Crushed pretzel and beer butter caramels (above)
A sugar thermometer is vital for caramels; once you've got that, they're quick and easy.
Makes about 50
180ml (⅓ pint) beer (I used Brooklyn lager)
½ tsp vanilla
extract
240ml double cream
4 tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing
¼ tsp salt
300g caster sugar
60ml golden syrup
60ml water
30g pretzels, crushed
Flaky sea salt (optional – for sprinkling)
1 In a saucepan set over a medium-low heat, simmer the beer for 30 minutes or so, or until it has reduced to 1 tbsp and is syrupy. Give the pan a swirl occasionally, and keep an eye on it as it begins to reduce. Turn off the heat and measure out 1 tbsp of the beer syrup into a small bowl. Add the vanilla and set aside.
2 Meanwhile, grease and line a 20cm baking pan with two overlapping sheets of baking paper, then grease this too. In a small saucepan combine the cream, butter and salt. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until the butter melts, then remove from the heat, cover, and set aside.
3 In your largest pot, stir together the sugar, golden syrup and water. Use a damp pastry brush to wipe down the sides of the pan so there are no sugar crystals above the surface of the sugar mixture. Clip a sugar thermometer to the side of the pan and make sure it is fully submerged in the sugar. From this point on, do not stir the sugar.
4 Set the saucepan over a medium-high heat and let the syrup come to a boil without stirring. From this point on you must stay by the pot's side and devote the next 15 minutes to watching this sugar syrup come to a boil. Watch your thermometer – at about 120C it will begin to boil rapidly. At 160C it will begin to darken. You can turn off the heat at any point between 120C and 160C.
5 While whisking the syrup gently, slowly pour in the warm cream/butter mix – it will bubble up so be careful. Stop whisking when all the cream has been added. Return the pan to a medium-high heat and let it come to a boil without stirring. Watch the thermometer closely, when the caramel hits 120C take off the heat and quickly whisk in the beer syrup and vanilla until just combined. Immediately pour the caramel into the prepared baking pan. Tap the pan against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Sprinkle with crushed pretzels and flaky salt, if using. Let it sit for a few hours until fully set, then cut into squares.
Recipe supplied by Lillie Auld, buttermeupbrooklyn.com
This recipe was amended on 3 February 2014. An earlier version gave the sugar syrup temperatures as 250C and 320C, which are the Fahrenheit figures, rather than the Celsius equivalent of 120C and 160C respectively.
Duck breast with rhubarb and blood orange caramel glaze
The vibrant, zingy rhubarb and orange cut through the richness of the duck breast. You can save the fat from the duck breast for roasting potatoes.
Serves 4
4 duck breasts (each weighing about 200g)
Olive oil
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white cider vinegar
160g peppery leaf salad, washed
2 blood oranges, segmented
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the caramel glaze
500g rhubarb
1 tbsp palm sugar
3 tbsp clear honey
Finely grated zest and juice of one blood orange
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tbsp coriander seeds, ground lightly
1 cinnamon stick
4 star anise
6 peppercorns
4 bay leaves
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Trim the rhubarb and cut into spears about 3cm long. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with a little sugar, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until soft but retaining its shape. Setaside 12 pieces for garnish.
2 Tip the rest, plus any juice, into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the remaining glaze ingredients, plus 6 tbsp water and a little salt. Simmer over a medium heat till it has reduced by half and is very sticky. Take off the heat.
3 Turn the oven up to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold frying pan with a little olive oil. Fry very slowly for 10-15 minutes until the skin is golden and the fat has rendered from beneath the skin. Tip fat regularly from the pan. (Once cool, strain the fat through a fine sieve and keep in the fridge).
4 Sit the breasts skin-side up, side by side, on a rack in a roasting tin. Brush the tops with the caramel glaze and leave until they cool. Any glaze that drips into the roasting pan tip back into the glaze in the saucepan. Reheat if necessary. Repeat the process three or four times or until the glaze is all used up. Roast the duck in the oven for 8 minutes until pink in the middle. Remove and rest for 5 minutes.
5 Meanwhile, whisk the extra virgin olive oil and vinegar, and season. Dress the leaves.
6 Slice the breasts on the diagonal and serve with salad, orange segments and rhubarb.
Recipe supplied by Nico Rilla, Wildflower Cafe
Healthy date caramel spread
A lovely all-natural alternative to caramel, without any added sugar. Caramel made out of dates can be used as spread, in pies, as frosting, and mixed with ice-cream.
