Salted Caramel Sauce

I was asked to bring caramel sauce to a family picnic, and my cousin shared this salted caramel recipe with me. We served it with an ice cream sundae bar, and it was a hit—rich, buttery, and absolutely delicious. It’s just as good drizzled over apple slices, a warm slice of apple pie, a chocolate brownie, or even pancakes or oatmeal. This is so good, you will be tempted to just eat this right out of the jar!

If you want to make regular caramel sauce, you may reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp.  However, do not leave it out completely.

Avoid doubling or tripling this recipe.  The added volume could prevent the sugar from melting evenly and properly.  Make multiple batches instead.

1 cup granulated sugar (make sure it's labeled "pure cane")

6 TBS unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 6 pieces

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature (Do not use milk or Half & Half)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

In a medium heavy-duty stainless-steel saucepan (do not use nonstick) over medium to medium-low heat.  Cook the sugar, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-safe silicone spatula.

Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. It should take about 6 minutes, or so.  Stir constantly, especially around the bottom edges, and be careful not to let it burn.

Once the sugar is completely melted, reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time.  Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.  (If you're nervous about this splattering, wear kitchen gloves.)  Cook and stir constantly until the butter is melted and well combined.  If you notice the butter separating or if the sugar clumps up, remove the pan from the heat and vigorously whisk to combine it again.  Keep whisking until it comes back together, even if it takes 3 to 4 minutes.  It will eventually- just keep whisking.  Return to heat when it's combined again.

Very slowly and carefully pour in the heavy cream (room temperature), stirring constantly.  Since the heavy cream is colder than the hot caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and steam when added.  

When all of the heavy cream has been added, stop stirring, increase the heat to medium and let it boil for 1 minute.  It will rise in the pan as it boils.  If you would like to be precise and use a candy thermometer, the temperature should reach 220F degrees.

Remove from heat and stir in the salt and vanilla.  The caramel will be a thin liquid at this point.  Allow to slightly cool and thicken before using.  Caramel thickens considerably as it cools.

This caramel is o.k. left at room temperature for up to a day.  Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.  Caramel solidifies in the refrigerator.  Reheat in the microwave or on the stove to desired consistency before using.

You may also freeze this for up to 3 months.

Makes 1 cup

Source:  Sally's Baking Addiction

Cindy

Korean Bibimbap Rice Bowl

A local restaurant serves a Bibimbap bowl I order every single time, and eventually I decided I wanted to learn how to make it at home. I use Billy Parisi’s Korean Beef Bulgogi as the main protein, and it works perfectly in this rice bowl. You can add whatever toppings you like, but don’t skip the over‑easy egg—it’s the finishing touch that makes the whole bowl come together.

Add the cooked rice to the bottom of each bowl and arrange the toppings in small piles over the rice. Set the cooked egg on top. Let each guest stir their own bowl so everything comes together right before eating.

Below are the toppings I served over the rice.  However, you can add whatever toppings you like.

cooked jasmine rice for the bottom of the bowls

Korean Beef Bulgogi (see recipe on this site)

julienned carrots

sliced radishes

cooked mushrooms (pan fried in butter and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper)

spinach - cooked

cilantro

green onions - sliced

egg - cooked over-easy

Other topping ideas:

canned beets, thinly sliced

bean sprouts

cucumbers

cooked eggplant

bell pepper

zucchini

Drizzle the bowl with the following to taste:

sesame oil

hot chili oil

Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste)

sauce from Korean Beef Bulgogi recipe

After you have topped the bowl with all of your favorite toppings, stir all of the ingredients together.  The yolk from the over-easy egg creates a delicious and rich sauce.  Enjoy!

** To make this dish extra delicious, heat a cast-iron pan over high heat.  Spread about 1-2 TBS of avocado oil on the bottom and sides of the hot pan. Heat the oil.  Then spread the cooked rice in the pan and press it down lightly.  Cook for a few minutes until the rice gets crispy on the bottom. Add your toppings directly to the pan. Or, carefully transfer the rice to individual bowls and add the toppings. The restaurant charges extra for the crispy rice, but it is worth every penny!

