Caramel | Pies and Plots

Salted Caramel Squares

April 6, 2013 65 Comments

Baseball season started this week. I love that I means the beginning of spring (I hope), but I’m not much of a baseball fan. I don’t really understand the game or why it’s entertaining. Sure, I love when the Tigers make it to the playoffs and I still remember cheering for the Yankees (yes, I’m kind of a Yankees fan) in the 2001 World Series. Mom and I would stay up way too late watching the games. It was riveting and our eyes were glued, positively glued, to the TV.

I’ve been to one game in person many moons ago. Dad got tickets from work for us and some of our friends. The seats were in the first two rows on one baseline or another. It also happened to be the fourth of July. So that means it was searing hot outside. My makeup was melted, my hair a mess, and I was generally uncomfortable. No, miserable might be a more accurate description.

I remember eating a few peanuts and McDonald’s. Why we didn’t get a hot dog, I don’t know, and while I don’t remember what I ordered, I do remember it was the best food I’d ever had from McDonald’s. I haven’t eaten from there in years, but my young self took comfort in some golden arches food that day. It actually kind of saved the day.

As if the weather wasn’t bad enough, at some point during the game, the sky opened up and it poured. Luckily our friend had an umbrella and rescued us from the downpour. I don’t think we stayed much longer. We had no idea there was so much as a chance of rain. I guess I didn’t obsessively check the weather back then like I do now (fifties and rainy next week? Really? That’s the best we can do?) In fact, I don’t remember who the Tigers played or if they even won. Dad and I both vowed to never go to a baseball game again.

So instead of heading to the ball park, I went to the kitchen and made Salted Caramel Squares. The shortbread crust is not my favorite, but that doesn’t matter. It’s only a vehicle for the home run caramel on top. Seriously, this caramel is deep, complex, rich, not too sweet, and totally amazing. I am in love with it. It’s made even better with a sprinkling of sea salt.

This recipe also serves a lot, as a small serving is enough even to satisfy my giant sweet tooth with the ooey, gooey, vanilla bean flecked caramel and the crumbly, crunchy shortbread. Oh, yeah, these are definitely better than sitting through another baseball game.

Don’t miss my Bob’s Red Mill Giveaway either! I know you’ll love their products as much as I do!

4.7 from 11 reviews

Salted Caramel Squares

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 32

Ingredients

Crust

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour

Caramel

2 ¼ cups heavy cream
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped, seeds and pod reserved
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup water
1 ¾ sticks unsalted butter
Maldon Sea Salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan and line it with parchment leaving an overhang to pull the bars out later.
Make the crust. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together using a hand mixer, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs until once again light and fluffy, and then beat in the flour. Place the dough in the prepared pan and press it into an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary, until light golden brown.
While the crust cools, make the caramel. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and vanilla bean pod and seeds to a simmer. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
In a very large saucepan, stir together the sugar and water over medium heat. Stop stirring and allow the sugar to cook until deep amber. This part takes awhile, but is so worth it. As soon as the caramel is to the desired color, remove it from the heat and add the cream. It will bubble vigorously. Once the bubbling begins to subside stir in the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Using your spoon to scrape the caramel off the bottom of the pan – it will melt back into the caramel.
Place the pan over medium-high heat and attach a candy thermometer. While stirring, allow the mixture to come to 240 degrees F on the thermometer. Once this happens, remove it from the heat, remove the vanilla bean pod and pour the caramel over the crust. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Allow to cool at room temperature for about an hour until it is cool enough to handle. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving. Bars may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or at room temperature for 1 (after being chilled to set), or in the freezer in pieces, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Zoe Nathan, courtesy of Food and Wine

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Candy, Caramel Tagged With: Bars, Caramel, Dessert, Shortbread, Vanilla

Salted Caramels

February 9, 2013 40 Comments

My freezer is full. Like seriously full. Like open it, stuff something in, slam the door, and run, hoping all the goodies inside don’t come tumbling out full. It’s a real problem. But a good problem to have. The freezer is full of my baked treats I just can’t bear to part with, which accounts for most of the recipes you see here. There are also bags of peaches, cherries, blueberries, and blackberries that I froze to help me survive winter. And of course there’s fresh pumpkin puree bagged in half cup portions.

Opening the door reveals a mass of zipper bags, stuffed full with shiny aluminum foil covering sugary sweet goodness. Each of the bags has an attached post-it note, reinforced with tape, saying what’s inside, but there’s something about the bags and the cold temperatures that makes the tape not want to stick. It’s always an adventure finding bags with no labels and others with two. “What’s inside?” I wonder as I quickly unwrap something waiting to discover if it sounds good at the moment or if it’s something I’ve forgotten about altogether.

As much as I try to go through it and keep is super organized, it’s hard. All the fruit and pumpkin is on one shelf, all the muffins on another. As things are added it becomes a jumbled mess, often leaving me searching through each and every shelf to find what I’m looking for, because you know those pesky Anzac Cookies are lurking on the last shelf I think they are.

