Sweet Tooth: Sea Salt Caramel Sauce

I love caramel sauce - I'm even willing to say more than I love chocolate sauce.  There's just something about caramel sauce that brings the salty and sweet together like no other...well - other than Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - but they're hard to find in Finland and crazy expensive anyway!

This recipe I obtained from cooking school and I love it.  So. Much.
It's to the point that I try not to make it unless super special occasions (like Christmas) so I can avoid the temptation.
I guess if I forget how much I love this stuff - I won't be chugging it...

So! What can one use a jar of SS Caramel sauce on?

• fruit dip (apples, pears, bananas etc.)
• dip for marshmallows (bump up your s'more game!)
• drizzle on ice-cream
• drizzle on desserts that need caramel - like apple pie, baked and stuffed apples, Brie & Pear tart, apple strudel - the list goes on.
• drizzle on cake for decoration
• eat it with a spoon without shame

Anyway, I thought that making my own caramel sauce would be tricky but guess what? It isn't.

What you need:

• 3dl whipping cream 
• ** It's possible to use milk instead of whipping cream but it may take longer to thicken or not be as thick. I've personally used cream.**
• 3 dl brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• pinch of sea salt
• sauce pan (I use a non-stick one just in case)
• whisk
• clean mason jar with a lid for storage

What to do:

1. Mix everything but sea salt into the sauce pan and bring to a boil (bubbly) until thickened.  
1. If your butter is cold & hard - put that first.
2. Make sure you stir regularly so it doesn't burn.
2. Sprinkle with sea salt and stir a bit more.
3. Once it's thickened - take the saucer off the burner and pour into your jar carefully.  Allow it to cool before putting the lid on it and store in the fridge.

I can't say how long it'll last because it just doesn't last more than 3 days in my home! I use it for everything...mostly to eat it with a spoon without shame. :P

If it doesn't seem super thick right away - let it cool and it should thicken a bit more.

XO,
Dominique

Sweet Tooth: Brie & Pear Tart

I love fancy looking desserts and trying my own interpretation of them!

Something that I always saw was brie stuffed filo pastry and for me - it didn't really scream "OMG amazing!"  That being said - I have yet to make one myself...but if we are just talking looks and possibly the idea of how it might taste - I'm not sold on it yet.

So last Christmas I decided to whip up a dessert for my at the time boyfriend's family and despite it looking crazy fancy - it wasn't.  It was so simple and easy to do.

Sadly, I only have photos of the final result!

What you need:

• Filo pastry thawed
• A lot of melted butter
• ½ a large pear thinly sliced
• Brie cut in chunks
• Toasted pecans (or slivered almonds or walnuts could work too)
• Homemade sea salt caramel sauce 
• Vanilla ice-cream - I made a no-churn vanilla maple ice-cream actually!
• Ground cinnamon and nutmeg
• Brown sugar

What to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 175*C.
2. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Taking one sheet of filo pastry at a time - lay it on the baking paper and brush melted butter all over and then add another sheet.  Do this repeatedly with the whole package.
1. If you do this while it's still a little frozen it will crack and that's annoying.
2. Whatever isn't being used as you're brushing butter - should be covered with a damp towel to avoid drying out (which can also lead to cracking). Damp - not soaked because then you'll have stuck together sheets that will be a pain to separate and then that leads to holes and you get my drift....
4. Brush melted butter generously on the final top layer and then sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Spread the toasted nuts, brie and pear slices evenly.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes- middle rack.  Be sure to check on it regularly to prevent burning.
7. Serve warm with ice-cream and sea salt caramel sauce.

I absolutely loved it and the great thing about this kind of dessert with filo pastry is that it's so flexible and forgiving! My filo sheets were still a bit frozen and they cracked all over.  I just slapped some more melted butter and kept going.

Besides - it all gets chewed up anyway!

This was a nice light alternative to a cake or pie which can be pretty heavy and it was well received by everyone!  It looked super fancy but it wasn't - at all! :D  But don't tell your guests that!

I would definitely recommend bringing this to your next potluck!

XO,
Dominique