Serves 6

Kimberly

Korean Beef Bulgogi

There is a wonderful restaurant in my town that serves Bibimbap (Korean rice bowl) with Korean Beef Bulgogi. I wanted to recreate the dish at home. So, I used this beef bulgogi recipe from Billy Parisi to use in the Bibimbap bowl.  It was so delicious.  This meat would also be great served in a lettuce wrap with rice.

1 cored and peeled fuji apple

4 garlic cloves

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 cups water

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup sesame oil

3 tablespoons plum extract, optional

½ peeled and thinly sliced yellow onion

2 pounds thinly sliced ribeye steak

Sesame Seeds (optional)

Sliced green onions (optional)

 

To make the marinade, add the apple, garlic, sugars, water, soy sauce, sesame oil and plum extract to a blender and blend at high speed until smooth. Set aside.

 

Add the onions and steak slices to a Ziploc bag or plastic container.  (I reserved about 1/2 - 1 cup of the marinade in a separate container to make a sauce.  See below for the sauce directions.) Pour the remaining marinade from the blender over the meat and onions.  Make sure the meat and onion are completely submerged in the marinade.  Squeeze the sealed bag or shake the sealed container to make sure the marinade is surrounding the meat and onions.  Marinate the meat in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours, but no more than 24 hours.

 

Cooking Options:

 

Grilling - Drain and discard the marinade from the meat and onions.  Line a grill with foil and heat the grill to 450-550 F.  Spread out the beef and onions on the foil and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until a light char has formed on the steak. (If you don’t use foil on your grill, it will be a sticky mess.)

 

Pan Cooking - When cooking bulgogi in a pan, heat the pan over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Spread the drained marinated beef and onions around the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, like on the grill.

 

Sprinkle with optional sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Optional Sauce: Combine 1/2 TBS cornstarch into 1/2 cup of the cooled reserved marinade to make a slurry. (Make sure you use the reserved marinade.  NOT the marinade that you drained off the raw meat.)  Heat up the remaining marinade in a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, whisk in the cornstarch slurry mixture and bring to a light boil for about 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.  I used this sauce to drizzle over the Bibimbap bowl (see recipe for Korean Bibimbap Rice Bowl).  This sauce added such a delicious flavor to the bowl.

Serves:  6

Source:  Billy Parisi - Elevate Your Everyday Cooking - Chef Billy Parisi

Kimberly

Brötchen - Authentic Crusty German Rolls

I have been to Germany many times and my favorite part of breakfast was enjoying delicious Brötchen with butter and cheese.  When I found Anja's recipe from "Our Gabled Home" on YouTube, I just knew I had to make these rolls. While perfect for breakfast, these rolls are also great served with a delicious homemade soup.

300 ml (10 oz) warm water

1/8 tsp sugar

7 g (2 1/2 tsp) instant yeast

500 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour

13 g (2 tsp) salt

1 TBS diastatic barley malt powder

15 g (1 TBS) softened butter

1 tsp oil, for the bowl

Dissolve the sugar and yeast in warm water.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, diastatic barley malt powder and softened butter.  With the dough hook attached, turn the mixer to low speed (1-2) and combine the ingredients in the bowl for 30 seconds.  Slowly add in the sugar, yeast and water mixture.  

Keep mixing at low speed until the dough comes together, about 5-10 minutes.

Place the dough ball onto your clean worksurface and knead by hand by folding and stretching a few times.  Form into a ball by gently stretching the top and folding under.

Grease a large bowl with the 1 tsp of oil.  Place the dough ball in the bowl top down, then flip so the entire ball is coated with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight.

Remove the dough from the bowl and gently knead the dough a couple of times to remove the air.  Weigh the dough and divide the weight by 8, it should be about 100 g each.  Cut into 8 equal portions.  Gently flatten the dough pieces and fold the edges underneath the dough to form round or oval shaped balls.

Place the rolls onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  Cover the rolls with a towel and let rise until they have almost doubled in size (approximately 2-3 hours).

