Caramel DeLite



Ingredients




3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup shredded coconut, toasted, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup dulce de leche, warmed (available in the dessert-topping section)

1 quart coconut ice cream, vanilla, or any of you favorites will do.





Directions



1.Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with butter.

2.Pulse the flour, 1/4 cup coconut, brown sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand with pea-sized pieces, about 5 times. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of the mixture in each muffin cup and press to make even rounds. Bake until the crusts are golden, about 20 minutes.

3.Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate evenly over each crust. Turn off the oven; return the pan to the oven to melt the chocolate, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle each crust with 1 tablespoon of the remaining coconut. Cool slightly, then freeze crusts in the pan until set, about 15 minutes.

4.With a thin spatula, gently remove each crust from the muffin pan. Top with a small scoop of coconut ice cream, drizzle with dulce de leche and garnish with more coconut.

Makes 12 servings.

Homemade savory shortbread cookies

Thyme, lemon, and sea-salt shortbread is crisp and buttery, while blue cheese pecan crackers are rich and addictive. I got this one from  Epicurious . I hope you enjoy this one.

Ingredients



1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt



Directions


1.Stir the flour, salt, lemon peel, and thyme together in a medium bowl.

2.With your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse, crumbly mixture forms.

3.Blend the lightly beaten egg, egg yolks, and water together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture for brushing.

4.Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the remaining egg mixture and blend together with your hands without kneading the dough together; the dough will look a bit crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough together once or twice, just until it sticks together. Press the dough into a 1-inch disc, wrap in plastic film, and refrigerate until firm, about 1/2 hour.

5.Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the bottom of a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place it on a floured work surface.

6.Press the dough into a 6-by-5-inch rectangle. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a larger 10-by-7-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough in half, forming two 5-by-7-inch pieces. Using a pizza wheel or sharp paring knife, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

7.Carefully place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet leaving a little room between each cookie. Brush the tops with the reserved egg mixture and sprinkle a little coarse sea salt on top. Gently press the salt into the surface of each cookie so it does not fall off.

8.Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Makes 26 cookies.

Salted Carmels

This is not only one of  the hottest trends right now,it is ridiculously delicious. I invite you to try this Dark Salty Caramel recipe for your holiday treats to share with your co-works and your family. Your comments are always welcome.

Ingredients


14 1/2 ounces sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup heavy cream, room temperature

2 teaspoons soy sauce

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, and cream of tartar in a heavy 4-quart saucepan and put over high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream and soy sauce in a liquid measuring cup. Have this and the butter standing by.
Remove the lid from the sugar mixture, and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. When the sugar mixture reaches 230 degrees F, reduce the heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until the syrup is a golden color and is approaching 300 degrees F, about 6 to 7 minutes. At this point, there is less likelihood of any crystallization, so gently swirl the pan to break up any hot pockets.

When the temperature approaches 350 degrees F, it will turn deep amber. Remove the pan from the heat, and gently swirl again to break up all of the hot pockets. Cool for 2 minutes.

Carefully incorporate the cream and soy mixture and the butter into the pan. Stir to combine. Return the caramel to medium heat, stir until the butter is completely melted, and continue cooking until it reaches 255 degrees F. Remove from the heat and pour into the parchment-lined pan, tap gently to release air bubbles.
Cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes, and then sprinkle evenly with the salt. Continue cooling on the rack for an additional 3 1/2 hours. Cut into 1-inch pieces and wrap individually in parchment. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.