Fleur de Sel Caramels

 

Fleur de Sel Caramel | Image: Laura Messersmith

Fleur de Sel Caramel | Image: Laura Messersmith

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Perfect Dinner Party”

The Set-up: Ina is creating a special but low-stress dinner party menu.

The Menu: Bay Scallop Gratin, Fleur de Sel Caramels, White Chocolate Bark

0:22 – Ina’s philosophy on dinner parties is that the host and hostess actually have fun, preferably while maintaining a thin veneer of effortlessness. Entertaining Pro Tip #1: go with no-cook appetizers, a make ahead entrée, and grown-up candy for dessert.

1:17 – I’ve noticed a bit of a theme here: gratin + candy = simple party. Totally works for me!

2:29 – Ina’s starting with Fleur de Sel Caramels which involves melting sugar until it turns, you guessed it: caramel colored.

3:04 – She warned us that when the warm cream and butter were added to the hot sugar it would bubble up violently, but seriously. That’s pretty scary!

4:51 – Pro Tip: Don’t forget the vanilla extract! Also, use a candy thermometer and keep a sharp eye on the caramel while it cooks.

5:22 – Entertaining Pro Tip #2: keep the party moving (literally) by having the courses in different places, which keeps things casual. Her table as usual is beautifully set.

6:33 – The caramel has cooled in the pan, now it’s time to form the candies by rolling each half up and then cutting the log into pieces. I wonder if you could just use a narrower pan to get a thicker layer and skip the rolling?

9:28 – Onward to candy number two: White Chocolate Bark. Ina’s tirade against methods of tempering chocolate is pretty amazing. “Forget it, I hate them all!”

10:57 – “I don’t even have the patience to read the instructions let alone do it. Forget it.” Anyone else think “forget it” is Ina-speak for “f**k it”?

11:40 – It’s fascinating to see her cook essentially the same recipe three different times because instead of a double boiler like last week she’s using the microwave.

12:33 – With Ina’s dislike (hatred?) of tempering chocolate I wonder how she discovered this method?

13:28 – This version of chocolate bark calls for roasted walnuts, roughly chopped, apricots, and cranberries.

14:15 – It’s probably obvious, but good to note that the chocolate needs to be warm and soft in order for the fruit and nuts to adhere to the base.

15:51 – Ina’s really on a roll with flouting convention wondering aloud “who really cares about white wine with fish…? I drink whatever I like.” We agree for sure on white & rose in the summer, red in the winter. She’s obviously a genius.

16:09 – We’ve moved on to shopping for No-Cook Appetizers. App #1: shards of Parmigiano Reggiano, full stop. App #2: Fig halves wrapped in smoked prosciutto. App #3: Briny olives. Done and done.

19:34 – Moving on to the main course: Bay Scallop Gratin in individual gratin dishes.

20:46 – Ina shares some more words of wisdom on dinner parties – make just a few special things, no one has a better time just because you made ton of different dishes.

21:52 – This topping is a bit different from the creamier gratin we saw last week and it seems to be a little bit more Italian in flavor – garlic, prosciutto, Pernod.

22:33 – She still uses panko bread crumbs which I like the texture of; more little edges to brown and crisp.

26:20 – Party time has arrived and Ina has the drinks set up on the porch, and now it’s time to put the Fleur de Sel Caramels and White Chocolate Bark in silver serving bowls so they’re ready later.

27:11 – Out on the porch for the no-cook apps and glasses of white wine and Pellegrino, then the Bay Scallop Gratin goes in the oven.

28:45 – She really has this down to a science. While the gratins bake and the guests are occupied with drinks Ina is in the kitchen setting up the coffee maker, slicing bread for dinner, and mixing a quick vinaigrette to go with the green salad.

29:58 – She’s such a pro. Everything looks gorgeous and elegant and everyone is laughing and talking. Perfect Dinner Party indeed.

Final Thoughts:
I have such a strong seafood dish = Pernod association that it's hard to imagine just drinking some. I wonder what it’s like in a cocktail?