Gently score each roll down the middle with a lame or sharp knife.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Place a heat-proof (cast iron) pan on the bottom rack of your oven while preheating.

Place the rolls in the hot oven.  Immediately add a handful of ice cubes or 1 cup of water to the cast iron pan to create steam.  Quickly close the oven door.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden-brown.  You can rotate the pan half-way through the baking time to ensure even browning.

Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Tips:  

I ordered the diastatic barley malt powder from Amazon.  

If you want to freeze these rolls, Anja recommends putting the rolls in a plastic bag while they are still slightly warm.  Remove the air from the bag and place in the freezer.  Reheat them in a 400 F oven for about 10 minutes.

Watch Anja's video on YouTube to see how she does each step of this recipe.  

Anja has so many delicious recipes.  Please check out her website or follow her on YouTube at "Our Gabled Home".  Let me know if you make any of her other recipes.

Makes 8 rolls

Source:  Our Gabled Home - Home | Our Gabled Home

Kimberly

Beef Vegetable Soup

What is better than a delicious bowl of homemade soup and bread on a cool fall day?  Someone asked me to make beef vegetable soup and I couldn't find a recipe that was exactly what I was looking for.  So, I combined a few recipes to create this one.  I hope you enjoy it!

1 - 1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat, cut in 1" pieces

6 oz tomato paste

28 oz diced tomatoes (I used Fire Roasted)

3 qts water

1 1/2 TBS Beef Better than Bouillon

2 celery stalks sliced or chopped (2 c.)

2-3 carrots sliced or chopped (2 c.)

1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1" pieces

1 1/2 cups cabbage, cut into 1 1/2" pieces

1 cup onion, cut into 1" pieces

3 yellow or red potatoes, cut into 1" pieces

10 oz frozen peas (added at the end of cooking)

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

3/4 - 1 tsp salt (add if needed)

3/4 - 1 tsp pepper (add if needed)

Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in a large (6-8 qt) heavy stock pot.  Season the meat lightly with salt and pepper.  Brown the meat in batches making sure not to overcrowd the pan.  

Remove all of the meat from the pan and stir the tomato paste into the pan drippings and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.  This will add delicious flavor to your soup.

Add in the tomatoes, water, beef bouillon and meat.  Stir to mix well.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for about 45minutes-1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Cook until the meat is almost tender.

Add all of the vegetables except the peas.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender.  

Add the peas, onion powder and garlic powder and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.  Taste the soup broth and add the additional salt and pepper if needed.

Tips:  You can add any vegetables to this recipe:  green or red peppers, zucchini, corn, mushrooms, etc.  My mother said her mom used to add red kidney beans.  The options are endless.  Just make sure you have enough broth if you add more vegetables.

Serves 6-8

Kimberly

Sourdough Bagels

These sourdough bagels are so delicious.  Move over Panera, you have been replaced!  If you are new to sourdough, bagels are a good place to start because the dough is very easy to work with.  It does take some time to make these bagels, but they really are easy to make.  Make sure you give this recipe a try.

As with any sourdough recipe.  Please make sure you read through the instructions to understand how many minutes or hours each step takes.  You don't want to have to wake up at 3 AM to shape your bagels!  I usually do a time chart for each step.  This way I know what time to start the recipe, so I am not staying up all night.

464 grams water

332 grams active starter

55 grams maple syrup

55 grams sugar

1,112 grams bread flour (or high-protein all-purpose flour)

22 grams salt

50 grams honey - Add to boiling water

Shredded asiago and/or cheddar cheese (optional) - Add to top of bagels after boiling

Step 1 - Mix water and starter together with a dough whisk, then mix in the maple syrup.  Add sugar, flour and salt; mix until a shaggy dough forms.  You can do this by hand or in a stand mixer with a dough hook.  If you use the mixer, make sure you do this on a low speed (1 or 2).

Step 2 - Knead the dough on the countertop for a few minutes.  Shape the dough into a ball and put back into the bowl, seam side down.  Cover and rest for one hour.

