Chocolate Caramel Shortbread... (think Twix!)

UPDATE: I got the good recipe from my cousin! It's actually from a book I gave her for her birthday this year! Thanks to Fran for typing the recipe up for me!

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread
Makes 12

1/2 cup butter, plus extra for greasing
Generous 1 cup all purpose flour
Generous 1/4 cup superfine sugar

Filling and topping
3/4 cup butter
Generous 1/2 cup superfine sugar
3 tbsp dark corn syrup
14 oz/400 g canned sweetened condensed milk
7 oz/200 g semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease a 9-inch/23-cm square, shallow cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Place the butter, flour, and sugar in a food processor and process until it starts to bind together. Press into the prepared pan and level the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring until very thick. Pour over the shortbread and let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until firm.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set over a saucepan of gently simmering water and stir until melted. Let cool slightly, then spread over the caramel. Let chill In the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until set. Cut the shortbreat into 12 pieces and serve.

When I got home from work yesterday I was so excited to start baking for "wing night." I wanted to make one of my Grandma's recipes, and I chose her Jelly Roll recipe. I was planning on tweaking it a bit by flavoring the cake with coconut and making a pineapple cream filling instead of using jelly. I attempted to translate my Grandma's handwriting and finally came up with what looked like a perfectly delicious cake batter. I poured it into the pan, watched it bake slowly at a temperature that I had to assume because it wasn't specified in the recipe, then I removed it from the oven to cool. On my way from the oven to my cooling rack..... SPLAT!!?!!? There it went... straight onto the floor... face down, of course!Thankfully, my brain is pretty good at knowing what is and isn't worth getting upset over, and this was definitely not worth it. I picked up the pieces, tossed them into the trash, thought briefly about a few negative words, then headed straight for one of my new cookbooks to choose a new recipe! I used the last of my white sugar in the jelly roll cake, so my options were narrowed down to brown sugar recipes. I chose a recipe for "Toffee Squares" in Better Homes and Gardens^® The Ultimate Cookie Book, but between you and me, I don't recognize any toffee in this recipe. I changed the name to Chocolate Caramel Shortbread! I hoped it would be similar to something my cousin made a few months ago. She let me have some of the leftovers, and it truly tasted like a homemade Twix candy bar! Crunchy shortbread on the bottom, chewy gooey caramel in the center, and chocolate on top. Mine, however, were not like a Twix at all. Well, maybe a factory reject Twix. The recipe called for baking the cookie layer WAY too long before the caramel went on. And it called for too much vanilla in the caramel, which created a very distracting flavor. If I made these again (I won't! I'll be getting my cousins recipe) I'd reduce the first baking time to 15 minutes. I'd also reduce the vanilla to only 1 teaspoon.

I'll try to get the recipe my cousin used and post it here for anyone who wants to try it! Until then, here's the sorry version I made...

Toffee Squares (from Better Homes and Gardens^® The Ultimate Cookie Book)
Prep: 25 min. Bake: 33 min. Chill: 30 min. Oven: 350° F
Makes: about 36 squares

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips or pieces (2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.
For crust, in a large mixing bowl beat the 3/4 cup butter and the brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in the egg yolk. Stir in the flour and salt until well mixed. Using flour hands, press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake about 20 minutes or until light brown (I'd probably only bake for 15 mins next time). Cool in pan on a wire rack while preparing the filling.
For filling, in a medium saucepan heat and stir the sweetened condensed milk and the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir for 5 minutes more. (Mixture will thicken and become smooth.) Stir in the vanilla. Spread over the crust. Bake 12 to 15 minutes more or until top is golden brown.
Sprinkle evenly with chocolate pieces. Bake for 1 to 2 minutes more or until chocolate pieces are shiny and melted. Remove from oven; set on a wire rack. Using a flexible spatula, immediately spread the chocolate evenly over baked layers. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover and chill 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Cut into squares. Refrigerate up to 3 days.

