Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

2011 Cooking Club Week 39: Caramel Squares

Options
245678

Comments

  • Options
    #32
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,655 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    Mellor wrote: »
    If people are having trouble with the caramel, i'd seriouly reccomend a tin of the carnation caramel I mentioned. I know doing it your self is more satisfying, but buying some stufff pre boiled by carnation is better than separated or burnt stuff in your own pot.

    Nestle-Carnation-Caramel-CARCAR_b_0.JPG

    That's a completely different product. Dulce de leche is just boiled condensed milk, not caramel. It's also like advising people to buy packet soup, or pasta sauce in a jar. There's simply no comparison between pre-made dulce de leche and the recipe I've posted for caramel above IMO.


  • Options
    #33
    The Black Oil
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 18,203 CMod ✭✭✭✭The Black Oil


    Not really a fan of the shop bought version, presuming these are different, though. ;)

    Moderator: Television, Psychology and Dublin County North.

    CMod: Entertainment



  • Options
    #34
    Malari
    Registered Users Posts: 18,150 ✭✭✭✭Malari


    Faith wrote: »
    That's a completely different product. Dulce de leche is just boiled condensed milk, not caramel. It's also like advising people to buy packet soup, or pasta sauce in a jar. There's simply no comparison between pre-made dulce de leche and the recipe I've posted for caramel above IMO.

    Aw crap! That's what I was going to try after all the burnt caramel stories. I have been known to burn caramel myself ;)

    Oh well, will give it a go anyway! Hopefully this weekend.


  • Options
    #35
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,655 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    Sure do it that way if you want! But it just won't be the recipe posted above - it'd taste much more similar to a mass-produced one you buy in supermarkets or wherever :).


  • Options
    #36
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,055 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    Ronan|Raven wrote: »
    Very glently boiling the caramel works well. I melted my butter first then added Condensed Milk, mixed... then added sugar slowly and and syrup.. barely let it bubble then simmered at a very low heat. tested some on a plate and it didnt move..
    I'm now wondering what the hell I did right. I just bunged everything into the pan at once and put the heat up to 4 (of 6) to get heat into it, then backed off to 2 for five minutes once it looked like really thick potato soup does when you boil that - ie. no bubbles if it sits still, but lots the instant you stir the pan.
    And I was stirring, with a whisk, constantly (after the first whoopsie where I burnt the caramel, took it off the pan, strained it through a sieve and put it back in the (washed and cleaned) pan for a second try).

    BTW Faith, the office loved them as well (I made twice the amount in the recipe so I have way too many to eat even between myself and herself).


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #37
    Mellor
    Registered Users Posts: 39,022 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    Faith wrote: »
    That's a completely different product. Dulce de leche is just boiled condensed milk, not caramel. It's also like advising people to buy packet soup, or pasta sauce in a jar. There's simply no comparison between pre-made dulce de leche and the recipe I've posted for caramel above IMO.
    It's sweetened too, so its not just condensed milk.
    I never said it was the same, I said it was decent in a hurry.

    Obviously the more indulgent caramel with the butter and such is better, but only if done right. If people are burning it, or it's separating then maybe not so.

    When I make it, I use a version similar to your recipe. I'd be confidant that I wouldn't mess it up. But if people were a bit concerned, I was just suggesting that tinned dulce de leche as a back-up.


  • Options
    #38
    Wurly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭Wurly


    SUCCESS!!!

    I melted butter completely, then blended the condensed milk completely with the butter, then added the golden syrup spoonful by spoonful, then the sugar bit by bit. Stirred in figures of 8's and wasn't as manic as yesterday. My hob goes up to 5, so I kept it on 2.5 for the whole process. It was absolutely perfect. A total pain in the tits and it seemed to take ages. But it was SO worth it. The caramel was stunning and the squares overall were fantastic. Thanks a million, Faith... They were devoured by various mouths so none left for photies.:(;)


  • Options
    #39
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,655 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    Trí wrote: »
    SUCCESS!!!

    I melted butter completely, then blended the condensed milk completely with the butter, then added the golden syrup spoonful by spoonful, then the sugar bit by bit. Stirred in figures of 8's and wasn't as manic as yesterday. My hob goes up to 5, so I kept it on 2.5 for the whole process. It was absolutely perfect. A total pain in the tits and it seemed to take ages. But it was SO worth it. The caramel was stunning and the squares overall were fantastic. Thanks a million, Faith... They were devoured by various mouths so none left for photies.:(;)

    Hurray! I'm delighted they worked out for you in the end :)


  • Options
    #40
    ChewChew
    Moderators Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭ChewChew


    I've just made this. Well, half made it. I just made the caramel and poured onto the base and leaving it to cool. Just looking back at your pics faith, and my caramel is not near as dark as yours :( I followed the recipe to your exact updated version, so dont know what I did that its not the same color! Will post pictures anyways :)


  • Options
    #41
    OakeyDokey
    Registered Users Posts: 2,605 ✭✭✭OakeyDokey


    They look fantastic I'll have to have a go.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #42
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,655 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    ChewChew wrote: »
    I've just made this. Well, half made it. I just made the caramel and poured onto the base and leaving it to cool. Just looking back at your pics faith, and my caramel is not near as dark as yours :( I followed the recipe to your exact updated version, so dont know what I did that its not the same color! Will post pictures anyways :)

    Don't worry about that! There's a tiny bit of treacle in mine because I didn't have enough golden syrup at the time :). That's what made it quite dark.