Ina’s philosophy of dinner in three acts is a solid one. It does stink to be stuck at the table for hours, so her idea to have multiple locations is brilliant.

Ina said something truly shocking: she’s not a chocolate lover!? How? Why?!@

Fleur de Sel Caramel | Image: Laura Messersmith

Fleur de Sel Caramel | Image: Laura Messersmith

Lessons Learned:
I’m still getting the hang of working with sugar and I wouldn’t say that it’s in my comfort zone yet, but it’s been fascinating to experiment. Here’s what I learned from making Fleur de Sel Caramels….

Cooking – Is really nothing to be trifled with, the temperature of molten sugar is very, very high so it’s important to be extremely careful when handling it and have your oven mitts at the ready. Start the sugar/water mixture in a big, deep pot (bigger than seems really necessary) and use a smaller vessel for the cream. When the sugar is ready and has turned a color somewhere between maple syrup and wildflower honey, beautifully golden it’s time to add the hot cream mixture.

Do so very slowly and stir gently to avoid splashes. The caramel will bubble up and more than double in volume, so you’ll need the extra room.

Candy Thermometer – This is an essential tool and will help cook the caramel to your desired firmness. Cooking to Ina’s recommended temperature (248 degrees F) will result in soft pliable caramels, melt in your mouth and stretchy. If you’re looking for something a little firmer, then try cooking just a degree higher to 249 degrees F.

Prep & Timing – As with marshmallows, this is a recipe that rewards advance preparation. Do have the cream mixture measured and in the pan before you start cooking the sugar syrup. Do prepare the pan in advance and a trivet for cooling.

Battling the Sticky – A generous coating of non-stick spray and parchment are 1,000% required or risk losing your mind trying to get the caramel out of the pan.

Cooling & Shaping – I didn’t understand the need to roll the caramels so I used a 8 x 4 inch pan to get a thicker layer, no rolling required. I was also concerned about difficulty cutting the pieces, so I cooled to room temperature not in the refrigerator. Possibly a tactical error since the caramels were very soft and almost melty? I would cool in the fridge before cutting next time to make them a little more firm.

Fleur de Sel Caramel | Image: Laura Messersmith

Fleur de Sel Caramel | Image: Laura Messersmith

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, amazingly. I used a 4 quart sauce pan, a 1 quart sauce pan, a liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons, a wooden spoon, and a heat proof pan. You’ll definitely need a candy thermometer and parchment paper. Non-stick spray will be helpful too, even though the recipe doesn’t call for it.

The Verdict:
If I had known how relatively easy it is to make Fleur de Sel Caramels I might have done so sooner. But, on the other hand with great power comes great responsibility and I’m not entirely sure I can be trusted with something so addictively delicious just yet. Sweet, of course, but these caramels are also gloriously creamy and rich with that necessary salty topping making them just that much more difficult to resist. You should definitely make them for everyone you know and let people think you’re some kind of culinary genius.

Fleur de Sel Caramel | Image: Laura Messersmith

Fleur de Sel Caramel | Image: Laura Messersmith

Homemade Marshmallows

Homemade Marshmallows | Image: Laura Messersmith

Homemade Marshmallows | Image: Laura Messersmith

Each week I follow along with Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa) and attempt to recreate one of her dishes in my tiny New York City kitchen. The catch? This is my version of cooking school and I’m making these recipes for the first time. I’ll share both my successes and um, challenges, along the way and we’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Just Candy”

The Set-up: Ina is working on ways to display and gift candy, so she invited Dylan Lauren of Dylan’s Candy Bar to help!

The Menu: Homemade Marshmallows, Winter Squash Soup, White Chocolate Bark

0:22 – Ina’s not really a fan of store-bought marshmallows, but says that making them at home was a revelation. High praise, indeed.

1:15 – Anything involving packets seems to make me nervous, whether its gelatin or yeast. I need to conquer that anxiety!

2:29 – I didn’t really think about this, but since these are going to be white marshmallows it’s important to use light corn syrup.

3:31 – Good call on recommending that children be really carefully supervised if they’re going to help. Molten sugar is not a toy.