I don’t mind looking through the shelves, as I often discover something I’ve long forgotten about. But it’s seriously cold in the freezer. More than a minute or two of looking leaves me shivering and standing by the running oven, baking or cooking away, or putting my hands under warm running water to restore feeling.

What is best about the freezer is that sometimes things taste better after having spent a while in there. Fresh baked goodness quickly restored after awhile at room temperature or in the oven. Even treats I didn’t love become new favorites. Perhaps it’s also the time delay. There’s nothing like tasting Cherry Almond Cake months after having made it, cherries having vanished from the store shelves, and falling in love with it all over again.

But that freezer really is full, so the need and desire arises for making something that doesn’t need to be frozen, doesn’t freeze well, or I just don’t see a need to keep. Puppy Chow is so quick and easy to make and lasts awhile at room temperature that I’d rather just make it again. These Salted Caramels will last awhile at room temperature and by the time they are gone, I’ll be done with them until I’m ready to make a new batch. Plus I don’t think they’d freeze very well.

These Salted Caramels are the best caramels I’ve ever tasted. Some caramels are too sweet or a little grainy or just don’t taste like anything. But these are pure heaven. Super smooth and creamy, they have that deep caramel flavor with a hint of sweetness, no bitterness or cloying sweetness ever. Vanilla flavor is also present, along with welcome flecks of vanilla bean. The flavor and texture is perfect for eating, in fact, you probably won’t want to stop. But they are on the super gooey side for storage, having to be pried from their wax paper wrapping. But perhaps this is what makes them so good, they don’t have any of that hard caramel, stuck in your teeth thing going on, just melt in your mouth caramel goodness. Plus, you must burn a couple calories working to get them off the paper, right?

4.5 from 10 reviews

Salted Caramels

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 40-50

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups heavy cream
¾ cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, seeded, pod and seeds reserved
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup water
Maldon Sea Salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, combine cream, corn syrup, salt, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla bean pod. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Once this happens, remove from heat and allow to steep while you prepare the caramel. Remove the vanilla bean pod after a couple minutes, well before the caramel is ready for the cream.
In a 4 quart saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook over medium-high heat without stirring until the mixture is deep golden brown. Do not walk away during this process. It may take awhile, but can go from clear to burnt in no time. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cream mixture. Return the pan to medium heat, and stir to dissolve the caramel. Once dissolved, insert a candy thermometer and cook, without stirring, until it reaches 246 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour caramel into prepared pan and smooth top. Let cool completely – this take a long time. Remove from pan and cut into pieces. Sprinkle with sea salt and wrap in wax paper. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Saveur

Filed Under: Candy, Caramel, No Bake Tagged With: Candy, Caramels, Dessert, Gluten Free, Salt, Sea Salt, Vanilla, Vanilla Bean

Dolley Madison Cake and Giveaway!

January 28, 2013 124 Comments

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!!!!!

I had the most amazing birthday ever! The Saturday before Mom and I went shopping. We really went to pick up my earrings, but they are still being tinkered with a month later since they had to be converted to clips. However, while perusing the Neiman Marcus Last Call sale, I found an adorable handbag that I had to have. Mom bought it for my birthday. It may be my new favorite.

Mom and me before some birthday shopping!

My birthday itself was crazy cold, as was the entire week, so I did a lot of staying home and protecting myself from chilblains as much as possible. The sun shone in the house a tiny bit, always welcome. Dad took the day off so we could all spend it together. I may have had an ulterior motive in that it meant he would go pick up fish and groceries for the week, but shhhhhh . . . he doesn’t have to know that After catching up on morning news and eating breakfast, I blogged and opened presents. A gorgeous purple nail polish and all three of the cookbooks from Baked Bakery! You guys should be really excited about those. I can’t wait to break them in. The homemade marshmallow crème to be used in fudge caught my eye immediately. I discount so many fudge recipes because they call for marshmallow crème, but now I don’t have to! During baking, the most beautiful, seriously most beautiful flowers arrived. Bright lilies that smell like summer, roses, daisies, tulips, and flowering kale. I love flowering kale, they are so pretty with the shape of a rose. The fabulous flowers came from Tiffany Florist in Birmingham, Michigan. If you live in the area, the next time you need flowers, call them. You will not be disappointed. I just want to sit and stare at them all day long.

Mom and I baked and watched some more TV, and I read more of Gone Girl. Can’t wait to see what happens – so engrossing. Dinner was broiled swordfish and Cabbage Slaw with Vinegar Dressing, followed by dessert. We rounded out the evening watching ParaNorman. It was seriously the cutest movie ever and the perfect way to end the day. In fact, at the very end I found an eyelash on my finger. I thought about what I wanted to wish for, as I always take a minute to make a wish when the opportunity presents. The day had been so lovely, so amazing that I couldn’t think of anything for which to wish. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of things I want, some material, other decidedly not. But there was nothing else to ask for that day, as perfection cannot be improved upon, except maybe for the day to never end.

