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!