4:04 – Pro Tip #1 – Use a heat proof measuring cup with a spout to help pour the hot sugar syrup into the mixer.

5:18 – We visit Dylan Lauren at her store, Dylan’s Candy Bar, to learn some tricks for displaying candy. Idea #1: a topiary shaped like a witch’s hat. Oh, I forgot to mention – this is a Halloween episode….just a bit late.

6:34 – Back to Ina, who manages the marshmallow mixture without too much trouble. Pro Tip #2: a generous dusting of confectioner’s sugar helps to keep the marshmallows from sticking too much.

9:45 – Ina is making Winter Squash Soup as a gift to Dylan. She says it’s inspired by a French dish – soup au potiron, essentially a pumpkin soup.

10:11 – Rather than using fresh pumpkin, Ina is using some butternut squash and canned pumpkin (not pie filling.)

11:26 – We’re back to Dylan who’s making a cookie tin Halloween-ish with decoupaged tissue paper and funky stickers. #crafty

12:48 – The finishing touches on the soup will be some honey-white bread made into croutons. Pro Tip #3: Any bread can be toasted and made into croutons.

13:53 – It’s interesting to me to see when Ina uses an electronic tool and when she’ll do something by hand. I tend to avoid anything with a cord unless that’s really the only way, but I have no idea why.

18:30 – The day of Dylan’s visit has arrived and Ina is making one more type of candy for their wrapping party: White Chocolate Bark.

19:25 – Pro Tip #4: an easy way to temper chocolate is to melt a portion of it in 30 second increments using the microwave. Then add the remaining portion to cool it down and stabilize the mixture.

20:17 – I didn’t realize that tempering chocolate prevents that cloudy bloom, but Ina says that this process will keep it shiny.

21:32 –The chocolate is melted but still soft and now Ina is adding toasted pistachios, chopped apricots, and dried cranberries. Yum.

22:18 – Pro Tip #5: Choose ingredients that both look pretty and have flavors that compliment each other.

23:01 – Dylan is packing up her loot to bring it out to East Hampton and Ina is packing up the Winter Squash Soup and croutons to send back with her.

24:59 – Ina has cut the Homemade Marshmallows into squares and put a lollypop stick into each one and wrapped them in individual glassine bags ready to go for Dylan!

27:16 – Dylan has arrived an the assembly of the marshmallow-witch’s hat topiary is under way. I was all prepared to hate on this, but it actually looks pretty cool.

28:20 – Next up is the White Chocolate Bark, which Ina has cut into large squares. Dylan suggests placing two pieces back to back so that the pretty fruit and nut topping shows. Then they go into the tin with a few other treats and it’s good to go!

29:43 – Ina gives Dylan her soup take-out and after a sample of the white chocolate bar they agree, “that’s a wrap!”

Final Thoughts:
Ina’s right, a homemade gift really can be jazzed up with the right wrapping.

I have really never made candy of any kind, probably something to work on…

These packaging suggestions are cute, but Halloween colors tend to be tacky - maybe in autumnal golds and creams?

Homemade Marshmallows | Image: Laura Messersmith

Homemade Marshmallows | Image: Laura Messersmith

Lessons Learned:
I’m not normally one to make something easily purchased, but I also find candy and caramel making just a bit terrifying so Homemade Marshmallows seemed like a good entry point. Here’s what I learned along the way….

Sugar Syrup – Is really nothing to be trifled with, the temperature of molten sugar is very, very high so it’s important to be extremely careful when handling it and have your oven mitts at the ready. Add it very slowly and keeping the mixer on low speed until it cools a bit before ramping up to high – splattering hot sugar is not anyone’s idea of a good time.

Battling the Sticky – A rubber spatula coated with non-stick spray will be a godsend when it comes time to scrape the marshmallows out of the mixing bowl and into the pan. Trust. You’ll also find that confectioner’s sugar (aka powdered sugar or 10x) is your friend here and basically serves the same purpose flour does with pie crust. Don’t be shy and embrace the mess! Give both the pan and the top of the marshmallows a generous layer and coat the knife when cutting the squares. I’d recommend tapping the edges of the cut marshmallows in it as well to keep them from sticking to one another.

