caramel

Coconut & Salted Caramel Thumbprints

February 1, 2012 By Anne 38 Comments

“WHAT YOU LOVE IS AS UNIQUE TO YOU AS YOUR FINGERPRINTS.” Barbara Sher

I have never read any of the books written by Barbara Sher. But I do agree with her belief that nothing will make you really happy but doing what you love. We change so much as people over time. Growth…..sometimes painful, but always a good thing! And sometimes there are aspects of ourselves that have remained the same. I know that I have enjoyed writing since I was in the 7th grade! And I still do! And yet, it seems I’ve had to experience half of my life to realize how much I love to bake! Thumbprint cookies are pretty common. But it’s what you do to them that makes them unique to you. And for me, that can only mean one thing….. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cookies, Uncategorized Tagged With: caramel, coconut, Cookies

Caramel Apple Cake

September 11, 2011 By Anne 43 Comments

BAKED SUNDAY MORNINGS: CARAMEL APPLE CAKE

I am so glad to learn that the site for Baked Sunday Mornings has been updated. I always want to feature recipes that, even if they are not my own, are still accessible to everyone. Hopefully this recipe will be posted soon on the Baked Sunday Mornings site. It still can, however, be found in the book, Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

What initially seemed unusual to me about this cake is the frosting. Because it contains flour!

Overall, this is really a good cake. The cake itself is moist and flavorful and one that I am likely to use again, especially in cupcakes. And the frosting is tasty. But I don’t think it’s worth the cooking process to get rid of the flour taste, even if it was meant to thicken the frosting. The recipe called for us to use the paddle attachment on our mixers for the frosting. But I ended up swapping out for the whisk….just to get more air and volume. I didn’t think the frosting had enough of a caramel flavor, yet I was reluctant to add more than the 1/3 cup it called for because I was afraid it would affect the texture of the buttercream. So I decided to spread a thin layer of caramel on the cake layers before I frosted it.

All in all the cake is good and the frosting is lightly sweet. But if I make this again, I will use my own recipe for caramel buttercream……and leave the flour for the cake batter!

On a scale of 1-5…..I’m giving this 4 whisks!

Filed Under: Baked Sunday Mornings, Cake Tagged With: apple, buttercream, Cake, caramel

Caramel Sauce

September 10, 2011 By Anne 26 Comments

“COME ON OVER HERE WITH THAT SUGAR STICKY SWEET STUFF.” Sugarland

I always think it’s a smart idea to develop a repertoire of good, simple, basic recipes. They are always there to fall back on in a pinch, stand in for something else, and be the basis or sidekicks for other great recipes. A fantastic caramel sauce is one of those basic necessities. I especially love to warm this in the fall and dip slices of fruit in it! I love to bake this in apple or pear pies. And of course, it’s great drizzled over ice cream! I made this delicious caramel sauce now because I’ll be using it in a frosting! However you choose to use it….it’s one of the simplest things to make and keep on hand….. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Basics Tagged With: caramel, sweet, yummly

Heart of Darkness Brownies

June 7, 2011 By Anne 14 Comments

“ALL I REALLY NEED IS LOVE, BUT A LITTLE CHOCOLATE NOW AND THEN DOESN’T HURT!” Charles Shulz

Well I think these brownies are very appropriately named. And very much suited to the state of my own heart these days. You see, I’m in a spell of very bad kitchen karma. My strawberry tart, though incredibly delicious, didn’t hold up very well. And today, while making these brownies, my lower oven was set to 350°; while my upper oven somehow was set to 450°. So you can imagine the fate of one set of brownies! And….in between batches, my power went out!!! I think the kitchen gods are trying to tell me something. Or maybe I think that my own heart has been a little heavy these past few days and so I am feeling a bit distracted in the kitchen. Anyway…. I decided to abandon the strawberries in lieu of these incredible, moist, chewy, fudgey delights! And believe me…..this was just what my poor heart of darkness needed. You cannot believe what is in these!!! But read on to understand why they will lift you out of your own dark place……. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Brownies Tagged With: Brownies, caramel, marshmallow, sweet