Step 3 - Knead the dough again for a few minutes.  Shape into a ball and return to the bowl, seam side down. Cover and bulk ferment on the countertop until doubled, about 6-12 hours.

Step 4 - Let the dough release from the bowl naturally.  Divide the dough into 12 pieces (approx. 170 grams each).  Shape into tight balls.  Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

Step 5 - Poke a hole in each ball and gently stretch into bagels.  Place each bagel on a square parchment sheet.  (I bought my parchment squares at the Dollar Store.)  Cover bagels with a cloth or put in a container with a lid.  Let rise until soft and puffy 2-3 hours.

Step 6 - Preheat oven to 425 F.  Boil water and add the 50 grams of honey, stir to combine.  The holes in the bagels have probably closed up while rising.  Just stick the end of your dough whisk in the middle and spin the bagel on the countertop to open up the hole again.  Gently flip the bagels over into the boiling water and peel off the parchment square.  Boil bagels 30 seconds per side.

Step 7 - Remove the bagels from the water using a large, slotted spoon, drain well, and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.  I sprinkled some shredded asiago cheese and cheddar cheese on the top of some of the bagels before baking. 

Step 8 - Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden and glossy.  If you added cheese to the top, bake until the cheese is melted and the sides of the bagels are golden brown.

Step 9 - Place bagels on wire cooling rack.  Cool at least one hour before slicing.  As the recipe creator, Angela, said, "Don't be cutting the bagels early then calling them gummy". 

*Tips:

I highly recommend that you watch Angela's video for making these bagels. She does a really good job of explaining the process. You can follow her on Instagram or Facebook at "thesourdoughhoe".  

To freeze the bagels, wrap each bagel in Saran wrap and then in foil.  Place bagels in a gallon Ziploc freezer bag.

To toast the bagels, I slice them in half and put them in the air fryer at 340 F for 3-5 minutes.

Makes 12 bagels

Source:  Thesourdoughhoe on Facebook / the_sourdoughhoe on Instagram

Kimberly

Sourdough Granola

You can make this easy, nutritious granola with whatever nuts, seeds or dried fruit you like, and it’s a practical way to put your sourdough discard to use. The texture is up to you—small clusters or big ones, depending on how you break it up. It works as an anytime snack, over yogurt for breakfast or even sprinkled on ice cream.

See the tips below for additional ingredients and spices to add to your granola.

100 grams neutral oil (1/2 cup) - (I used avocado oil)

80 grams pure maple syrup (1/4 cup)

55 grams brown sugar (1/4 cup)

120 grams sourdough discard (1/2 cup)

60 grams water (1/4 cup)

2 grams ground cinnamon (1 tsp)

3 grams salt (1/2 tsp)

350 grams old-fashioned oats (3 cups)

250 - 350 grams chopped nuts/seeds (1 1/2 - 2 cups)

150 grams dried cranberries (1 cup)

70 grams sweetened coconut (my addition)

Any additional dried fruit or chocolate (see tips below)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the oil, pure maple syrup, brown sugar, sourdough discard, water, cinnamon and salt and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add the oats, chopped nuts and/or seeds.  Pour the maple syrup mixture on top of the oat/nut mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until fully coated.

Pour the granola on the prepared baking sheet.  If you prefer granola clusters, press the sourdough granola down with a rubber spatula just before baking.

Bake for 1 hour or until the granola is golden in color with a toasty aroma.  Stir granola every 15 minutes.

If you prefer large clusters of granola, stir the granola only once halfway through the bake with a rubber spatula.  Pat down again before continuing to bake.

Once you remove the granola from the oven, add the dried fruit, like dried cranberries or raisins and allow it to cool completely.

Once completely cooled, store in a glass mason jar at room temperature for up to two weeks.  For a longer time, keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Tips:

* A little bit of egg whites mixed into the wet ingredients helps bind the oat mixture for even  bigger, crunchier clusters.  

* You may substitute the brown sugar for more pure maple syrup or honey

* I used avocado oil, however, you can also use vegetable or coconut oil.