The dessert I made was Dolley Madison Cake. I made it once before right before I started the blog and couldn’t wait to share it with you. I’m sorry it’s taken so long, because you totally need this cake in your life. It’s an unconventional layer cake, fitting for this unconventional girl’s birthday, and it simpler to make than your average layer cake.

The cake is light, white and fluffy, leavened entirely with egg whites. Cakes leavened with only egg whites are delicate and have a fine crumb, however, the butter and milk in this cake leave it with a bit of density too, a wonderful compromise in texture. It has a mild vanilla flavor that really allows the icing to shine. The cake is covered in a scrumptious caramel icing or glaze. It soaks into and runs all over the cake, infusing every bite with rich, complex caramel flavor. I didn’t want my piece of cake to end, with the cake mixing with the icing, a perfect balance of sweetness between the two. Luckily there’s more in the freezer to celebrate another day.

I want to keep the celebration going, so I have a giveaway! Vanilla is an important ingredient in this cake, as well as most of the baked goods I make. I only use Nielsen Massey vanilla, as they are the gold standard. They were kind enough to provide one 2 ounce bottle of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and one vial of 2 Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans for one lucky reader. Good luck!

Here are the details: To enter to win the vanilla and vanilla beans, answer the question: What is your favorite spice?
To earn additional entries:

Follow @piesandplots on Twitter. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional and entirely separate comment.

Like Pies and Plots on Facebook. Come back and let me know you’ve liked me in an additional and entirely separate comment.

Follow Pies and Plots on Pinterest. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional and entirely separate comment.

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Subscribe to Pies and Plots via email using the form at the top of the page on the right hand side. Come back and let me know you’ve followed in an additional and entirely separate comment.

Important: In order for each of your entries to count, you must leave entirely separate comments. Meaning it is possible for the first six comments to all have been left by one person. If you leave all of this information in one comment, you will only be entered in the giveaway one time.
The giveaway ends Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST.

The winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator on random.org. The winner will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: Nielsen Massey provided this giveaway, but all opinions, as always, are my own.

5.0 from 9 reviews

Dolley Madison Cake and Giveaway!

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 2 hours

Serves: 10

Ingredients

Cake

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
8 large egg whites
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
2¼ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 cup milk (I used almond)
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup cornstarch
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Icing

3 cups light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans.
Beat egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a large bowl. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would also work. Stir in the vanilla. Slowly add milk, mixing until combined. In a medium bowl, stir together flour and cornstarch, then add to the sugar mixture. Stir until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the egg whites in two or three batches until just mixed in. Do this gently to avoid deflating the egg whites. Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until cake springs back and toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely in pans.
Make the icing. Whisk together sugar, cream, and butter in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. I use a glass bowl, but some people prefer stainless steel. Use what you feel comfortable with. Cook, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes, until the sugar and butter are dissolved and the mixture is homogeneous. It may be slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool completely.
Using a serrated knife, cut the cakes in half so you have four cake layers. Put one layer on a plate or cake stand cut side up and spread about ½ cup icing evenly over the layer. Repeat with next 2 layers. Place the final layer on top, cut side down and cover cake with enough frosting so the top of the cake is covered and the sides are nearly covered. Do not use all the frosting or it will all pool around the cake. Save leftovers for serving.
Serve at room temperature with extra caramel icing if desired. May be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, but bring back to room temperature before serving. Maybe be frozen for up to three months, either whole or in pieces, wrapped in plastic and foil and placed in a zipper bag. Thaw at room temperature at least 1 hour; the bigger the portion, the longer it will take to thaw.

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Martha Stewart Show, April 2008

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Cake, Caramel, Frosting Tagged With: Birthday, Cake, Caramel, Dessert, Icing, Vanilla

Caramel Pretzel Bars

January 16, 2013 45 Comments

The Super Bowl means two things for me: commercials and half time. I like football. I like the players and their stories. The underdog winning when you least expect it. Learning the stories behind the game. Hearing about the people that aren’t always at the forefront of publicity. Having something to cheer for, along with the rest of the country, even when it seems there isn’t anything to be happy about. I love watching the pregame shows. I’m a FOX viewer, welcoming Curt, Terry, Howie, Michael, and Jimmy into my home every week during the season, along with my local pregame team. They make me laugh and teach me something about a game I’m not all that familiar with. I haven’t missed an episode of Inside the NFL in years, even as it changed hosts and networks.

Other than touchdowns and field goals, first downs and punts, I don’t know much about the game itself at all. Off sides, holding, pass interference, it’s like another language. When I’m watching Inside the NFL, I fast forward through the highlight segments. The game itself kind of bores me. But at the end of the day it’s about moments of amazing plays and winners and losers. That fascinates me. I’ll be the first to cheer for an amazing play. A zero – zero tie heading into the fourth quarter? I’ll be in the kitchen.

