Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Submitted by Heather

There are many salted caramel recipes everywhere you look these days. While other recipes combine the caramel with brownies or cakes, this one showcases the lovely caramel flavor without any competition. It is smooth, and caramelly (not sure that's a word...) and salty and perfect. It does involve a couple of steps, but if you could taste the goodness that awaits you at the end of this process you wouldn't bat an eye at what you have to do to get there.

I don't make ice cream very often, but I can't wait to make this one again. I initially planned on making chocolate ice cream, but I'm so glad I noticed this recipe and changed my mind. I brought it to an ice cream themed baby shower, where there were many delicious offerings. I think we should have more occasions where there's an ice cream bar - it was an awesome idea! My favorite way to eat this ice cream is to serve it with toasted pecans that have been tossed with browned butter.  

Note: I actually made this ice cream a teeny, tiny bit lighter based on some recommendations from the comments in the recipe.  You can make the recipe as written below, or reduce the heavy cream to 1 1/4 C. and substitute 1 C. half and half for the other cup of heavy cream.  It was divine lightened, so I'm sure it's even better with all cream!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Yield: Makes about 1 quart
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 4 hr

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon (or 1/2 -3/4 tsp kosher salt)*
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs

*I don't know what the substitution would be if you used regular table salt, but I'm guessing not more than 1/4 tsp.

Equipment: an ice cream maker

Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.  Note: make sure to get the caramel a nice medium-dark brown. If the caramel is too light the finished product won't have an intense enough caramel flavor, though I'm sure it would still be good.

 Just the sugar - melted until a dark amber

 

 Caramel with cream added

Warm 1 1/4 cups cream in the microwave and add to the caramel (mixture may splatter) Cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.

Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.

Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.  Ice cream keeps 1 week.

Source: Slightly adapted from Epicurious.com

Pecan Turtles with homemade caramel

Posted by: Lisa

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

12 tbsp evaporated milk (3/4 cup)

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups corn syrup (karo)

2 cups heavy cream

6 tbsp butter

Directions:

1.  cook sugar, syrup, and cream over medium/high heat to "softball" stage on a candy thermometer. Stir often until boiling.  Once it starts to boil, reduce heat to medium and only stir occasionally.  You can now insert the thermometer. 

(while working on step 1, I put the evaporated milk and butter in a microwave safe bowl and warm it up so when it is time to add it, the temp isn't so shocking)

2.  Once you have reached the softball stage, add the evaporated milk and butter 1 tbsp at a time stirring after each addition trying to maintain the temperature as much as possible.

3.  Cook it until you reach about 235 degrees.  Important at this point to do the "water test".  Have a small bowl of ice water near by.  As you are approaching the 235, drizzle a small amount into the water.  Let it sit for a minute and then pick it out with your hand.  Smoosh it around with your fingers.  If you can put it into a shape and it stays there, take it immediately off the heat.  If it just runs all over, you need to continue to cook it.  ***if it is too hard at this point, add about 1/4 cup of water to the caramel to bring the temp down.  And check it again at about 228 degrees.

Tip:  While the caramel is cooking, spread sheets of parchment paper (NOT WAX PAPER) on the counter and if making turtles, arrange the preferred nuts into little piles.

**When the caramel is to the right temperature, use a gravy laddle and pour caramel over each pile of nuts and allow to cool.

Once they are cooled, you can then top them with melted chocolate.

(if you have more caramel than nuts, poor the remaining caramel into a prepared pan ..line it with parchment paper...and when cool cut into caramels)

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

submitted by Lisa

I know, it is a sad little picture.  I seriously need to take a photo class...or maybe

get a better camera.  (I am thinking I can't blame it on the camera though!)

This is the first time I have made these and while they were well liked, I would have liked the caramel to taste a bit richer.  But I am biased ....being that I make my own caramel and am quite fond of it!  The steps are easy and not too time consuming so if you are looking to try something new, this is a good start.

