Fleur de Sel Caramels

·         1 cup heavy cream

·         5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

·         1 teaspoon fleur de sel + extra for sprinkling on top

·         1 1/2 cups sugar

·         1/4 cup light corn syrup

·         1/4 cup water

·         12 oz. bittersweet chocolate (optional)

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.


Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.

Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel.

Carefully stir in cream mixture (mixture will bubble up!) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 248°F on thermometer, about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Pour caramel into baking pan and cool 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch pieces and top with more salt, then wrap each piece in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting the ends to close. Alternatively you can coat the caramels with chocolate and sprinkle more fleur de sel on top.

Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies

Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 boxes Andes Mints

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Chop Andes Mints into small pieces, then stir into cookie dough along with the chocolate chips. Drop by well-rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Garlic Cheddar Popovers

Garlic Cheddar Popovers

Adapted from http://dunkincookingthesemi-homemadeway.blogspot.com/2009/02/mini-cheddar-garlic-popovers.html

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ cups milk
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Canola oil

Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray and place the muffin pan on a cookie sheet. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon oil to the bottom of each cup. In a small bowl combine the milk, eggs, and egg whites and mix well using a whisk. Add the flour, garlic salt, and garlic powder and mix well. Once fully combined stir in the cheese. Warm the cookie sheet/muffin pan in a 425 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Once the pan is heated divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 or until golden brown. Immediately remove popovers from the pan and serve warm.

Chocolate Bundt Cake and Cake Balls

Unfortunately, as I was trying to get the cake out of the pan half of it fell out onto the plate while the other half remained stuck to the pan.

I managed to salvage half of the cake and poured chocolate glaze over it.

I made cake balls using the other half of the cake. I crumbled the cake into a large bowl and stirred in fudge frosting (make half of the recipe below) until I could form balls with the mixture. I refrigerated the cake balls, dipped them in bittersweet chocolate, and topped them with sprinkles.

Sour Cream Chocolate Bundt Cake

 (Adapted from http://bakedbree.com/sour-cream-chocolate-bundt-cake#axzz1NI3I43Ut)

3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon instant espresso
3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup room temperature sour cream
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons room temperature butter
½ cup sugar

1 ½ cups light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 eggs at room temperature

Put the cocoa, chocolate pieces, and espresso in a large bowl.  Pour over the boiling water and cover with a plate.  Let it stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk the chocolate mixture until it is smooth and set aside until it comes to room temperature.

When it has cooled, whisk in the sour cream.

Cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla for about 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time scraping the bowl after each egg.

Turn the mixer to low and add one third of the flour mixture to the bowl.

Add half of the chocolate mixture and repeat until all is incorporated.  You will have three flour additions and two chocolate ones.

Pour the batter into the Bundt pan that has been either sprayed well with cooking spray or coated well with butter.

Bake the cake in a preheated 350 degree oven with the rack in the lower middle position.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes and rotate once during baking.  A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs.  Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out and let cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze

4 oz. chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons hot water

Melt the chocolate and butter over low heat. Stir in the powdered sugar and the hot water. Add more hot water if necessary. Spoon over cake.

Fudge Frosting

4 ¾ cups powdered sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Add butter, boioling water, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat for one minute on medium speed. Cool for 20 minutes.

The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Made with unsalted butter, sourdough bread, pesto, and fresh mozzarella. It tastes like a mozzarella stick with pesto.

Spread pesto on two slices of sourdough bread. Place bread in a pan with unsalted butter.

Add fresh mozzarella cheese.

What I used instead of a panini press.

Cook sandwich on each side for about two minutes or until golden brown.

Eat!

Also, my plants are still alive!

Honey Rolls

Honey Rolls

Adapted from http://briannalee.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/tender-honey-yeast-rolls/

1 cup warm water (105° to 115°F)

1 package dry yeast (1/4 ounce)

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ cup honey

1 egg, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons canola oil

4 cups bread flour

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon honey

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

  

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the honey, egg, and oil. Add roughly 3 cups of the flour and the salt until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead – working in the remaining flour as necessary to keep the dough from being too sticky – until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Do not be tempted to add too much flour. The dough should stay soft and will become less sticky with kneading.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.

Punch dough down, and divide into 12-18 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, and place in a 9” springform 7" x 11" baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Uncover and bake at 400° for 5 minutes 350F for 13 minutes. Combine the melted butter and tablespoon of honey and brush the mixture over the bread. Continue baking the bread for 13 minutes or until browned. Remove rolls from pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

German Chocolate Cake

The recipe I used was from Pass the Sushi (http://passthesushi.com/german-chocolate-cake). I changed some things about the recipe (ex. I substituted cornstarch + flour for cake flour and used more pecans because the bag that I purchased contained 1 ½ cups of pecans and the original recipe only called for 1 1/3 cups) and included them below:

German Chocolate Cake

(Adapted )From Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Ingredients

For the German Chocolate Cake Layers:

·         2 1/4 cups cake flour, or 2 cups cake flour substitute* + ¼ cup flour

·         3/4 cup dark, unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·         3/4 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup hot coffee, or 1 cup boiling water + 2 teaspoons espresso powder

·         1 cup buttermilk (I used regular 2% milk)

·         1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

·         2 1/4 cups sugar

·         5 large eggs

·         1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·         4 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled

*To substitute one cup of cake flour, place two tablespoons of cornstarch in a 1-cup measuring cup and fill the rest of the cup with flour.

For the Coconut Pecan filling:

·         1 ½ cups shredded sweetened coconut

·         1 cup sugar

·         1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

·         1 cup evaporated milk

·         1 teas pure vanilla extract

·         3 large egg yolks

·         1 ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped coarsely

Preparation:

Make the German Chocolate Cake Layers:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dish with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium mixing bowl. In a small bowl, wish together the coffee and buttermilk.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate. The mixture will look light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee/buttermilk mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the melted chocolate.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack and remove the pans and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

Make the Coconut Pecan Filling:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread half of the coconut evenly across the pan and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until the coconut begins to brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar, butter, evaporated milk, vanilla, and egg yolks. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. After the mixture begins to boil and thicken, remove from heat and stir in the toasted coconut, regular coconut, and pecans.

Place the pan over an ice bath (a large bowl fitted with ice) and stir the mixture until cooled.

Assemble the Cake:

Trim the top of each cake to create a flat surface. Place one cake layer on a serving platter and evenly spread one third of the filling on top. Add the next layer and frost with one third of the filling, then add the third layer and frost with remaining filling.

The cake will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 2 days.

Three cakes 

 Cakes leveled with dental floss

Toasted coconut

Today I learned that German chocolate cake did not originate in Germany! The cake is named after Sam German, an American man who developed a type of dark chocolate for Baker’s Chocolate Company in 1852. The product was called Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate. In 1957 a recipe for German’s Chocolate Cake was submitted to a newspaper and then distributed to other newspapers once General Foods learned of its existence. The possessive form in the name was dropped leaving us with “German Chocolate Cake”. The name gives us the false impression that the cake originated in Germany. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_chocolate_cake)