The Super Bowl is the only game I actually sit on the couch and watch. And truthfully, I don’t really watch it. I can’t get enough of the day long pre game coverage. Musical performances before the game excite me. Then the game comes on and I pick up my latest read or my phone to catch up on blog work and email. But everything gets set aside when the commercials begin. In a world where I fast forward through every commercial, this is the one night when I am riveted by them, occasionally rewinding to catch it again. If I need to pause for any reason, it’s during the game I catch up.

Halftime is the best. A performer’s best in less than fifteen minutes. It couldn’t get better with not only Beyonce, but also a Destiny’s Child reunion this year. I’ve seen Destiny’s Child in concert twice and know almost all their songs. This should be a halftime show that I’ll remember forever.

Of course, you need a treat while you watch the game. Sure, there needs to be savory food, but what’s a football game without dessert? These Caramel Pretzel Bars instantly struck me as Super Bowl worthy. A thin, yet firm brown sugar shortbread has amazing texture, some of the best I’ve found in shortbread, along with a mild sweetness. But the topping of caramel, with its complex flavor, accented by honey, and pretzels make these the ultimate treat. Crunchy, creamy, smooth, sweet, salty – these bars have everything. I was really impressed by the components separately as well as together. I have to say the stand out is the caramel. It’s so rich and smooth, but somehow the honey flavor is really pronounced, a welcome treat.

Whether you’re watching the game, checking out the commercials, or avoiding the hoopla altogether, these bars are a treat for any day. They’ll leave you yelling touchdown!

4.6 from 12 reviews

Caramel Pretzel Bars

Ingredients

Crust

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Filling

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup pure maple syrup (I love Blis)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
6 cups small pretzel twists, broken into large pieces (I used Rold Gold)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with parchment, leaving overhang to pull the bars out later.
Make the crust. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer would work as well. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and mix until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is crumbly. Press into the pan firmly. Bake for 15-18 minutes until light golden brown around the edges.
While the crust is baking and cooling, make the filling. In a large saucepan over medium or medium-high heat, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Add the cream and insert a candy thermometer in the pan. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees F. Once this happens, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pretzels immediately.
Pour the pretzel-caramel mixture over the prepared crust and spread evenly over the crust. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling. Allow to cool completely in the pan. When cool, use the parchment to remove the bars from the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Bars may stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Saveur

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Candy, Caramel Tagged With: Bars, Dessert, Honey, Maple Syrup, Preztels, Salt, Shortbread, Vanilla

Caramel Apple Bread Pudding

December 14, 2012 21 Comments

Warm, soft, gooey, decadent. These are all things I look for in desserts in the winter. Something comforting. Something to combat the cold winter weather. Something like bread pudding. It really doesn’t get warmer, softer, gooey-er, or more decadent than bread pudding.

I love the idea of bread pudding, but so often it is disappointing. I am happy to report that after one bite of this, I could. Not. Stop. Eating. It. Seriously, it was a major problem. I had to give it away to my neighbors to get it out of the house. I started with challah bread from the amazing Avalon Bakery in Detroit. I had never been there before, but it is such a great little bakery full of tons of amazing looking treats. The braided apple raisin coffee cake was a huge hit as was the orange cranberry bread, but the challah really shined in this bread pudding.

It was perfect to soak up the super-rich and eggy custard, enhanced with spices, vanilla, and bourbon. Apples add a little texture. Then I drizzled it with my favorite caramel sauce. It was simply awesome, especially warm out of the oven with warm caramel heaped over it.

Speaking of eggs, this is another recipe I developed for Davidson’s Safest Choice Pasteurized Eggs. They are so perfect for this recipe because then it’s okay if the custard isn’t all the way set. So please head over to their site for the blog post and recipe. You definitely want to make Caramel Apple Bread Pudding this holiday season.

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bread Pudding, Candy, Caramel, Pudding, Sweet Sauce Tagged With: Apples, Bourbon, Bread, Bread Pudding, Caramel, Cinnamon, Pudding, Vanilla

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

August 25, 2012 20 Comments

When it comes to the cake versus cupcake debate, I fall squarely on the side of cake. There’s nothing better than a thick, towering slice with alternating layers of moist, fluffy cake and filling ranging from fruity jam to tart lemon curd to silky frosting, all surrounded by that same silky smooth, sweet frosting and possibly some sort of accent like nuts or graham cracker crumbs.

I love that my piece can be as big or as small as I want, that the rest of the cake is there staring at me inviting me to take another bite or two or freeze the rest for another day. The combinations of cake, filling, and frosting are nearly endless as my fork works its way around the plate finding the perfect bite. A piece of cake is typically larger than a cupcake and takes longer to eat, which is never a bad thing in my mind; savoring each bite is the best part about eating.

But sometimes I don’t feel like making a layer cake, an endeavor that can take the better part of the day. And sometimes I want my own little treat that I don’t have to share with anyone. My own little portion controlled treat, still with cake, frosting, and filling. Of course when there’s extra insanely creamy and flavorful caramel Italian buttercream portion control kind of goes out the window. When this happens, I make cupcakes.

