Spiced Caramel Syrup Recipes

SPICED CARAMEL SYRUP

Steps:

• Pour the sugar into a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Once the sugar starts to color, swirl the pan so that it melts and colors evenly.
• When the caramel is a light reddish-brown color, or as Mr. Skurnick says, "Irish-setter red" (it takes about 5 minutes to reach this stage), drop in the spices and, standing away from the pan, carefully pour in the water. When it boils, reduce the heat to very low and cook for 2 minutes.
• Strain the caramel into a heatproof container (discard the spices or use them for tea), and cool completely. You can keep the syrup covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It will thicken; warm gently to reliquefy.

SPICED SIMPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, 1 cup water, allspice, cloves, cinnamon and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is completely melted. Remove from the heat and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until cold.

CINNAMON-SPICED CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• For stars:
• Spray inside of 4 star-shaped cookie cutters with nonstick spray. Oil baking sheet; place cutters on sheet. Combine sugar and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until syrup turns deep amber, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 4 minutes. Immediately pour thin layer of hot syrup inside each cookie cutter. Cool stars completely. Push stars out of cutters; wrap in foil. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store at room temperature.)
• For syrup:
• Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot water (mixture will bubble up). Stir over low heat until hard bits dissolve. Cool caramel syrup.
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line pans with waxed paper; butter paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into small bowl. Stir milk and butter in small saucepan over low heat just until butter melts; set aside.
• Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until thick enough for batter to fall in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in orange peel and vanilla. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. Add warm milk mixture; beat just until blended. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 24 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes. Cut around pan sides and turn cakes out onto racks; peel off paper. Turn cakes right side up. Using toothpick, poke holes in tops of cakes. Brush half of caramel syrup over each cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes and let stand at room temperature.)
• For frosting:
• Combine all ingredients in large bowl; beat until firm peaks form. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over. Top with second layer. Spread frosting over top and sides. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
• Stand stars upright on cake. Serve cake cold or let stand up to 1 hour at room temperature before serving.

SPICED COFFEE ICE CREAM BOMBE WITH CARAMEL SYRUP

Steps:

• For ice cream: Line 9-cup charlotte mold or 9-inch-diameter soufflé dish with double-thick layers of plastic wrap, extending over sides; place mold in freezer.
• Mix half and half and cream in large saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla beans; add beans; bring to simmer; whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl to blend; gradually whisk in hot half and half mixture; return mixture to same saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 8 minutes (do not boil); strain into large bowl; dvide custard equally between 2 medium bowls; add espresso powder and spices to custard in 1 bowl, stirring until espresso powder dissolves; cover and chill both custards until cold.
• Process coffee-spice custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions; spoon ice cream into mold; using back of spoon and working quickly, spread ice cream over bottom and up sides of mold, leaving center hollow (you may need to freeze ice cream for a while if it becomes too soft and starts to melt down the sides before molding); feeze until firm, about 1 hour; using back of spoon, respread ice cream up sides of mold and even with top rim; place mold in freezer.
• Process plain custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions; add cookie crumbs during last 1 minute of processing; spoon ice cream into center of mold, filling completely (reserve any remaining ice cream for another use); cover bombe; freeze overnight (can be made up to 1 week ahead; keep frozen).
• For syrup: Stir sugar and ¼ cup water in medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves; increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally swirling pan; add brandy and remaining 3 tblsps water (stand back!); stir over low heat until caramel syrup is smooth; cool (can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover tightly and let stand at room temperature).
• Whip cream in medium bowl to stiff peaks; spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip; unmold bombe onto serving plate; peel off plastic; pipe columns of cream up sides of bombe; pipe more cream on top of bombe; serve with syrup.