Category Archives: Caramel Sauce

Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Puddings

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Makes 6

Ingredients

Pumpkin Puddings

  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 cup natural pumpkin puree

Toffee Sauce

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 medium Tonka bean, finely grated (can be substituted with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
  • 2 teaspoons Rum (or omit for a kiddy-friendly version)

Method

Pumpkin Puddings

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease, or spray with baking spray, 6 mini-savarin or mini-Bundt tins
  2. In a small heatproof bowl, pour orange juice followed by the boiling water over the chopped prunes; stir in the baking soda. Stir together to combine and set aside to soak for about 15-20 minutes until softened
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt. Set aside until needed
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy and combined
  5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until combined, followed by the maple syrup
  6. Reduce speed to low, beat in the flour mixture in stages until just combined, scraping down bowl between additions
  7. Add the date mixture (including liquid) followed by pumpkin purée, and beat at low speed until just combined
  8. Divide the batter into the prepared mini-pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes*
  9. Remove from oven, and continue to Finishing Steps

Toffee Sauce*

  1. With about 5 minutes left on the pumpkin pudding baking time, in a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, finely grated tonka bean and the rum (if using)
  2. Bring to a gentle boil over moderate heat, stirring to melt the butter and sugar, cooking until slightly thickened and deep golden, about 3 minutes.
  3. Keep warm on a low heat until serving

To Finish

  1. Once you remove the puddings from the oven, using a skewer or toothpick, poke holes all over the exposed surface
  2. Spoon 4-5 teaspoons of the warm toffee sauce over the puddings, and let stand until absorbed, about 10 minutes
  3. Serve warm, turned out onto plates (they may take some gentle persuasion!) with some of the remaining sauce spooned over. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Skillet Caramel Apple Crisp

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Yields: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce

  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
  • 1 cup whipping, heavy cream, room temperature
  • Sea salt flakes, to taste

Filling

  • 1 ¼ kg tart, firm apples, such as Ganny Smith, Jonathan or Honeycrisp (about 6 medium apples)
  • Grated zest of 1 orange
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoons good quality vanilla paste or extract
  • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ⅛teaspoon ground cloves
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Crisp Topping

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup chopped pecans
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

Method

Caramel Sauce

  1. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and water in a large saucepan set over a medium–low heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–12minutes until it becomes a deep gold colour, but not dark brown. DO NOT STIR at any point. If you need to you can gently swirl the pan to make sure the mixture is melting evenly. When the caramel begins to colour, it will darken quickly so keep a close eye on it
  2. Once it reaches the correct color, quickly, but carefully, remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter cubes and using a wooden spoon gently stir until the butter has melted and is well combined. It will bubble a little and release steam so take care not to burn yourself!
  3. Next, add the cream and again slowly stir, again taking care not to burn yourself from the rising steam
  4. Once well combined, add sea salt flakes to taste (carefully tasting as you go!) and whisk to combine. Set aside to cool completely in a hat-proof container while you prepare the rest of the crisp*

Filling

  1. Heat your oven to 350F degrees and lightly butter/ oil a 9- or 10-inch oven-safe skillet
  2. Peel, core and slice the apples into ½-inch slices
  3. Combine the sliced apples, both zests, both juices, vanilla extract, spices and salt in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Drizzle ½ cup cooled caramel sauce over the top and stir again. Scrape the apples and all their juices into your prepared skillet

Topping

  1. In the same bowl, combine the flour, oats, pecans, sugar and salt. Stir until well combined, then add the butter and mash it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until crumbs form. Pour the crumb topping evenly over the apples
  2. Bake the crisp until the topping is golden and the juices are bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes
  3. Serve warm with more warm caramel sauce and ice cream

*Store any remaining sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. It can be rewarmed for later use in a saucepan over low heat.