These still took a few hours to make and assemble, but when I tell you they’re worth it, I really mean it. They start with a super moist, not too sweet brown sugar cupcake with a flavor and texture reminiscent of pound cake. They are one of the best cupcakes I’ve eaten. Then I hollowed out the middles, because what’s a cupcake without a filling, and filled the hole to the top with some more of that killer Caramel Sauce from a few posts ago. Some of the caramel soaks in, some of it stays in the center, some oozes out when the middle is replaced. It is all pure caramel soaked goodness and more is definitely better.

But they needed a heaping helping of frosting. I’m not a fan of the gritty texture and hyper sweet traditional buttercream, instead favoring the silky smooth and not too sweet Italian meringue buttercream. While it does require a candy thermometer and stand mixer to make, with a little patience and attention, it is quite easy to whip up and will become your favorite frosting too. And oh yeah, I added some caramel to it! The end result was the creamiest frosting ever with a hint of caramel flavor. The whole cupcake was topped with a little Maldon Sea Salt for complexity and the rest is baking history.

Give these decadent, caramel-y cupcakes a try to celebrate the last post of Caramel Week and remember there will still be many more caramel recipes to come.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Prep time: 1 hour 30 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 2 hours 10 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature (20-30 mins out of refrigerator)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, room temperature (20-30 mins out of refrigerator)
Filling
About ½ cup Caramel Sauce
Frosting
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup water
6 large egg whites, room temperature (15-20 minutes out of refrigerator)
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup Caramel Sauce
1 teaspoon Maldon Sea Salt, for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. I love the ones from Sur La Table.
Make the cupcakes. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar using a hand or stand mixer on medium for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. I used a hand mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, being sure each is incorporated before adding another. Add vanilla. Mix to combine and scrape down bowl as necessary.
Add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, alternating the two, beginning and ending with the flour. I did three installments of flour and two of buttermilk. Using a regular sized ice cream scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin tin, filling the liners ¾ full to completely full. Divide any remaining batter among liners.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Cool cupcakes in pan for about 20 minutes before removing and placing on wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, use a small paring knife to hollow out the middle of the cupcake. This can really be as big and deep as you like, just make sure not to go all the way to the edge or bottom so you leave enough cupcake intact to hold its shape. Fill the center of the cupcakes with caramel. Replace the middle of the cake. Some caramel will ooze out; that is okay.
Make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once this happens, stop stirring, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, and allow the mixture to come to 238 degrees F on the thermometer. In the meantime, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high until foamy. Once foamy, add the cream of tartar and continue beating on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Be sure not to overwhip the egg whites or they will become dry.
Once the eggs are whipped and the syrup is at 238, turn the eggs to medium-low, immediately remove the syrup from the heat, and begin slowly and steadily drizzling it into the eggs. If the syrup is ready before the eggs, it can be turned down or removed from the heat while the eggs finish, before being replaced on the heat to bring to temperature. If the eggs are ready before the syrup, stop mixing them until the syrup is almost ready. Turn them back to medium-high briefly before turning them back down and adding the syrup.
Once the syrup has all been added, turn the mixer back to medium and beat the frosting (what is basically marshmallow crème and is delectable all by itself) for 10-13 minutes until the bottom of the bowl is barely warm or at room temperature. It is important for it to not be too warm or the next step will not work.
Once cooled, add the butter a couple tablespoons at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding another. Scrape down the bowl occasionally. Once all the butter is incorporated add the vanilla and mix to combine. With the mixer running on low, add the caramel. Mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and mix briefly by hand to make sure there are no clumps of butter. If the frosting is a bit soupy (because it was too warm when the butter was added) stick it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, beat it again with the stand mixer, and it should come together.
Using a piping bag, or a zipper bag with the corner cut off (which is what I did), frost the cupcakes with a generous amount of frosting. Drizzle with additional caramel if desired and top with salt for an extra hit of flavor.
Cupcakes may be stored for 1 day at room temperature (this is really how they are best). Store in the refrigerator overnight, but bring to room temperature before serving. They may also be frozen for up to 3 months, wrapped in plastic and foil and placed in a zipper bag. Thaw for several hours at room temperature.

Cupcake recipe adapted from Sprinkle Bakes

Frosting recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Candy, Caramel, Cupcakes, Frosting, Italian Meringue Buttercream Tagged With: Brown Sugar, Caramel, Cupcakes, Filling, Frosting, Italian Meringue Buttercream, Sea Salt

Caramel Cheerio Treats

August 23, 2012 10 Comments

Problems. We all have them and would like to avoid them as much as possible, which isn’t really possible at all. In the course of a day we are bound to encounter a dozen or more problems. The thing is, we have to separate them into good problems and bad problems.