Prep & Timing – This is a recipe that rewards the organized cook who has her ducks in a row. Do have the gelatin and water mixed ahead, do prepare the baking pan in advance, do have your rubber spatula coated with non-stick spray before you try to scoop out the marshmallows.

Flavored Marshmallows – I came across this recipe in Southern Living a few weeks ago and now that I’ve got my feet wet with a vanilla version I really want to make some different flavors. If you have some extracts on hand this would be the time to get creative. Wouldn’t a cinnamon swirled marshmallow be so good in hot chocolate?

Homemade Marshmallows | Image: Laura Messersmith

Homemade Marshmallows | Image: Laura Messersmith

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes and no. A stand mixer really is pretty essential here, although if you had patience and a steady hand a strong electric hand mixer could work in a pinch. Beyond that I needed a medium sauce pan, 8x12 glass baking dish, rubber spatula, fine mesh sieve, liquid measuring cup, and measuring spoons. A chef's knife or bench scraper and a ruler will be helpful to cut the marshmallows into pieces. You’ll definitely need a candy thermometer or an electronic thermometer that can register 250 degrees or higher. Non-stick spray will be helpful too, even though the recipe doesn’t call for it.

The Verdict:
I felt a little like the Ghostbusters after the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man explodes by the end of my Homemade Marshmallow adventure and I absolutely had that “A Marshmallow World”* song in my head the whole time, but the results were totally worth it. I’ve had what I’d term homestyle or artisan marshmallows before but these blew them out of the water. Incredible texture - sublimely light, tender, fluffy - with a lovely sweet vanilla flavor. I’m pretty sure one of these would be awesome in everything from hot chocolate, to coffee, to apple cider, and I can’t wait to make them in more flavors too!

*I gave you the Dean Martin/Frank Sinatra duet from 1967 where they’re both preeetty ‘toasted’.

Homemade Marshmallows | Image: Laura Messersmith

Homemade Marshmallows | Image: Laura Messersmith

Reading Material - Halloween Edition

Vineyard | North Fork, Long Island | Image: Laura Messersmith

Vineyard | North Fork, Long Island | Image: Laura Messersmith

Welcome to the all trick-or-treat edition of Reading Material in which I tip my pointy witch’s hat to Halloween. I thought this photo of the vineyards at dusk I took last weekend was appropriate to accompany the moody occasion, yes?

Hope you're all ready to go - treats acquired, costume elements collected, I have my black horn rimmed glasses all ready to go to fulfill my decades-long dream of doing a couple's Wayne & Garth costume when Mike and I attend an SNL-character themed party on Saturday night. What? Don’t tell me that Alice Cooper’s thoughtful discussion of Mil-ee-wau-kee isn’t one of the best scenes ever. Also, I personally prefer Tia Carrere's version of Ballroom Blitz - she wails!

Anywho, without further ado I give you some cool Internet links that celebrate tomorrow’s spooky and sweets-centric fun.

Reading Material:
All hail Chrissy Teigen for donning the scariest food-inspired Halloween costume evar. Hint: he has spiky blonde hair... (via Eater)

These food shots inspired by The Shining are hilariously macabre – who knew cupcakes could be so creepy? Yes, I have been saving this for today since I saw it oh, four months ago in The New York Times. Please don’t judge my commitment to sparkle motion.

Oh Pinterest. You are both a source of delight and heartbreak. I’m using that term loosely to describe these Halloween #pinterestfails, some of which are truly horrific. (via Buzzfeed)

I originally read about the fake restaurant/art installation Lura Café in Providence on Eater, but this piece at City Lab goes a little deeper. Quite a trick on the unsuspecting hipster population.

If you haven’t organized a costume yet Vogue has a great list of iconic and cult characters from TV and movies to help inspire you. Edward Scissorhands might be a triffle hard to pull off in 24 hrs, but I have faith in you!

Lastly, I came across this interesting piece from The Atlantic archives on how candy became synonymous with Halloween.