Makes one medium jar
200g pitted very soft dates
1 tbsp oil (eg coconut, almond)
1 tsp ground vanilla
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp apple vinegar (or lemon juice)
Handful of oven-roasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
1 In a blender, whizz the dates into a creamy golden mass. Add all the other ingredients and season to taste. Scoop the caramel into a jar and store in the fridge. Due to the high natural sugar content it keeps very long time.
Recipe supplied by Josephine Kofod, atastylovestory.com
Buccaneer shortbread
A spiced coconut shortbread, subtly salted caramel with the stalwart mix of milk and dark chocolate to finish it off. Along with the vanilla and sea salt, the spice notes through the shortbread really make the caramel sing. Perfect as a post-dinner petit four served with a shot of aged dark rum, or just a cup of builder's.
Makes about 8-10 bars (24-30 small squares)
For the spiced coconut shortbread
140g unsalted butter, softened
60g golden caster sugar
200g plain flour, sifted
55g desiccated coconut
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp ground nutmeg
For the salted caramel
1 x 397g tin condensed milk
150g unsalted butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
A few drops of good-quality vanilla extract
½ tsp sea salt flakes
For the topping
125g good-quality dark chocolate, broken intopieces
125g good-quality milk chocolate, broken intopieces
A pinch of salt flakes
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a swiss roll/oblong cake tin (roughly 30cm x 20cm) with baking paper.
2 Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix together the flour, coconut and spices until evenly coloured. Fold this dry mixture into the creamed butter mix until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Try not to overmix though, otherwise the shortbread won't be nice and crumbly.
3 Tip the shortbread mixture into the lined tin and evenly flatten out, using the back of the spoon to compact it into the tin. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes, until pale golden in colour. Set aside and allow to cool.
4 In the meantime, for the salted caramel, place the condensed milk, butter, golden syrup, vanilla extract and salt into a small saucepan. While stirring continuously, bring the mix to a boil, then simmer (still stirring) until it starts to turn a light caramel colour and thickens a little – 5-10 minutes. Remove the caramel from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then pour over the shortbread and leave to cool.
5 For the chocolate topping, place the broken pieces of chocolate in a heatproof bowl, along with the salt, over a pan of simmering water. (Ensure that the bowl isn't actually touching the boiling water). Give it an occasional stir until the chocolate has melted.
6 Pour the melted chocolate over the caramelshortbread and leave it to set for acouple hours. Slice into bars or squares andserve, or store in an airtight container toenjoy later.
Recipe supplied by Shivi Ramoutar, The Rum Kitchen
Bay salted caramel sauce
I salivate every time I make this and find it hard not to dip my finger in the mixture. Thisglossy, lava-like caramel sludge is best eaten warm, simply poured over some plain vanilla ice-cream.
Serves 8
150g butter
150g muscovado sugar
4 fresh bay leaves
5g flaky salt
150g double cream
50g dark chocolate
1 Place the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Once it's melted, add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Add the bay leaves and leave to simmer for a couple of minutes. Stir in the salt.
2 Take the pan off the heat and carefully pour in the cream. It might splutter and spit when you do this, so take care. Whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy. Break in the chocolate and stir until completely combined.
3 Allow it to cool slightly before eating.
One: A Cook and her Cupboard by Florence Knight (Salt Yard)
Creme caramel is always a winner, but adding dulce de leche to the custard makes it even more decadent.
Serves 4
For the caramel
120g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
For the custard
100ml single cream
400ml whole milk
½ vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds removed
125g dulce de leche
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
75g caster sugar
1 Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and gently heat till the sugar dissolves and the liquid has turned a golden brown colour. Carefully pour into 4 ramekins or moulds.
2 Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Bring the cream, milk, vanilla and dulce de leche to the boil then take off the heat and let the ingredients infuse for 20 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, then slowly pour in the infused milk, whisking constantly. Strain through a sieve into the caramel-bottomed ramekins.
4 Place the ramekins in a baking tray then carefully pour boiling water around them, until it comes two-thirds the way up the sides. Bake for 50 minutes, until just set. Remove from the oven then leave to cool and serve with whipped cream and toasted almonds.
Recipe supplied by Diego Jacquet, Zoilo restaurant
Caramel self-saucing puddings with walnuts and figs
As these puddings bake, the batter rises above the murky darkness of the liquid. And that syrup, so unceremoniously displaced, will sink and ooze its way down, around and through the cake, ending up as a thickened puddle at the bottom of the dish.