There are the bad ones. Your car breaking down. A cell phone with no battery life left. A broken nail. A dead plant. A pen running out of ink. A computer crashing right in the middle of writing a document that hadn’t been saved. A recipe that doesn’t turn out how you expected. They range from really bad to just kind of bad, but they’re all bad and can easily ruin a day. We hope we don’t encounter too many of these on a daily basis or even over our entire lives, but no matter how hard we try and how many precautions we take, we’re bound to encounter some.

Then there are the good problems that tend not to be problems at all. Having to spend a gift card before it’s expired. Giving yourself a manicure to use up the last of a bottle of nail polish. Not having anything to do (I wish this was my problem sometimes). Having too many shows to watch on TV. Not being able to choose which movie to watch or restaurant to eat at. Having a bunch of leftover homemade caramel sitting in the refrigerator waiting to be used.

While I’ve encountered many of these problems, I was recently faced with a bowl of caramel staring at me, waiting to be used. And you might be in the same bind if you’re following along with caramel week. I poured some over some frozen Apple Walnut Cake before wrapping it in parchment and thawing it in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes. That was heaven! I made another recipe, the final in caramel week, that you’ll see Saturday, but there was still plenty left and no matter what I did with it, I was not under any circumstances going to throw it away, because that was a problem I simply couldn’t live with.

So I thought about it for a few days and figured I’d try a no-bake cereal treat with the crazy hot weather. Because the only thing that could be better than a ton of marshmallows melted down to generously coat cereal is mixing a bunch of caramel into it as well. I eliminated the butter as there is plenty of butterfat in the caramel.

The end result was amazing. The flavor is very reminiscent of the Rice Krispy Treats we all enjoyed as children, but with a major grown up flare. The sweet marshmallows, the complex caramel, the crunchy cereal, the slightly salty peanuts. These bars are nothing but pure deliciousness.

A few notes about the recipe: I only added five cups of cereal, but if you don’t want the bars incredibly gooey and sticky, feel free to add a cup or perhaps even two more. I used lightly salted Planter’s peanuts because I don’t like salt, but any salted peanuts will do. I used regular and Peanut Butter Cheerios and think the mix really worked and is necessary. Using all regular Cheerios will result in a little bit of a grainy texture.

This is the perfect summer sweet treat for the whole family. It only takes a few minutes for everyone to be enjoying sticky, sweet goodness.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Caramel Cheerio Treats

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

1 10.5 ounce bag Jet Puffed Mini Marshmallows (I highly recommend using this brand)
1 cup homemade Caramel Sauce
¾ cup lightly salted peanuts
3 cups Cheerios
2 cups Peanut Butter Cheerios

Instructions

Line a 9 by 13 inch pan with parchment. Butter the parchment generously.
Place the marshmallows and caramel in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring well between each session. It will take a couple of minutes to fully melt the marshmallows. Continue microwaving in increments until everything is completely melted and when stirred together forms a homogeneous mixture.
Pour in the cereal and peanuts. It is okay to add the cereal a couple cups at a time to make stirring easier. Once the mixture is fully incorporated with the marshmallow mixture completely covering the cereal and peanuts, pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth it out with buttered fingers or spatula; this is a messy job. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days before cutting into bars and serving (though tasting while warm is entirely acceptable). May also be stored in the freezer, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for just a few minutes.

Filed Under: Bars, Caramel, No Bake, Snack Tagged With: Bars, Caramel, Cheerios, Dessert, Marshmallow, No Bake, Peanuts, Snack

Caramel Blondies

August 20, 2012 31 Comments

I have never been a big fan of rules. Mom will certainly be happy to tell you about how I always wanted to skirt the rules to back up my statement if you need proof. Laws I like. I like that people are supposed to follow a relatively small set of very important laws that are designed to keep all of us safe. Speed limits are there for a reason and my heart races when I see someone clearly pretending there is no such thing. It’s equally important that there be laws to protect our property and belongings from intruders, along with those on the books protecting us from far more heinous crimes.

But rules aren’t the same as laws. Most of the time, they’re nuisances, just there to cause trouble and make our lives more difficult. Like the rule at my grade school allowing girls to wear only clear nail polish. Did they think some pink enamel was going to corrupt out minds, make us learn less? Because I tend to think that’s one of the least important problems with the education system in this country. A rule in our neighborhood that all the driveways have to be dark colored. I don’t think the quality of life or property values are going to decrease because someone decided to put in a nice, new, not to mention quite attractive cement driveway. But maybe that’s just me.

Then there’s the crazy formatting for pretty much any written document. In school, it was MLA. A fantastic paper could receive a not so fantastic grade if a student made a few formatting mistakes. Writing and sending query letters for my novels should have its own college degree program. I fear I’ve done something wrong every time I send one out, focusing so much on what’s double spaced and what’s not, if I’ve put the right words in the subject line, when really all I want, and they should want, is to tell them why they should represent me. Of course, following all their rules hasn’t seemed to matter yet.

