by merrill
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Photo by Melanie.Einzig
1½ cups all-purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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5 tablespoons sugar
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1 ½ sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
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Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350 degrees. Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl and whisk in the sugar.
Ask the hotline about this step!Cut the butter into chunks and add it to the flour, stirring with a fork to make a soft dough. Gently pat the dough into a 9-inch square baking pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until it is golden and no longer looks at all wet. Set aside to cool while you make the caramel and chocolate topping.
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1¼ cups sugar
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¼ cup water
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5 tablespoons heavy cream
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5 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
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1 tablespoon crème fraiche
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½ cup heavy cream
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4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
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Maldon, grey or smoked sea salt
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To make the caramel: Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, swirling occasionally until the sugar has melted but without stirring. Simmer for about 10 minutes, swirling the pot every once and a while, until the sugar turns a dark amber color. Do not let it get too dark, or it will taste burnt.
Ask the hotline about this step!As soon as the sugar reaches the right color, remove it from the heat and carefully add the cream, whisking all the time (the mixture will bubble up as you do this, so use an oven mitt or a long-handled whisk). Whisk in the butter gradually and then the crème fraiche. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ask the hotline about this step!When the caramel is cool enough to touch, pour it evenly over the shortbread, tipping the pan gently and tapping it on the counter to get rid of any bubbles. Put in the fridge to firm up a little.
Ask the hotline about this step!To make the chocolate: When the caramel has firmed up a bit, bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Off the heat, immediately whisk in the chocolate until smooth and shiny. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes, and then pour over the caramel, again tilting the pan and tapping it against the counter to smooth it out. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, until the chocolate starts to firm up a little.
Ask the hotline about this step!To finish, Sprinkle the top with salt and refrigerate until firm enough to cut into squares, at least 3 hours. Serve quickly, as the caramel will start to ooze quickly at room temperature.
Ask the hotline about this step!Hi, I want to try this soon. I had two questions , can I substitute creme fraiche with anything else. and, what would that be? And, secondly I can I parcel it overseas. If yes, what should I keep in mind doing so ?
Can you explain why, in the beautiful photo above, it looks more like a piece of fudge on top of the carmel instead of chocolate sauce? Also, Is there a way to do something similar that can stay out more than 3 hours?
It's actually supposed to be a solid chocolate ganache, not chocolate sauce -- the liquid chocolate mixture hardens as it cools, which is intentional. Homemade caramel and chocolate ganache are two things that don't usually sit well at room temp, but you could try adding just 1/4 cup of cream to the caramel, which should keep it firmer for a little longer.
I first had this in Edinburgh Scotland and later on the Isle of Skye in a small community called Glendale. There it was made by a lass in a local restaurant that offered the most incredible collection of home baked goods I have ever seen--worth a trip back! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I'm so happy to see the recipe.
I've heard that you can add a bit of cream of tartar to help prevent crystallization. Anyone tried that?
Yes. I use a bit of cream of tartar when I make caramels. It causes the sucrose molecules to "invert" or break into glucose and fructose molecules. Different molecules in the mix interfere with the sucrose molecules linking together to form crystals. You can also add a bit of invert sugar (like corn syrup) for the same effect.
Try the sugar without the water. When I make flan I melt the sugar with no water. Be careful, when the sugar is liquid it is very hot. You have to hover and grab it when it's the right color. As was mentioned, too dark will taste burnt. It can go from golden to dark brown very quickly.
Shuna is the Pastry Chef at Peels Restaurant in NYC and author of the acclaimed blog Eggbeater.
added 4 months agoI tend to caution most people away from making caramel without water. It's a much trickier, less even, more dangerous way of making caramel-- unless all one needs is a few tablespoons. I am not challenging *your* prowess, per se.
For the record caramel is the most dangerous ingredient (gets and stays hotter than oil) in the edible kitchen, and any precaution to keep it safer, and cooking more evenly, is better, especially for consistency.
Hmmm, I swirled the sugar and water, but it didn't change color. In fact, after about 10 minutes, the water simply dissolved, leaving a gritty something. Any suggestions?
And so I figured I had done something wrong and tried it again - - very carefully this time. It did the same thing!
Hmm. It sounds like your mixture may have crystallized. If you make it again, try stirring the sugar and water with a wooden spoon just until the sugar is dissolved, and then simmer the liquid over medium heat, without stirring, until it caramelizes. If you see crystals start to form on the sides of the pot, you can take a pastry brush, dip it in water and gently run it around the side of the pot to dissolve the crystals. Caramelizing sugar can take a couple tries to get right. And make sure you're using a good quality, heavy pot -- that should make it easier!
Aldo Sohm is the award-winning Chef Sommelier at Le Bernardin in NYC.
I tried this recipe yesterday and the caramel crystallized immediately. The only deviation I had from the recipe was that , due to a time issue, I poured the caramel immediately out onto the shortbread layer, rather than letting it cool in the pan. Could this have caused the crystallization? I have made caramel a number of times and never had an issue with crystallization. Any insight would be appreciated.