Coffee Caramels With Dark Chocolate Recipes

COFFEEHOUSE CARAMEL-DARK CHOCOLATE-LATTE COOKIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, ice cream topping and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, coffee granules, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips., Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Freeze option: Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets; freeze until firm. Transfer to airtight container; return to freezer. To use, bake frozen cookies as directed, increasing time by 1-2 minutes.

HOMEMADE CARAMELS WITH DARK CHOCOLATE AND SEA SALT

Steps:

• Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
• Combine white sugar, 1/2 cup cream, light corn syrup, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup cream. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 242 degrees (117 degrees C), or until a small amount of the caramel mixture forms a firm yet pliable ball when dropped in cold water. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract.
• Pour caramel mixture into baking pan. Allow to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove baking pan from the fridge and allow caramel mixture to warm up slightly, about 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Combine dark and semisweet chocolate chips with shortening in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Cut caramel into 1-inch squares. Dip caramel squares in melted chocolate, shaking off excess. Place on lined baking sheet; sprinkle with sea salt. Chill until hardened, about 1 hour.

SOFT CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, stir the sugar and corn syrup together until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, without stirring, until it turns a very light caramel color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and very slowly pour the cream into the hot sugar (be careful-it will bubble up) and stir to combine. Return the mixture to medium-low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer inserted in the pot reads 238 degrees F, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and butter until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 8-by-8 inch square baking dish. Allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours) before cutting into 1-inch squares.
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.
• From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make at Home, by Jacques Torres.

DARK CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL MACCHIATO PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Pulse biscotti in a food processor until fine crumbs form (about 1-1/4 cups). Add butter; pulse until blended. Press onto bottom and up sides of a greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., Beat 4 ounces cream cheese until creamy. Gradually beat in melted dark chocolate and coffee until blended. Fold in 3/4 cup whipped topping. Spread in crust. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes., Beat remaining cream cheese until creamy. Gradually beat in melted milk chocolate until blended. Fold in 3/4 cup whipped topping. Spread over first layer. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes., Place remaining whipped topping in a large bowl; fold in 1/4 cup caramel syrup. Spread over pie; top with shaved chocolate. Refrigerate until serving. If desired, drizzle with additional caramel syrup before serving.

CHOCOLATE COFFEE

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, whisk the sugar, cocoa and water until smooth. Cook and whisk over medium-low heat until mixture forms soft peaks when whisk is lifted and resembles thick hot fudge sauce, about 35 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and salt. Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate for at least 2 hours., Beat the chocolate mixture. Add 2 cups whipped cream; mix well. Fold in remaining whipped cream. For each serving, place about 1/2 cup chocolate cream in 2/3 cup coffee or milk; stir to blend.

DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• Spray an 11 3/4-by-16 1/4-inch baking pan with vegetable-oil spray. Set aside in a spot where it will not be moved. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine 2 cups cream, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Clip on candy thermometer. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 220 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes; watch so mixture doesn't boil over. Continue stirring, and add chocolate and butter; keep mixture boiling, and slowly add remaining 2 cups cream. Cook, still stirring, until temperature reaches 240 degrees (soft-ball stage), about 60 minutes, keeping mixture at a low boil.
• Without scraping pot, pour mixture into prepared pan. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 24 hours without moving.
• To cut, spray a cutting board with vegetable-oil spray. Unmold caramel onto sprayed surface. Using a large knife, cut into 1-by-1 1/4-inch pieces or other shapes. Wrap each piece in cellophane or waxed paper.