Buttercrunch Cake

In honor of January 20th being National Buttercrunch Day, I decided to make a Buttercrunch Cake. Did I say cake? Yes, c-a-k-e! I've been nursing a cold since the weekend. I wasn't in the mood for cupcakes, nor was I in the mood to bake from scratch. Truthfully, I've been craving the flavor of cake mix lately. I'm not gonna be all hoity-toity about it and act like "eww cake mix is so gross." No way, I grew up eating it, and I freakin LOVE the stuff! I did make my own buttercrunch candy, though. I found the recipe for Pecan Buttercrunch on one of my favorite blogs, Dessert First. I followed her recipe exactly, including sprinkling sea salt on top, and it's delicious! I used it to top my Buttercrunch Cake. I'll get right to it because my lunch is calling me from the microwave... Mmmm, my mom's leftover herb-crusted pork loin! But let me just say, this cake is delicious! The caramel filling is SO good. I'll definitely be using the recipe for it again!

Making the candy... Mmm doesn't it look good?
Buttercrunch Cake!
Want some?
This is what I had for breakfast! ;)

Pecan Buttercrunch with Fleur de Sel (from DessertFirst)
about 16 pieces (I got 45-50 small pieces)

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used 60% cacao)
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped into small pieces
Fleur de Sel

Line a baking sheet or pan with a silicone baking mat.
Combine the sugars, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring to combine, until it comes to a boil.
Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches 298°F on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.
Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly, working quickly before it sets. (I spread mine in a 12" circle) Let the toffee layer cool completely.
Either temper the chocolate or simply melt it in a double boiler. Pour the chocolate over the toffee layer and spread out evenly.
Immediately sprinkle the pecans over the chocolate. Sprinkle a few grains of fleur de sel over the chocolate. Let the chocolate fully set.
Break the toffee into pieces before serving.

Quick Caramel Frosting (from The Cake Mix Doctor)
(Makes enough to fill a 3 or 4 layer cake)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
(I added 1/2 teaspoon sea salt)

1. Place the butter and brown sugars in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. (The book forgets to mention to be very careful on the next step. Add the milk slowly, because it will spatter a lot in the pan!) Add the milk, stir, and bring back to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting is smooth. (The book says to use the frosting while it's still warm, but it was way too thin to spread. I let it cool all the way to room temp. Then I beat it on high with and electric mixer to fluff it up a little. It will thicken a lot when you start spreading it on the cake. If it gets too stiff, pop it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.)

Chocolate Ganache
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 - 3/4 cup heavy cream (depending how thick you want your ganache to set up)

Put chocolate chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute, depending on your microwave. Stir gently with a rubber spatula. Heat for 15-20 more seconds. Stir until well blended. Let sit about 30 minutes (or cool in an ice bath for 5 minutes) until ganache is spreadable.

To assemble the Buttercrunch Cake:
Bake and cool two 8-inch round cake layers. Split each layer in half. Fill with cooled caramel filling. Top with cooled chocolate ganache. Decorate with buttercrunch candy!

I don't even know if anyone even reads this far down but, PS: The new season of Big Love started on HBO last weekend. It looks pretty good so far. AND my new favorite show, United States of Tara, comes on Showtime. You should totally watch it. It's so hilarious and fun!!

Banoffee Cupcakes

These were the poll winner by a TON of votes. I'm sorry it took me so long to post about them, but I've been really busy this week. Actually, I haven't been THAT busy, but it just seems like it. Ya know?? Anyway, on to the cupcakes! They were FABULOUS! I might be biased because I loooove banana cupcakes. But these were freakin GOOD! And the little pockets of melted caramel all throughout the cake were such a nice compliment in texture. To quote my boyfriend "It's soft like cake, but it tastes like a muffin. And the toffee bits are where it's at!" Haha. I sprinkled the top of them with Heath toffee bits before baking. To my knowledge, "Banoffee" is a marriage of the words "banana" and "toffee." Caramel and toffee are not the same thing. So the Heath pieces helped me mend that little problem. I topped them with whipped cream, but plain 'ole whipped cream wouldn't do. I added some storebought caramel. Not the soupy stuff that comes in a jar labeled as ice cream topping. No way! I'm talking about the thick stuff that comes in a plastic tub made for dipping Granny Smith apples in! Yeahhhhh. That stuff is so creamy and delicious. I used it to sweeten the whipped cream. It was perfect on the cupcakes! Here are some photos and the recipe...

PS:
I own a piece of the web now!

Ingredients Topped with Heath toffee bits before baking!

Cooling......

World, meet the Banoffee Cupcake!

After Josh and I shared a bite... See the caramel inside? Yum!

Recipe from Cupcake Heaven by Susannah Blake.

MY NOTES: I used the little Kraft chewey caramels you get for dipping apples. I chopped 5 of them really small and tossed them in with the flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcake. I only got 8 cupcakes. Mine were done at 14 minutes.