Serves 6
For the syrup
2 tbsp unsalted butter
110g brown sugar, lightly packed
A pinch of salt
250ml water
For the cake
6 tbsp unsalted butter
130g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
120g walnuts, toasted and ground into meal with a food processor
2 eggs, lightly beaten
110g brown sugar, lightly packed
60ml milk
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
4-6 small fresh figs, sliced (optional)
Lightly whipped cream to serve
1 Start with the syrup. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Once liquid, stir in the brown sugar to combine, along with the salt. Pour in the water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes. Set aside.
2 For the cake, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Cook until it begins to brown and smell toasty, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally - it will continue to darken as it sits.
3 In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, stir together the browned butter, walnut meal, eggs, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Once combined, stir inthe dry ingredients until just blended. Do not overmix. Divide the pudding mixture between 6 greased oven-safe dishes. Top with figs.
4 Give the syrup a stir if needed, then carefully pour some over the back of a spoon on to each of the cakes, trying not to disturb the figs. The cakes will look a mess, but don't worry. Bake in the oven until the cake is puffed and set, with a dry, glistening crust and you can see the syrup bubbling around the edge of the dishes – about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving with the cream.
Recipe supplied by Tara O'Brady, sevenspoons.net
Hot caramel milk
A pinch of salt makes this comforting drink less sweet, but if you love a little tooth-tingling sweetness, feel free to leave it out. If you leave out the milk and allow the caramel to cool you will have a spread perfect for toast!
Serves 4
60g unsalted butter, diced
125g soft light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt (optional)
200ml double cream
1 litre milk
1 Put the butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and cream into a large saucepan over a medium heat. Stir continuously until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to the boil and cook for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens slightly. Gradually whisk in the milk and heat through. Pour into 4 mugs and drink immediately. Add a shot of whisky or rum for extra naughtiness.
Recipe supplied by Rosie Reynolds
Dark and stormy caramel popcorn
This popcorn is the snackable version of themuch-beloved tropical co*cktail. It combines ginger, fragrant lime zest, and a measure of rum with crunchy, salty, utterly addictive popcorn.
Serves 10-12
Vegetable oil
75g unpopped corn kernels
200g unsalted butter
200g sugar
85g golden syrup
¼ tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
Zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
3 tbsp rum
1 Heat a little vegetable oil in a large saucepan, then add the corn kernels and cover. Shake around a little as the corn pops, then remove from the heat as soon as the popping becomes more intermittent.
2 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper then lightly grease.
3 In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the butter, sugar and golden syrup over a medium-high heat, stirring until melted and mixed. Allow the mixture to cook until the sugar turns light amber. Take off the heat then whisk in the bicarbonate of soda, then the salt, lime, ginger and rum. When all is incorporated, fold in the popcorn using a wooden spoon. Keep folding, pulling caramel up from the bottom of the pot and over the popcorn, until it is well coated.
4 Spread the popcorn out on the trays then bake for 20 minutes, pulling it out every five minutes to toss and coat the popcorn with caramel. Remove from the oven to cool, then serve or seal in airtight bags.
Recipe supplied by Allison Kave and Keavy Blueher, Butter & Scotch, butterandscotch.com, via lottieanddoof.com
Pan-fried onglet steak with mushroom caramel sauce
Try serving this with roasted brussels sprouts.
Serves 4
1kg portabello mushrooms
10g flaky salt
100ml soy
200ml honey
200g butter
100ml red wine vinegar
100ml water
For the steaks
4 onglet steaks, room temperature
Vegetable oil
Salt and black pepper
25g butter
1 Finely chop the mushrooms, then fry in a dry pan with the salt. The mushrooms will start to produce liquid, so just keep cooking until it has all evaporated. Add the soy sauce and the honey and again, cook down until the liquids in the pan reduce and evaporate and the mushrooms have caramelised.
2 Add the butter to the pan next and coat the mushrooms as it melts. Once the butter has melted, put the mix in a blender and whizz with the vinegar and water to a fine paste.
3 Season the onglet steaks with oil, salt and pepper. Sear the meat for 2-3 minutes on each side, then leave to rest for 5 minutes. Season with salt then thickly slice.
5 Gently reheat the sauce, then serve with thesteak.
Recipe supplied by whiterabbitdalston.com
