Pioneer Woman Salted Caramel Recipes

SALTED (AND OTHER) CARAMEL APPLES

Steps:

• Melt caramel with cream in a double boiler or glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Add vanilla and salt and stir until smooth. Stick one chopstick in the bottom of each apple. One at a time, dip the apple in the caramel, coating it all the way to the base of the stick. Allow excess to drip back into the pan for a couple of seconds, then carefully roll the apple in whatever topping you'd like. (There's a small window of opportunity for the toppings to easily stick!)Repeat with all the apples, refrigerating apples as soon as they're coated. Once cool, wrap apples with cellophane or plastic wrap.

SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIE

Steps:

• Note: Many have reported problems with the gelatin in the caramel sauce. For this reason, I'd recommend either leaving out the gelatin OR decreasing the amount by quite a bit.FOR THE BROWNIES:Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter or baking spray.In the top of a double boiler over medium heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring until melted. Add sugar and stir gently until combined. Remove from heat.In a separate bowl, gently whisk the eggs. Add a small splash of eggs to chocolate mixture, stirring immediately (but still gently). Drizzle in the rest of the eggs, stirring constantly.Add flour and stir until combined. Pour batter into greased baking pan and spread to even out the surface. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then remove from oven to cool completely in the pan.FOR THE CARAMEL GLAZE:In a small saucepan over low heat, warm heavy cream. Do not boil.In a separate tall saucepan, combine sugar and water. Do not stir. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture turns an amber color---not too dark, but definitely amber. Remove pan from stove.Add warm cream, butter, and salt. Stir gently until mixture is smooth and well combined. When it is smooth and calmed down a bit, pour in gelatin/water mixture and stir.TO FINISH:Pour caramel glaze all over completely cooled brownies. Allow to set completely. Cut into small rectangles and serve.***Lining the pan with foil would allow you to lift the brownies out of the pan after the caramel glaze sets. Then you can use a long, serrated knife and slice more easily.***

SALTED CARAMEL FROSTED BROWNIES

Steps:

• For the brownies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper.
• In the top of a double boiler over medium heat, heat the chocolate and butter, stirring, until melted, about 5 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and stir gently until combined. Remove from the heat.
• In a separate bowl, gently whisk the eggs. Add a small splash of the chocolate mixture to the eggs, stirring immediately (but still gently). Then add the tempered eggs into the chocolate, stirring constantly. Add the flour and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread to even out the surface.
• Bake until just beginning to crisp at the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
• For the salted caramel sauce: Add the brown sugar, cream, butter, vanilla and salt to a pan and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until thickened and combined, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• For the salted caramel buttercream: Add the confectioners' sugar, butter and cream to a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off, drizzle in the salted caramel sauce, turn the mixer back on and mix until combined.
• To frost the brownies: Remove the cooled brownies from the pan, spread with the buttercream and cut into individual pieces.

HOW TO MAKE SALTED CARAMELS

Steps:

• Use softened unsalted butter to grease an 8x8 pan. Cut two strips of parchment paper to fit the pan, leaving an overhang on each side and buttering each piece. Set aside. Combine sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, salted butter, and fine sea salt in a 3-quart saucepan. Stirring frequently, cook on medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture starts to boil. Clip on a candy thermometer. Continue cooking and stirring until the temperature reaches 245ºF. (This will take about 30 minutes.) Lower the heat as needed to prevent bubbling over. As soon as the mixture reaches 245ºF, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste (see note). Immediately pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the fleur de sel over the top. Let the caramels set for at least two hours and up to overnight. Lift the caramel out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into pieces using kitchen shears. Wrap individual caramels in pieces of waxed paper. Store at room temperature. Note: To make chocolate caramels, omit the vanilla bean paste. Stir together 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract with 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder. Add this mixture plus 3 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate in place of the vanilla bean paste.

SALTED CARAMEL CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
• Place the graham crackers and pecans into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes crumbs. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse again until combined. Pour into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. If they come up the sides, that's okay!
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix again.
• Pour the mixture into the crust, smooth the top and bake for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door, leaving the cheesecake to sit in the oven with the door open for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool for an hour.
• For the caramel topping: Add the brown sugar and butter to a pan, set over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Add the condensed milk, corn syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil, stirring continuously.
• Place a candy thermometer in the caramel mixture and continue to boil until the caramel reaches 225 degrees F. Turn off the heat and let the caramel cool for about 5 minutes before pouring over the cheesecake.
• Allow to set for 2 hours, then cut into squares with a sharp knife. Arrange on a plate and garnish each square with a pinch of sea salt.

EASY CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• HowToStep
• Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thicker. Turn off heat. Serve warm or refrigerate until cold. If sauce is thin, just continue cooking for a few more minutes.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERSCOTCH CARAMEL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
• Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and pat lightly to pack it slightly.
• Bake until light golden brown on top and done in the middle, watching to make sure it doesn't burn, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
• Spoon the dulce de leche into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave to just slightly soften it, about 45 seconds. Scoop it on top of the oatmeal base and use an offset spatula to spread it out to the edges and into an even layer. Sprinkle on a layer of peanuts so that they completely cover the caramel and use your hands to gently press them into the caramel. Sprinkle on the butterscotch chips and mini chocolate chips in generous layers.
• Note: The warmth of the cookie base and caramel should slightly soften the butterscotch and chocolate chips. When that happens, use your hands to very gently press the chips just enough to anchor them together (but not enough to misshape them). If the pan isn't warm enough, pop it into the oven for 30 seconds or so and gently press the chips to anchor them together.
• Chill the bars for 2 to 3 hours to make them easy to slice. Remove them from the pan, place on a cutting board and use a long serrated knife to cut into small squares (they're rich!). Serve cold or at room temperature.

EASY CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat, cool slightly and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold.

CARAMEL BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan (a square pan will result in thicker brownies).
• In a medium-large saucepan, melt the butter with the chocolate over low heat, whisking occasionally until smooth and melted. Sprinkle in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the granulated sugar and vanilla until just combined. Stir in the eggs. Gently stir in the flour until halfway incorporated. Pour the batter (it will be very thick!) into the prepared pan.
• Place the dulce de leche in a glass bowl. Warm it in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Drop large dollops of dulce de leche on the surface of the brownie batter. Use a knife to slowly swirl it through the batter. Don't drag the knife sideways through the batter; hold it so the thin side of the knife leads the way.
• Bake for 40 minutes, then check the brownies with a toothpick. If they are overly gooey/messy, return to the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes (just be careful not to burn the edges). Allow to cool completely (important!), then sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into small squares.

BOBBY FLAY'S SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup cold water and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar has turned a deep amber hue, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm the cream in a small saucepan. When the caramel is ready, slowly whisk in the warm cream and continue simmering the mixture until it is smooth, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, then whisk in the butter, and then the salt, to taste. Serve warm.