Caramel (Cup)Cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting

January is a very popular month for birthdays. Mine and 4 of my friends within 7 days of each other! So I made these as cupcakes to celebrate. This recipe is adapted from Shuna Fish Lydon's Bay Area Bites recipe. For the caramel sauce, I use the Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels I posted below (cooking to a 250 degree - 258 degree temperature will keep the consistency sauce-like) and the Outrageous Mocha Buttercream frosting is from the Essential Baker by Carol Bloom.

CARAMEL CAKE
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup caramel syrup (Golden Vanilla Bean Caramel)
2 each eggs, room temp
splash vanilla extract
2 cups ap flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1c milk, room temp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter one tall 9" cake pan.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth.

2. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.

3. Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl.

4. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.

5. Sift flour and baking powder.

6. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dries.

7. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time.

8. Add another third of the dries, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dries. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}

9. Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds. making sure batter is uniform.
Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it. Cake will keep for three days unrefrigerated.

Mocha Buttercream
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
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1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (opt)
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1 pound (2 cups, 4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
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6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped, melted over a double boiler and cooled to room temperature
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2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon water

In a small sauce pan fitted with a candy thermometer, bring the 1 1/4 cups sugar, water and cream of tartar to a boil over medium-high heat. If any of the sugar crystals get onto the side of the pan, be sure to wipe them down with a wet clean pastry brush. The sugar needs to cook until it hits 242° F on the thermometer. This takes several minutes.

While that is boiling, place the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and whip on medium speed until they are thick, pale in color and hold a ribbon when the beater is lifted. Once the sugar syrup has reached its temperature of 242° F, then slowly pour it into the bowl of whipped egg yolks while the beater is going on slow. Be sure to pour it along the bowl so that the hot syrup doesn’t hit the beater and splatter! Allow the eggs and sugar mixture to beat on medium high speed until the eggs have cooled, about 8 minutes.

Add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time.

The buttercream will go through a stage that looks soupy and curdled, but continue to add all of the butter and it will come together.

The finished buttercream will be smooth and silky.

Add a tablespoon of water to the espresso powder and dissolve.

Add the melted and cooled chocolate to the buttercream.

Mix to combine and decorate your cake. The buttercream will freeze if you have any left, wrapped really well in plastic. Just allow it to come bake to room temperature and whisk it on low speed to smooth it out.

Fleur de Sel Caramels

Anyone who has made caramel knows that time is the enemy. It is very precise! So turn off the cell phones, TV's, radios - put the "do not disturb" sign on the door and get ready to make some soft, chewy goodness! The recipe is from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert. The key here is to make sure you have all your equipment and ingredients ready at hand.

Equipment
- Candy thermometer (a MUST unless you are one of those who is efficient at the cold water method)
- 9 inch square baking pan, lined with foil and buttered
- silicone spatulas or wooden spoons
- 3 qt heavy saucepan with lid and tall sides
- small saucepan with lid
- pastry brush
- parchment paper or silpat

Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels
1 cup (240 mil) golden syrup (Golden Syrup is a refined syrup made from sugar cane instead of corn starch, usually found at specialty stores)
2 cups (350 g) sugar
3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups (480 mil) heavy cream
1-1/2 teaspoons pure ground vanilla beans, purchased or ground in a coffee or spice grinder, or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used one whole vanilla bean, split down the middle.)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, softened
Fleur de Sel (or another large grained, flaky finishing salt - I used Himalayan Pink salt)

Preparation
1. In the sauce pan, cook the golden syrup, sugar, and salt over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Dip the pastry brush in water and wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan to keep a crust from forming. Cover and continue cooking for about 3 minutes. Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more. Clean the crusty bits off the spatula/spoon before using again.

2. Attach the candy thermometer to the pan, but don’t let it touch the bottom of the pan (important so you get an accurate temperature). Cook, uncovered (without stirring) until the mixture reaches 305° F/152° C.

3. While the syrup mixture cooks, combine the cream and ground vanilla beans/whole split vanilla bean (not the extract) in a small saucepan and heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot.

4. When the sugar mixture reaches 305° F/152° C, turn off the heat and stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Go slowly. I just drizzle in a little cream at a time until the temperature stabilizes. Turn the burner back on and adjust it so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until any thickened syrup at the bottom of the pan is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

5. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 245° F/118° C. Then cook, stirring constantly, to 260° F/128° C for soft, chewy caramels or 265°F/130° C; for firmer chewy caramels. The soft caramels will be easier to cut, the firm caramels will be closer to a toffee consistency.

6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract (only if you did not use the ground vanilla/vanilla bean). Pour the caramel into the lined pan. Let set for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight until firm.

7. Lift the pan liner from the pan and invert the sheet of caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper placed on a cutting board. Peel off the foil. Cut the caramels with an oiled knife. (I poured a little canola oil into a bowl, dipped a paper towel in it, then rubbed it on the knife.) Wrap each caramel individually in wax paper or cellophane (I put them in individual mini baking cups).

Memories of My Mom: Potstickers and Dipping Sauce

This is one of the few recipes that I taught my mom how to make. The first time I tried it, I actually tried to make my own wrappers. They came out very doughy. After that, I just used round wonton wrappers. Of course, being the talent that she is, my mom perfected my recipe...this is her version. Pardon the blurriness of the pictures, they are from my camera phone.

