Salted Butter Caramel Recipes

SALTED CARAMEL BUTTER COMPOUND

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, brush down the sides of the pan with water and boil until caramelized, 5-6 minutes. The sugar will be fragrant and have a deep amber color when it is caramelized.
• Remove the pan from the heat, slowly stir in the cream until smooth and let cool to room temperature.
• Blend together the caramel, butter, salt and vanilla in a medium-size bowl.
• This butter may be formed into a log and refrigerate until firm before slicing and serving.
• How to Form into a Log: Transfer the flavored butter to a sheet of parchment paper, roll tightly into a 1 1/2-inch-thick log (a straight edge is helpful for forming an even log), and twist both ends of the parchment paper to seal. Slip the log into a paper towel tube if you want it to be perfectly round, and refrigerate until firm. To serve, cut slices of flavored butter with a warm knife (simply run hot water over the blade and then wipe it dry).

SALTED BUTTER CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil that extends over the sides. Grease with vegetable oil. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Add the sugar, corn syrup and honey and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 257 degrees on a candy thermometer, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and, with oven mitts on, stir in the butter, vanilla and 2 teaspoons salt. Pour into the prepared pan and let cool. If you are not coating them in chocolate, let cool slightly and sprinkle with the remaining salt. When completely cool, coat a cutting board and the blade of a large chef's knife with vegetable oil. Invert the caramel onto the cutting board; peel off the foil and invert again. Cut the caramel into 8 1-inch-wide strips; then cut each strip into 1/2-inch pieces.
• To coat with chocolate, melt the chocolate in a double boiler (temper it if you want the coating to have polish; directions can be found at www.baking 911.com). Using a fork to hold the caramel pieces, dip them one at a time into the chocolate and set them on a rack to cool. After dipping 4 caramels, sprinkle each with a little of the remaining sea salt. Transfer to parchment paper to set up and cool.

SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL

Steps:

• Place heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a larger saucepan place sugar and corn syrup. When the cream/butter mixture is boiling, add the fleur de sel, stir, then strain into a bowl and set aside. Meanwhile the sugar/corn syrup mixture should be in the early stages of melting and turning to caramel. Gently move the darker, melted parts of the sugar around the pot, so everything cooks to the same consistency. Bring the caramel to an amber color until a thermometer registers 145 degrees C (and up to 160 degrees C), then turn off the heat and add the cream/butter mixture, a little bit at a time (the mixture will bubble up). Turn on the heat and cook to 120 C degrees. Turn off the heat, remove the thermometer and pour the caramel into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• When caramel is cool, remove from the pan. Using a small paring knife go around the edge and flip over onto parchment paper sprayed with non-stick spray. Give it a quick tap and when it comes out remove the parchment paper. Cut into small pieces (about 5 dozen) using a knife or scissors. Place a caramel in the middle of a wrapper, wrap and twist the ends.

SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Combine 2 1/2 cups sugar and 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, stirring just until sugar dissolves. Cook, swirling the pot occasionally (not stirring), until dark amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; slowly stir in cream until caramel is smooth (mixture will splatter). Set aside to cool.
• Whisk together egg whites, kosher salt, and remaining 1 cup sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer set over (not in) a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and warm to the touch. Transfer bowl to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until mixture is fluffy and cool, and stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add butter 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Slowly pour in 1 1/2 cups caramel with mixer on medium speed, and whisk until incorporated. Increase to high speed (the mixture will look curdled), and continue to whisk until smooth, about 3 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat on low speed for 2 minutes to remove air bubbles. Frost cake or cupcakes. Drizzle remaining caramel over the top, then swirl with a skewer or toothpick. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired.

SALTED CARAMEL BROWN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy-bottom skillet over medium heat. Add all of the butter at once and allow to melt, stirring continuously, until it begins to foam and turn brown in color, about 5 minutes. Continue to stir over medium heat until the foam has subsided. Remove the pan from heat and continue to stir until the butter is a medium golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Place unwrapped chocolate kisses in the freezer.
• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Combine browned butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla extract; mix well. Slowly incorporate flour mixture into butter mixture, mixing until well combined; do not overmix. Allow dough to chill in the refrigerator for 40 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Drop chilled dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are light golden brown, 10 to 13 minutes.
• Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for exactly 4 minutes. Gently press a caramel-chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie; press slightly into cookie and not just placed on top. Sprinkle a scant pinch of sea salt over the center of the cookies and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Refrigerate if necessary to re-harden caramel kisses.

SALTED BUTTER TART (WITH A RICH CARAMEL FILLING)

Steps:

• Make the pastry: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles very coarse bread crumbs. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar. Pour the egg mixture over the flour-butter mixture and mix with a fork. Squeeze a bit of the mixture between your fingers. If it holds together, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface; if not, add a couple of teaspoons of ice water and test again. Knead gently and form into a ball, divide the pastry in half, and flatten into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.
• Make the tart: Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and line a 9-inch or 9 1/2-inch (23-cm or 24-cm) tart pan. Prick the base of the tart with a fork and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Place the tart shell on a baking sheet. Line the tart with parchment paper and fill it with dried beans. Bake until the pastry is just set, about 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and continue to cook until the pastry is a dark golden color, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the tart to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• Combine the sugar and butter in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir to mix and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter and sugar caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes. The sugar and butter will go through several stages. First it will look like a flour-butter roux, then it will appear curdled, and then the butter will leak out of the sugar mixture. Don't worry: It will all come together in the end.
• While the caramel is cooking, pour the cream into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Keep stirring the butter-sugar mixture, watching carefully as it begins to caramelize and remembering that the heat in the pan will continue to cook the caramel once it is removed from the burner. You want a rich, dark caramel color, but you don't want to burn the mixture, which will give it a bitter taste. When the caramel reaches the right color, remove the pan from the heat and slowly and carefully pour in the cream; the mixture will bubble and spit. When the caramel stops bubbling, return it to low heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the caramel in the cream. Remove the pan from the heat and let the caramel cool for 10 minutes. Slowly pour the cooled caramel into the baked pastry shell and chill the tart for at least 2 hours.
• This tart is easier to cut when it is chilled. Remove the tart from the pan and, using a wet knife, cut it into wedges. Serve the tart at room temperature, however, for maximum flavor, with a dollop of whipped cream.