BANOFFEE CUPCAKES
Makes 10 (I got 8)

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup self-rising flour
4 chewy caramels, chopped

To decorate
2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped
3-4 tablespoons dulce de leche or caramel sauce
1 banana, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until creamy, then beat in the egg, a little at a time. Fold in the mashed banana, then sift the flour into the mixture and fold in, followed by the caramels (I tossed the caramels in the flour first).
Spoon the mixture into the paper liners and bake in the preheated oven for about 16 minutes (Mine were done after 14 minutes) until risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To decorate, swirl the cream over each of the cupcakes, then drizzle with a spoonful of dulce de leche or caramel sauce (I beat the caramel right in with the whipped cream) and top with slices of banana. (The bananas will turn brown quickly. Either toss them in lemon juice first or wait until you're ready to serve them.)

Note: Dulce de leche is a sweet caramel sauce from Argentina and it is available from larger supermarkets. If you can't find it, you can make it yourself. Put a sealed can of condensed milk in a saucepan, pour over boiling water to cover, and boil for 3 hours, adding more water as necessary so that the can is always covered. (CAUTION: This method is very dangerous because the can could explode. Watch it carefully!) Remove from the pan and let cool completely before opening using a can opener. Stir well to make a smooth sauce before spooning over the cakes.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: 5

Salted Caramel Cupcakes... FINALLY!!

Geez Louise! I know it took me forever to make these. They won the poll a loooong time ago, but I've been slacking. Wait a second, that's not true. I wasn't slacking at all. I've been cooking and baking a lot! Just not what I was supposed to be making... Well anyway, here they are, and my bestest cousin in the whole world Stephanie AKA "Boof" helped me make them! The caramel wouldn't "swirl" into the buttercream nicely as it was pictured in the book. I ended up just blending it all the way in and drizzling some on top. And I think I was the only one brave enough to try one with salt. I sprinkled mine (the one in the picture) with some kosher salt. The salt was a delicious addition. It gave it that yummy salty-sweet thing that make chocolate-covered pretzels one of my favorite things in the entire universe. The recipe made 12 and 10 got eaten last night! That's the most that's ever been eaten during Wing Night! One thing though, I think these taste just like the Creme Brulee Cupcakes I made before. Pretty much the same idea... brown sugar cake with caramel buttercream. But the texture was so awesome. Slightly dense, soft, sweet, and moist. This recipe is perfect!

Ingredients That's me putting batter in the pan,
and that's our lunch, pizza bites, in the background!
A full scoop in each... They're ready to be baked!
Cooling
Melting the sugar for the caramel
Still melting...
That's us waiting for it to melt...
Finally, it melted and we added cream.
Our finished product!
Inside shot! You can see how moist and slightly dense it was!

Recipe from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski.

MY NOTES: My cupcakes were done at 18 minutes. I reduced the butter in the frosting to 1 1/2 sticks (my usual amount for SMBC with only 3 egg whites). I only used 1/2 of caramel in the frosting.

SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKES
MAKES 12 CUPCAKES
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

CARAMEL SWIRL BUTTERCREAM
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
Caramel Drizzle
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Pinch salt

Buttercream
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, at room temperature (I only used 1 1/2 sticks butter)

For the cupcakes:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the sugars and butter together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20-22 minutes (Mine were done at 18 minutes). Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the frosting:
In a heavy-bottomed, high-sided saucepan, cook the sugar over medium-high heat until it begins to melt around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stirring with a clean wooden spoon, continue to cook until the sugar is melted and has turned golden amber, about 3 minutes longer.

Carefully pour the cream down the side of the pan in a slow, steady stream (it will bubble and spatter), stirring constantly until completely smooth. Stir in the salt. Pour the caramel into a small heatproof bowl and let cool completely before using. (The caramel can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before using.)

In a large, clean heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar. Set the bowl over (but not touching) simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 160°F on an instant-read thermometer), about 2 minutes (It always takes about 5 minutes for me). Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg white mixture until it is fluffy, cooled to room temperature, and holds stiff peaks (the mixture should not look dry), about 6 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the salt and the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition. If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes more. Add the caramel drizzle (I only added about 1/2 cup) and beat until combined (or almost combined for a swirling effect), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream. (The frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before finishing.) Top each cupcake with a caramel candy, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, and serve.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: 5

Caramel-Covered Tea Cakes

Caramel-Covered Tea Cakes are the winner with 117 votes! (The other two were tied with 98 votes each.) These little babies are sweet! I mean literally tooth-achingly sweet. The cupcakes are delicious. It's a great yellow cake recipe. But the caramel frosting is a bit too much. If I did this over again, I'd make regular sized cupcakes and just spoon a bit of caramel over each one. Dipping them in it was WAY too sweet. However, someone in my house loves them because this morning more than half of them are already gone!