I try to give you recipes that don’t require a lot of rules. Want to mix by hand instead of using a stand mixer? Go for it! Want to bake in a different pan? It’ll probably work. Like using paper liners for muffins instead of greasing the tin? By all means. But this, this isn’t one of those recipes. I’ve tested these caramel blondies more times than I would like to admit, but I finally got them to work. The thing is they’re quite finicky. However, they are more than worth it.

This original recipe of mine is my new signature treat, one of the best things I’ve made, something I think about eating and making again all the time. These are seriously amazing! AMAZING!!!! The blondies themselves are the best I’ve ever had. That classic crunchy, almost glossy blondie top that cracks with each cut of the knife or tasty bite, the firm, but soft bottom, and then the ooey gooey center that makes your mouth water with the mere site of it. Never greasy, they’re the perfect combination of underbaked goodness and crunchy texture. But see, that’s not enough for me. So I baked half of the brownie dough, then poured a bunch of hot caramel over it before topping it with the rest of the dough and baking it again. Some of the caramel bubbles past the top layer, some sinks below the bottom crust, some stays in the middle. It’s all perfection, each bite an adventure so tasty and decadent you won’t be able to wait to take another. Even if you have passed on blondies in the past because they’ve all disappointed you, give these a try, because I promise they will not disappoint. So follow all the rules, make them and sit back and enjoy your effort. I know you’ll love them.

4.9 from 9 reviews

Caramel Blondies

Prep time: 40 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 40 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
About ½ recipe Caramel Sauce, hot

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 by 13 inch pan with parchment. Do not butter the pan, but make sure the parchment comes up the sides of the pan. In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.
In a large bowl, mix butter and sugars with a hand or stand mixer on medium high until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. This must be done with a mixer as its ability to incorporate air is vital. Add the eggs 1 at a time, being sure to incorporate each before adding another. Add vanilla and mix to combine, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add the flour mixture in 2 installments. Mix until just combined, finishing mixing by hand.
Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. This is kind of tough since the parchment is not buttered, but take your time and it will work. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
While that is baking make the caramel. It is best to use fresh caramel. If you want to use some that you already made, be sure to heat it up well, so it is quite liquidy.
When the blondie base is finished baking, it may cool up to 10 minutes, no longer, and it does not have to cool at all. Pour enough caramel over the base so that it is covered in a thick layer. The blondie will likely have puffed around the edges, leaving them bare and the caramel in the middle; this is fine. Do not spread the caramel to the edges; it will get there on its own. Take small clumps of the remaining batter in your hand, flattening them out and forming them before placing them on top of the caramel. Do this until the entire top is covered with batter, trying to avoid bare spots and sealing the edges as best as possible. The less you play with it the better as the batter will start to melt.
Bake for an additional approximately 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of both the entire blondie and the top half with only a few moist crumbs. The top should be hard and golden brown and the caramel bubbling. Allow to cool completely in pan before cutting into bars. May be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 4 months. Best thawed in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.

Filed Under: Baked Goods, Bars, Blondies, Candy, Caramel Tagged With: Bars, Blondies, Caramel, Dessert

Caramel Sauce

August 18, 2012 15 Comments

We all have our go-tos. There are the clothes. Our favorite go-to outfit to lounge around in, our favorite party clothes, the pair of shoes that makes us feel like a rock star no matter how we were feeling just a moment before. I even have a favorite pink lipstick that makes me smile each time I put it on.

There are the places we visit all the time for whatever we might need, where the drive or walk there is nearly instinctive, and the people know us by name. Grocery stores where butchers, fish mongers, bakers, and deli personnel have our orders ready without us saying a word. Surveys have also shown we all have our go-to brands and products. You know I do just by looking at my Ingredients page. When I tell Dad I need flour, he knows to buy King Arthur without a second thought. Restaurants that should have tables with our names on them and our favorite wait person appears at our table to greet us because we eat there way too often.

We have favorite websites for product reviews, recipes, shopping, and research. Favorite TV shows that comfort us after a hard day. Certain flowers brighten our spirits no matter the problem. Favorite pens fill our hands and favorite books our minds. We are creatures of habit.

In the kitchen, the blog has forced me out of some of this repetition. As much as I love Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and Peach Blackberry Pie, you’re not going to be very interested by reading about them over and over again as much as I might be interested in making them over and over. I love trying new recipes, hoping they are amazing, and sharing them with you.

While I’ll only share this caramel sauce with you once, it’s my new go-to caramel, and I hope it will be yours too. This is the base recipe, and you’ll find a few recipes that use it over the rest of the week, because this is the beginning of caramel week on Pies and Plots. It can’t be a bad week when tons of caramel is involved. It’s silky smooth, slightly gooey, super rich with that deep caramel flavor, and incredibly versatile.