* You can use active sourdough starter instead of discard.  Just make sure to use the same amount in grams. It is recommended using sourdough discard that is no older than 1-2 days.  Older discard will bring a much more tangy flavor to the granola.

*Add dried fruit like dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dried apricots or dried cherries or blueberries bring an extra touch of sweetness and chew to the granola.  Be sure to add your favorites once the granola has cooled.

*Other delicious ingredients to include are sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts sliced almonds, pepitas, pecans, pistachios, sweetened coconut flakes or chocolate chips.  Be sure to add the chocolate chips once the granola has cooled completely, otherwise, the chocolate will melt. You can also experiment with other spices such as nutmeg, ginger and pumpkin pie spice.

This makes about 4 cups (depending on the additional ingredients that you added)

Source: Simplicity and a Starter

Kimerly

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones

I recently had some really delicious scones at a restaurant—rich, buttery, and hard to forget. So, when I came across this recipe, I figured it was worth trying. I’m glad I did, because these turned out great. If you’re in the mood for a light, flaky scone with a crisp edge and a touch of sweetness inside, these are definitely worth making.  For a variety, you can use any flavor of chips or caramel/toffee bits and even nuts. This recipe is a great way to use some of your sourdough starter!

Read the tips below before beginning this recipe.

250 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)

100 gram sugar (1/2 cup)

10 grams baking powder (2 1/2 tsp)

3 grams salt (1/2 tsp)

113 grams unsalted butter, frozen (1/2 cup)

175 grams chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (1 cup)

120 grams sourdough discard, cold (1/2 cup)

1 egg, cold (about 62 grams)

8 grams vanilla extract (2 tsp)

45 grams heavy cream, cold (3 TBS) plus more for topping

coarse sugar (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Whisk together until incorporated.

Grate the cold/frozen butter and add to the flour mixture.  Mix with your fingers until the small pieces of butter are coated with flour.

Next, sprinkle in the chocolate chips or chunks and mix until incorporated.  Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, egg, vanilla and heavy cream until smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients evenly on top of the butter mixture.  Mix the scone dough with a rubber spatula until the cream mixture is combined.  The dough will be crumbly with some bits of dry flour.  Be careful not to over mix the dough.  The flour will be incorporated in the next step.

Turn out the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle.  Then, with a bench scraper, fold the dough in half, then press down to create the large rectangle again.  Repeat this 3 to 4 times.  Folding the dough helps to create all of those beautiful flaky layers.

With your hands, form the dough into an 8" disc.  Cut the soft dough into 8 equal wedges with a bench scraper or a large knife.  Be careful not to slide the bench scraper when cutting the scones.  This will close off the dough, which prevents the scones from getting the flaky layers.  Simply press straight down and pull straight up.

Place the unbaked scones on a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper with space in between them.  Cover and chill them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes while the oven preheats. 

To long-ferment (for easier digestibility)- Store the covered scones in the fridge overnight up to 24 hours and bake them the following day.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

With a pastry brush, top the scones with more heavy whipping cream and sprinkle on a layer of course sugar, if desired.

Bake the scones for 17-20 minutes, or until the top of the scones are lightly golden brown.

Remove and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.  Enjoy!

**Tip:  I prefer using sourdough discard that is no longer than a few days old for sweet recipes like these scones.  However, you can also use active sourdough starter as well, just make sure to measure by grams instead of volume.  Using COLD discard is also another helpful trick to keep your butter cold.

**Freezing Tips: 

Freeze before baking-To freeze unbaked scones, shape the dough into wedges and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Freeze them for 1 to 2 hours until solid, then transfer them to a Ziploc freezer bag or container.  When ready to bake, place the frozen scones on a baking sheet, brush them with heavy cream and bake as directed, adding 2 to 3 extra minutes to the baking time.

Freeze after baking-If you want to freeze baked scones, let them cool completely first.  Wrap each scone individually in plastic wrap and store them in a Ziploc freezer bag.  When ready to eat, thaw them at room temperature or warm them i a 300F oven for about 10 minutes.

Makes 8 scones

Source:  Simplicity and a Starter

Cindy