Salted Caramel...

I was testing out a blind baked pastry recipe when these guys just magically happened... and what a magical treat they tuned out to be!

I currently work in a magnificent bakery and thank my lucky stars everyday for the abundance of knowledge and skills that I'm receiving and the wonderful people surrounding it all. The experience has really made me think about how I approach each recipe and understand that it's alright if in your own kitchen something doesn't work the first time, don't ever be afraid to try it again... and again!

While the pastry recipe still needs a bit of work the salted caramel  is so addictive it deserves a mention all of it's own.

You will need:

1 cup of pouring cream
60g of salted butter
1 teaspoon of fleur de sel (salt flakes will do)
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of water
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Start by heating the cream and butter together in a saucepan until they have melted, then set aside.

Combine the sugars, water and vanilla essence in a separate saucepan and bring to the boil on a high heat for about 10 minutes, just until sugar granules completely dissolve and the mixture starts to change colour slightly (pic 1).

1. 2.

Take this off the heat and whisk in the cream mixture, followed by the fleur de sel, before placing back on a low heat for another 10 minutes to simmer (pic 2).

You will notice that the mixture is ready when it starts to coat the back of a wooden spoon in a deliciously silky glaze. Leave to cool slightly before using it in a recipe.

I poured and set some salted caramel in pre-baked tart cases then covered the top with a layer of dark chocolate to create a decadent little tart, the perfect accompaniment to... well anything really!

Champagne rose cupcakes...

The perfect celebratory cake for any special occasion, champagne and cake all rolled into one! 

You will need:

150g of softened butter

1 and 1/2 cups of caster sugar

3 eggs

3 cups of self raising flour

1 cup of champagne

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180oC and line either a 24 mini cupcake tin or 12 regular cupcake tin with paper casings.

Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then and the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Turn your electric mixer to low speed and add the champagne and flour in 3 batches, starting with the champagne and alternating between the two. Do not mix it for more than a few minutes as over mixing can make your cakes seem tough and doughy in texture.

 

Fill each paper casing no more than 3/4 full and pop in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

Once the cakes are cooled, beat 1 cup of sifted icing sugar with 60g of softened butter and 1 tablespoon of champagne to make frosting. You could also add a drop of food colouring at this point if you wish. If you find the consistency is a little too runny, add some extra sifted icing sugar until it stiffens and is easier to work with.

 

I like to swirl the frosting using the back of a teaspoon so that it looks like a sweet little rose :)