I made it two different ways: once with light Caro corn syrup and once with Lyle’s Golden Syrup. The one made with Lyle’s had a bit of a richer, better flavor, but they’re both absolutely amazing. Lyle’s can be hard to find, and I would only recommend using it if you are comfortable making caramel, as it is much more difficult to tell when the sauce is done. With the corn syrup, the mixture is clear, until all of the sudden it starts turning golden; once it is golden brown, you’re good to add the cream and on your way to caramel success. With Lyle’s, it’s more about smelling and knowing. The mixture turns slightly deeper in color, but is pretty golden from the beginning. Getting it perfect is quite challenging, but if you try using it, take the caramel off the heat too soon rather than too late. It can always be put back on the heat for a few moments after the other ingredients are added to darken the color slightly.

Regardless of what syrup you use, this is a killer caramel. You won’t be able to stop making it to put on ice cream, pie, eating it by the spoonful, or using it in one of the recipes coming up this week. Those other caramel sauces will all go by the wayside.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Caramel Sauce

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: Varies

Ingredients

3 cups granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup light corn syrup or Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ stick unsalted butter, cold, cubed
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, water, salt, and syrup over medium heat. Stir the mixture frequently until the sugar is dissolved. Once this happens stop stirring. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and bubble vigorously until it is golden brown and fragrant. As stated above if using Lyle’s this is more difficult to accomplish. Be sure not to overcook the caramel; it is very easy to burn.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the heavy cream. Stir vigorously to combine it and scrape any hard bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the vanilla and butter and stir to combine. If the caramel is a little too light or clumpy, put it back over the heat for a moment or two while stirring. Caramel may be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week in a bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap. It may be rewarmed in the microwave before using.

Filed Under: Candy, Caramel, Sweet Sauce Tagged With: Caramel, Lyle's Golden Syrup, Sauce, Sugar, Topping

Caramel Apple Walnut Cake

June 4, 2012 8 Comments

There are several important components to a baking blog. A desire to want to do it is a really good start, followed by amazing recipes and stories to accompany them. Then there are the photographs. I can put my all into a recipe and tell you every detail about making it, how wonderful it is and looks and tastes, but if you can’t see it, you’re probably not going to make it. I know I pretty much never make a recipe that doesn’t have at least one photograph with it unless I’ve seen it demonstrated on TV or elsewhere. It’s too hard to guess how things are supposed to look, too stressful to wonder if your end product looks like the one the recipe creator ended up with, and baking should never be stressful.

Here’s the problem with photographs: they’re surprisingly hard to take. Clearly it’s not hard to snap some pics with your camera; the hard part is making them look good, making them appeal to the reader, making you, my wonderful readers, want to stop right then and there and make the recipe because it looks so good. Truthfully, I thought I was doing pretty well. But then my photographs kept getting rejected over and over again from various food websites designed to bring more traffic, particularly people interested in baking, to my blog. Photographs I thought looked pretty good: Rejected It has been disheartening, but I finally had one accepted. It was the Vanilla Fudge if you’re interested. That was a great recipe.

But another thing about photography is it’s easy to improve. Baked goods don’t photograph well when artificial lights are on, particularly those directly above said baked goods. Natural light is the best. Shadows are killers. Getting above the baked goods by standing or kneeling on a chair helps prevent this. Background is important. This is one I haven’t quite figured out yet. You have to get close enough to see the detail of the baked good but not too close to have it look messy, out of focus, or have nothing else in the photo other than the end product. Another tough one to figure out.

I am constantly critiquing my own photos and trying crazy hard to make them better. And I probably always will be. For now, I’ll just be happy when those crazy food sites accept some more. Of course, I hope you all enjoy my photos and they make you want to bake whatever recipe you’re looking at. And if you have any photography tips, feel free to leave a comment.

I certainly hope the photos of this Caramel Apple Walnut Cake make you want to whip it up because it’s delicious and really quite easy to make. A dense and moist cake filled with tons of apples and some walnuts is made even better by a rich caramel sauce. It’s not traditional caramel; instead it’s much easier to make and still very tasty. As you know one of my favorite and rare treats is warm cake straight from the oven. This can be served at room temperature, but it’s much better either hot out of the oven or re-warmed. Regardless of how you serve it, this is a gooey, rich cake that almost makes my chocolate cravings disappear.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Caramel Apple Walnut Cake

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 55 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Serves: 16

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs (pasteurized if you like)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
5 apples, any variety, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Caramel

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment.
In a large bowl, mix oil and sugars with a wooden spoon until combined. Add eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding another. Mix in vanilla. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, and salt just to combine. While stirring, gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in the apples and walnuts.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Make the glaze either while the cake is baking or cooling. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, stir in the sugars and salt, continuing to cook for about 2 more minutes until the sugars have melted. Add the cream and boil the mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
Using a toothpick poke holes all over the cake. Pour the glaze over the cake, making sure to spread it evenly over the cake so the entire thing is completely covered. Cut into 16 squares and serve warm. May be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil, and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw wrapped in parchment in a 350 degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes. It will taste like it was just baked.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Easy Cooking the Costco Way