No-churn Salted Caramel Bourbon Ice Cream

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*Original recipe by Nigella Lawson

Yields 1 litre

Ingredients

  • 1⅓ cups dulce de leche
  • 1¼ cups whipping cream
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons soft sea salt flakes, to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons bourbon
  • pecan nuts (optional) for serving

Method

  1. Before starting make sure that you’ve chilled your bowl, whisks and cream for at least 2 hours in the fridge
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric whisk, whip the cream until it’s at soft peak stage
  3. Add in the dulce de leche, 1 teaspoon of salt and the bourbon. Fold gently together so as not to deflate. Taste and add additional salt to your liking
  4. Once fully combined, decant into plastic tub(s), cover the surface with cling wrap and freeze for 8 hours or overnight
  5. Serve sprinkled with additional toasted chopped pecans, if using

Turtle Brownies

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Yields 24

Ingredients

Brownies

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 6oz semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 3 eggs + 1 yolk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup plain flour
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 Tablespoon milk powder
  • 1 cup pecan pieces, toasted
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup caramel sauce (homemade or store bought)

To Finish

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 4oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • ½ teaspoon expresso powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup pecan pieces, toasted
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup caramel sauce (homemade or store bought)
  • 1 teaspoon sea-salt flakes

Method

  1. Set your oven to 350°F and prepare a 9” x 9” baking tray with oil/baking parchment leaving an overhang each side
  2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or bain-marie), stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from the heat, and allow to cool
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, egg yolk and sugar until the mixture is thickened and fluffy, then, in a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, milk powder and whisk to combine
  4. Add the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg/sugar mixture. Fold together until uniform in color
  5. Fold in the pecan pieces and chocolate chips
  6. Pour your mixture into the prepared tray and gently spread to level the surface. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, then remove from the oven when baked
  7. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 mins, then after this time use a chopstick, or cake dowel, to poke holes over the surface of the brownie, taking care NOT to poke the full way through the brownie layer
  8. Once the surface of the brownie has been poked with holes, pour the caramel sauce over the surface of the brownies and spread with a spatula to ensure the caramel gets to all of the holes
  9. Place in your refrigerator for between 1 hour to allow the caramel to soak the brownie layer and firm up
  10. After this time prepare the frosting. Remove the brownie pan form the fridge and set on a counter ready to be frosted – you’ll need to move quickly
  11. In a wide pan combine the sugar, butter and milk. Heat over a medium heat until melted, stirring to combine, then increase heat to bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly
  12. After the minute, remove the pan from the heat, then quickly but carefully add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly. When then chocolate appears to be nearly fully combined, add in the salt and espresso powder and stir for a few seconds more until fully combined and uniform in color.
  13. Pour the frosting over the caramel surface of the brownie layer.
  14. AA If needed tilt to brownies to ensure full surface coverage
  15. Whilst the frosting is still setting, sprinkle the surface with the pecan pieces and chocolate chips, gently pressing if needed to ensure they stick. Return the brownies to the fridge for at least another hour to allow the frosting to set
  16. After this time, remove from the fridge and give one last drizzle of caramel over the surface and sprinkle with some sea salt flakes to finish
  17. These brownies are exceptionally rich and decadent so keep than in mind when slicing. I usually divide into 12, and then cut in half again to give 24 brownie “bars” in total
  18. Serve and enjoy!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Pots

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Yields 6 glass jars or pots (1/2 cup capacity each)

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups whipping, or heavy, cream
  • 7oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks
  • 12 Tablespoons caramel sauce (store bought or homemade)
  • 1-2 teaspoons sea-salt flakes
  • 6 teaspoons chopped peanuts, optional

Method

  1. Add the cream to a medium pan and heat over a medium heat
  2. While the cream heats add the chocolate chunks to a medium bowl
  3. Once the cream has gently heated- you’ll noticed small bubbles at the edge of the surface, remove it from the heat and pour over the chocolate chunks. Leave to sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the caramel pots
  4. Spoon or pipe 2 Tablespoons of caramel sauce into the bottom of each glass jar or pot
  5. Sprinkle each with sea-salt flakes to taste
  6. After the 5 minutes have past, gently stir the chocolate/ cream mixture until it is fully emulsified, smooth and uniform in color
  7. Gently pour over the prepared caramel layer, dividing equally between the pots. I find this a lot easier using a small ladle
  8. Once all the pots have been filled, sprinkle each with the chopped peanuts and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set
  9. Keep refrigerated until serving, and enjoy