Cupcake hardwareCupcake software bright yellow batter in a matching bowl! Oops, I was supposed to get 21...They spread out like little mushrooms...
Oh well, here they are cooling upside down. ingredients for caramel coatingbutter, brown sugar, evap. milk, saltboil until it reaches the "soft ball" stage after stirring in vanilla and sour cream... dipping them in the caramel (I tried a few methods before settling on this one.) Tada! Yum, but TOOTHACHE!!

Recipe from Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans.

Easy-Mix Yellow Cupcakes
Supposed to make 21, I got 16

½ cup + 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg
½ cup sugar
¼ cup canola or corn oil
½ tsp vanilla extract (I used vanilla butter nut flavoring [found it at Kroger])
¼ cup sour cream

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray two 12-cup mini-muffin pans or one 24 cup mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream color, about 2 minutes.
4. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. Mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated and the bat­ter is smooth.
5. Spoon a slightly rounded tablespoon of batter into each of the sprayed cups filling them 2/3 full. Bake just until the tops feel firm, the edges have browned lightly, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 12-14 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for 5 minutes in the pans on wire racks. Remove cupcakes from pans onto wire racks and cool completely. While cupcakes are cooling, make caramel frosting.

Caramel Frosting (also halved)
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 cup + 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
a pinch of salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp sour cream

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, evaporated milk, and salt, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a full boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the mixture measures 234°F on a candy thermometer, about 6 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and let the caramel sit for 5 minutes.
2. Scrape the caramel into a large bowl, and whisk in the vanilla and sour cream. At first the caramel may seem firm and sugary, but as you keep whisking, it will become smooth and creamy.
3. Spear the top of each cup­cake with a fork and dip it in the warm frosting (I just held each cupcake with 2 forks), covering the bottom and sides, then let any excess frosting drip back into the bowl and replace the cupcakes, top side down, on the wire rack. (About halfway through you might need to microwave the caramel for about 10 seconds to thin it out again.) Let the cupcakes sit until the frosting is firm, about 30 minutes.
The cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. The frosting will lose some of its shine overnight, but it will remain soft and creamy.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 4
Tenderness: 4
Frosting: 3

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

I'm not the first blogger to do Caramel Apple Cupcakes this season, and I bet I won't be the last. One of my favorite treats of Autumn is a caramel apple! So when I came across a recipe for Caramel Apple Cupcakes (actually there were so many recipes it was hard to choose one), naturally I had to try it! I was slightly disappointed, not by the cupcake, but by the weather the day I made these cupcakes. With a high of 92°F it's hard to get into the Fall spirit. However, the cupcakes still came out great and just TASTED like Autumn!

ingredients chunky apple cinnamon batter apple cinnamon cupcakes cooling (and smelling GREAT!) caramel (before) caramel (after)Caramel Apple Cupcake... + pecans!

Recipe from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella.

MY NOTES: I used Granny Smith apples. I could only find large apples, and when I chopped them up I got about 3 cups. I only used 2 cups in the batter, and it was perfect. The topping turned out more like a browned butter icing than caramel. I'd recommend using your favorite caramel recipe instead.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Makes 16-18

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium sized tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped small (about 2 cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl beat together the brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Beat until blended. Stir in apples.
5. Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 to 3/4 full (I did about 1/2) with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes (mine were done at about 18 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan. (This book always says to cool them in the pan, but I always cool them on wire racks.)

Caramel Topping
(I had to double this recipe to cover all 16 cupcakes.)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan over medium heat bring the brown sugar, butter, and cream to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer (about medium-low) and continue stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Pour the warm caramel topping over cupcakes. (***I HIGHLY ADVISE LETTING THE CARAMEL COOL AND THICKEN BEFORE TOPPING THE CUPCAKES!!*** Otherwise you'll just get a thin, runny mess and hardly any caramel on each cupcake. I let mine cool in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.)