1/4 (or so) lb shrimp in shell, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped (optional)
1 lb ground pork
1 bunch chopped scallions, white parts only
1 to 2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs fish sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 t sesame oil
Wonton wrappers (you can make your own, but I'm not that talented)
warm water
peanut or vegetable oil
chicken stock

Mix all the ingredients except the oil together with your hands until they are well mixed. Place about 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture in the middle of each wonton wrapper, wet the edges with water and seal. Be sure to get all the air bubbles out so that the dumpling won't burst when cooking.

Add a touch of oil to the pan and heat it to high heat. Place the dumplings in the pan and quickly sear until the bottom is golden. Add some chicken stock (enough to cover the bottom of the pan), put a lid on it and "steam" until the dumpling is cooked through. Remove from heat and serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup or so of water
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 cup light rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
red pepper flakes
chopped scallions, green parts (4-5 scallions)

Mix all ingredients together.

Pumpkin Bread with a CRAZY DELICIOUS Cinnamon Maple Butter

I've only made this pumpkin bread once. Somehow I slipped into a fugue and messed up some of the measurements. I did try to correct it, but you know how it goes with baking. A very precise science. So I found a recipe for maple butter - added some cinnamon and vanilla to it. Funny, the pumpkin bread was a hit if only as a vehicle for the delicious butter.

PUMPKIN BREAD
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.


CINNAMON MAPLE BUTTER
1 c butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/4 c pure, grade A maple syrup
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together, whip until butter is smooth.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingerbread Cookie Crust

This one is for Spencer My Love. The trick (as it is with all baking) is to make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you start. Set the eggs, cream cheese, etc out on the counter for 20 - 30 minutes.

CRUST

1/2 log of Pillsbury Gingerbread cookie dough

Press dough into bottom of 9 inch springform pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10-11 minutes until crust is golden.

FILLING

3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 egg yolks

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk

2 egg whites
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

DIRECTIONS
Combine 3/4 cup of the white sugar, the pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar and mix well. Add the whole egg, remaining egg yolk and the whipping cream, beating well. Add vanilla and lemon flavorings, beat batter until smooth. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes. Do not overbake. Center may be soft but it will firm up when chilled. Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate at least 4 hours but best overnight. Serve with whipped cream!

"Sink Your Teeth Into It" Crispy Fried Chicken

I threw this Consolation Tailgate party this weekend for those of us who couldn't score tickets to the ultimate college football rivalry game in the state. I made this fried chicken. Must have been a hit as they were gone before I could try them! The recipe below is for 8 pieces - but I doubled mine for this weekend.

8 pieces fryer chicken (I have only used legs/thighs for this recipe)
1 qt buttermilk
3 T kosher salk
1/2 c seasoning (recipe below) OR use Emeril's BAM seasoning if you're in a hurry
2 c all purpose flour
peanut oil for frying

Mix 1/4 c of seasoning with the buttermilk and 2 T of kosher salt. Marinate the chicken pieces in it or at least 4 hours in the refrigerator (but it's better overnight). Let the chicken and marinade come to room temperature before you start frying (I let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes). Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, the other 1/4 c seasoning and 1 T kosher salt together. Remove the chicken pieces from the butter milk, shake off the excess and dredge it through the flour mixture. Fry the pieces in shallow oil (so the chicken is only halfway to 3 quarters immersed) skin side down first. Turn over and continue frying until done.

Let drain on wire cooling racks (with paper bags under the racks to catch the oil) - the wire racks will keep them crispy.

SEASONING RECIPE:
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Popovers with Strawberry Butter

Back in the day, I would have lunch at the Nieman Marcus Cafe across the street from my office. They always served a popover with strawberry butter with their salads. So delicious!!! The original recipe can be found on Leite's Culinaria website. As yummy as the popovers from NM Cafe are, when I make them they come out tasting a bit too eggy. Go figure. There are hundreds of recipes on the net calling for bread flour, self rising, etc. I think it's unnecessary. This is my favorite recipe for the taste AND simplicity in ingredients.

1 c. milk (whole milk - not skim nor 2% nor 1%. You need the fat for poppage)
2 T butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. salt

The trick is to have the batter at room temperature (my batter gets these crazy air bubbles at room temperature - it's great!) and the baking tin super hot. I will let the milk and eggs sit on the counter for about 15 minutes. Add the melted butter to the milk, then the eggs and mix well. Sift flour and salt together in a separate bowl and add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just mixed (it will be lumpy). Set the batter sit while you wait for the oven to preheat. Set the oven (with the racks in the low position) at 450 degrees and let the empty popover pan (or muffin tin) heat up with it (learned this idea from Deborah Krasner).

Fill the hot tins 1/2 full with batter. Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes. Slather on the strawberry butter (recipe below) and enjoy!

Strawberry Butter

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 c. good quality strawberry preserves (I use the swiss brand Hero)

Mix together. This is the ratio I like - slightly less preserves than butter. Definitely use the amounts you like. If you've never had the pleasure of strawberry butter, do try! You will not regret it.