Ingredients:
For the Shortbread Layer:
2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1/2 c sugar

For the caramel layer:
1 c unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 c sugar
4 tbsp corn syrup
2 cans sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate layer:
8 oz semi sweet chocolate
1 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 c unsalted butter (1 stick)
sea salt or fleur de sel for sprinkling

Directions:

To make the shortbread layer, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.  In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir with a fork to blend, and set aside.  In the bowl of an rmixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 1 to 2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed blend inthe dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.  Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the caramel layer:  Combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring constantly.  Continue simmering and stirring until the mixture turns an amber color and thickens slightly.  Pour the mixture over the shortbread layer, smooth the top, and allow to cool completely and set.  (I chilled at this stage to ensure that the caramel layer would not melt when the warm chocolate was added)

To make the chocolate glaze, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Pour evenly over the caramel layer and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.  Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then sprinkle with the salt.  chill, covered, until ready to slice and serve.

Source:  Annie's Eats

Chocolate Caramel Layer Cake

At church we had a chili & dessert cook off for Halloween.  I wanted to try something new so I searched out recipes and found this one at www.marthastewart.com .  The picture above is actually the picture from her site.  I had to use it because I FORGOT TO TAKE A FINAL PICTURE!!  I was so mad at myself.  It was such a rush to get everything together for the contest that I forgot the final one. ugh.  But, I have to say that my  picture would have looked very similar.  I thought it would be difficult to get the edges to look so nice and smooth but the cake cut very cleanly and so did the frosting.  Very easy to make this look clean and elegant. (by the way, I won the dessert prize)  Don't think that because it has a Halloween type decoration on it that this dessert is only for that holiday.  You can make any kind of design with the sugar you want, or omit that all together.  This is a great special occasion dessert. 

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for sheet
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder  ( I did not use this)
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet, and line with parchment paper. Butter lining. Dust bottom and sides with flour; tap out excess
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together chocolate, coffee, and boiling water in a separate bowl; set aside.
3. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add sour cream; beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture.
4. Whisk chocolate mixture again; add to batter. Beat until smooth.
5. Pour batter into prepared sheet. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on a wire rack.
6. Invert cake onto a rimless baking sheet; peel off parchment. Halve widthwise. Spread half of buttercream on top of one layer. Top frosted layer with second cake layer; coat cake with remaining frosting. Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into 12 squares; garnish each serving with a caramelized cobweb.
7. This is what it looks like when you frost it and put it in the fridge.  See how the edges are a bit rough....well, after it has chilled, take a long serrated knife and trim the edges and it comes out perfect.  Plus, you get to eat all the edge pieces!  YUM!  

Caramel Butter cream

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 6 large egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Make caramel: Pour 1/4 cup water into a medium heavy-bottom saucepan. Add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush two or three times to prevent crystals from forming. Let syrup boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until syrup is dark amber.

1. Immediately remove from heat; carefully pour in cream (caramel will bubble vigorously). Stir caramel until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; let cool.

1. Whisk together remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, the egg whites, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a standing mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water; whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture registers 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

1. 
   
2. Return bowl to mixer; fit mixer with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff. Reduce speed to medium low; add butter, a few tablespoons at a time. Continue whisking until smooth.

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2. Switch to paddle attachment. Add caramel and vanilla; beat on lowest speed until combined, 3 to 5 minutes.

Caramelized Cobwebs

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, for parchment paper
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick (6 inches) black licorice, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Lightly butter two large sheets of parchment paper; set aside. Prepare a large ice water bath; set aside.
2. Pour 3 tablespoons water into a medium heavy-bottom saucepan. Add sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Continue to cook, without stirring, until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush two or three times to prevent crystals from forming. Let syrup boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until syrup is medium amber.
3. Immediately remove from heat; set pan into ice-water bath to stop the cooking.
4. Working quickly, drizzle caramel with a spoon onto buttered parchment paper, forming cobwebs. If the syrup is thin and runs too quickly, let it cool a bit longer. Alternatively, if the syrup is thick and slow to drizzle, reheat it gently. Garnish with small licorice spiders if desired.
5. To make the licorice spiders, cut licorice into twelve 1/2-inch pieces; split horizontally. On each end, cut out two triangles, forming an M. On each side, cut out one triangle from middle. Use caramel to stick to webs. Let stand until hardened and cooled.