fourths; roll one portion to 1/16-in. thickness. (Keep pasta covered until ready to use.) Working quickly, place rounded teaspoonfuls of filling 1 in. apart over half of pasta sheet. Brush around filling with water to moisten. Fold sheet over; press down to seal. Cut into squares with a pastry wheel. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
  5. Bring a soup kettle of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer; cook for 1-2 minutes or until ravioli float to the top and are tender. Drain. Spoon sauce over ravioli. Yield: 6 servings.
  6. http://www.tasteofhome.com/

  

• 

Homemade Ice Cream Cones
Makes 8 sugar cones & 6 waffle cones

Ingredients:
stovetop sugar cones:
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup superfine sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
2/3 all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
waffle cones:
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

melted semisweet or dark chocolate

cone rollers
waffle cone maker

Directions:
1. Stovetop sugar cones: Place egg whites, sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Stir in flour and butter until fully incorporated and batter is smooth. Lightly spray a nonstick skillet with a small amount of cooking spray. Pour 2 1/2 tablespoons batter into the cold skillet and spread into a thin even layer. Place skillet over medium heat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until base has set. Flip and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Quickly lay sugar disc onto a clean towel and top with cone roller. Using towel and cone roller, roll sugar disc into a cone shape and hold, seam side down for 1 to 2 minutes or until cone cools and hardens. (this must be done quickly as the disc will begin to harden almost immediately after leaving the skillet) Cool skillet and repeat until all batter has been used. Cool cones completely before dipping the tips in chocolate and setting on parchment until the chocolate hardens. Carefully store in an airtight container for up to three days.
2. Waffle cones: Pour all ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together until no lumps remain. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Heat waffle cone maker to desired settings. Pour 3 to 3 1/2 tablespoons batter into the center of the waffle cone maker and gently press lid closed, completely. Cook waffle cones for 4 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. . Quickly lay waffle disc onto a clean towel and top with cone roller. Using towel and cone roller, roll waffle disc into a cone shape and hold, seam side down for 1 to 2 minutes or until cone cools and hardens. (this must be done quickly as the disc will begin to harden almost immediately after leaving the skillet) Cool skillet and repeat until all batter has been used. Cool cones completely before dipping the tips in chocolate and setting on parchment until the chocolate hardens. Carefully store in an airtight container for up to three days.

http://www.spoonforkbacon.com

Homemade Caramel (or caramel dip)
Yield: about 60 caramels
Prep and cook time: 1 hour (not including time to cut and wrap caramels, save extra time for that)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup light corn syrup (11.5 oz)
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk (or substitute two cups half and half or light cream, I almost always use sweetened condensed milk b/c makes for shorter cooking time)
2 1/4 cup brown sugar (14.5 oz.), white sugar is also okay, but I prefer brown
1 tsp. vanilla
(Note: if you try any substitute ingredients, I’d love to hear how it goes! I’d love to accommodate readers with any dietary restrictions!)

Equipment:
candy thermometer
heavy, 3-qt. sauce pan, or 6-qt. if doubling the recipe, which I always do (having a heavy pan is important, if your pan is too thin it can heat the caramel unevenly and make it separate)
parchment paper (how I love parchment paper, i’ve never found anything that sticks to this stuff)
8×8 or 9×9 pan (or large jelly-roll cookie sheet if doubling recipe)
wax paper for wrapping caramels

Method:

1. Every time before using a candy thermometer, clip a candy thermometer onto a pan full of cold water and bring it to a boil (make sure the thermometer is not touching the bottom of the pan). I cheat on a lot of things, but I never cheat on this. Boiling water should read 212°. Once the water is boiling, make note of any difference in your reading, and adjust your reading accordingly when you make the candy (for example, if thermometer reads 210° in boiling water instead of 212°, then take caramel off at 242° instead of 244°). High-altitude note: If you live above 7k feet, see the high-alt info below.
2. Line pan with parchment paper, even up the sides. Prepare any apples, pretzels, or other things you’ll be dipping. Chop any nuts or prepare any candy you’ll be sprinkling on top.
3. Cut butter into smaller, even sized cubes for even melting. Melt over low in sauce pan.
4. Carefully add sugar by pouring it into the center of the pan. If any sugar crystals stick to side of pan, push them down with a damp pastry brush so they do not crystallize the entire batch and make you want to cry. Stir slowly until well combined with melted butter.
5. Add and mix in corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk (or cream).
6. Cook and stir on medium for one minute, then to med.-high until boiling. You want to change temperatures slowly so you don’t shock the candy. Once boiling, clip on your candy thermometer (again, don’t let it touch the bottom of the pan). By the time your caramel is boiling, if you have been stirring well, you should have the butter fully blended into the caramel mixture, not separated.
7. Reduce heat to about medium, adjusting so that you keep a moderate, steady boil. Stir frequently. I’m serious about the stirring. If you let your caramel go too long without stirring, you’ll end up with a separated, greasy batch of caramel. No good.
8. Temperature does not raise at a steady rate, so watch thermometer closely. If you have any doubts about the accuracy of your thermometer, periodically do a test by dropping a little in cold water. When your thermometer reaches thread stage (230–233°), take out any caramel that you would like to use as dip. When thermometer reaches late soft ball stage (234–240°), dip in a few apples for caramel apples (UPDATE: Click here for  a great pro tip for perfect caramel apples.)
9. When thermometer reaches 244°, remove caramel from heat (this is low firm ball stage; reaching this stage from boiling takes me about 30 minutes with sweetened condensed milk and longer with cream, though I have had a reader reach it in less time, so watch closely).
10. Stir in vanilla. If dipping, start immediately. If making caramels, pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Either way, take care not to burn yourself, this stuff is so so hot.
11. Allow to cool for several hours and use a butter knife or kitchen shears to cut pieces (UPDATE: a clever reader suggested a pizza cutter, another preferred preferred her trusty Santou knife, lightly buttered, thanks Susan!). Wrap in wax paper. Or to save on cutting time, just leave the whole batch out on the counter with a knife next to it and watch it gradually disappear.
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http://www.giverslog.com/

Light Corn Syrup

Ingredients:

400 g sugar

180 ml of water

a pinch of cream of tartar

a pinch of salt

Method:
In a large saucepan put sugar, cream of tartar and salt; mix well and add water. Bring toboil, boil one minute and reduce the heat. Cook it for 5 min more, avoiding it to boil.Turn the heat off, transfer the syrup in a jar, where it will thicken while cooling…and it’s ready!
This syrup is ideal to soften the “structure”, increase the volume, stop the crystallization and enhance the aroma of some cakes!

http://www.veganwiz.com

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