  • Options
    #43
    ChewChew
    Moderators Posts: 24,367 ✭✭✭✭ChewChew


    Faith, thank you for this recipe. They turned out absolutely PERFECT!! For my first attempt at them, I will deffo make them again. They were devoured thank god so couldn't have been happier with them although I was a bit freaked out by the colour of the caramel, but here is my shot :D

    photo_38.jpg


  • Options
    #44
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,055 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    Well, that's all of my initial batch now eaten by herself, by the office and by herself's family...
    ...so the next batch is now in the oven baking the base :D


  • Options
    #45
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,055 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    And this time I used soft brown sugar instead of the castor sugar from the last time and the caramel is a lot darker. Looks good. And once it's cool enough, I'll top it with some sea salt and then milk chocolate on one half and white on the other (it's dark enough that that'll look interesting)


  • Options
    #46
    Pigwidgeon
    Registered Users Posts: 6,590 ✭✭✭Pigwidgeon


    The caramel is currently setting and I'm waiting to melt the chocolate.

    As someone else mentioned it seemed when I was making the caramel that the butter was separating but I just ignored it and kept stirring and it worked out grand in the end.

    I'll post pics up tomorrow when they're done, if they haven't all disappeared by the time i get home anyway!


  • Options
    #47
    Malari
    Registered Users Posts: 18,150 ✭✭✭✭Malari


    I made these at the weekend and brought some in to work, where they werre devoured instantly! Delish.

    I had no trouble with the caramel, but forewarned, I had everything measured and ready to go in to the pot so was able to stir continously. :D


  • Options
    #48
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,055 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    Hm. Dark caramel, little salt and then a white chocolate topping (using G&B's white chocolate with vanilla) works surprisingly well. The vanilla in the white chocolate and the vanilla in the caramel seem to make it work somehow.

    I need a better way to cut them than a pizza wheel though - it squashes down the caramel layer rather badly :(


  • Options
    #49
    Malari
    Registered Users Posts: 18,150 ✭✭✭✭Malari


    Sparks wrote: »
    Hm. Dark caramel, little salt and then a white chocolate topping (using G&B's white chocolate with vanilla) works surprisingly well. The vanilla in the white chocolate and the vanilla in the caramel seem to make it work somehow.

    I need a better way to cut them than a pizza wheel though - it squashes down the caramel layer rather badly :(

    I cut them before the chocolate had fully set. The knife/pizza wheel gets covered in chocolate, but it works!


  • Options
    #50
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,655 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    Cut them in the tin. If the caramel is properly set, it shouldn't squash too badly. I usually wait until the chocolate is set (in the fridge, because I'm impatient), and then cut them up using a sharp knife. It's never squashed on me :)


  • Options
    #51
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,055 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    Bother. I kept taking them out of the tin to cut because I figured the pizza wheel would make it easier than a knife would. Next time, I try the knife method :D


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #52
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,055 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    ...and by the way, herself's officemates all think they're great as well.
    At this rate, I may need to make another batch this week...


  • Options
    #53
    sillysocks
    Registered Users Posts: 2,634 ✭✭✭sillysocks


    Definitely going to try these. Have tried caramel squares twice and the first time I think I must have done something wrong with the base because it all stayed in the tin when I tried to take them out at the very end.
    Last weekend I tried a different recipe and they were so greasy and horrible, they even had butter in the chocolate topping. Were horrible!

    Need to find the 'perfect' recipe so hoping this is it :)

    One thing I do think makes them look very impressive is if you drizzle a small bit of white chocolate over the top of them and then drag a fork/skewer over it to feather it in.


  • Options
    #54
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,475 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    I add halved toasted hazelnuts to the caramel, nice bit to them. If you want to be really indulgent, add some melted mars to the choccy layer.

    My preferred and foolproof recipe
    http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/341003/Chocolate-hazelnut-caramel-bars


  • Options
    #55
    Little Alex
    Registered Users Posts: 1,302 ✭✭✭Little Alex


    Faith wrote: »
    :pac:those manky-looking (IMO) mass-produced ones that you see in supermarkets and the like. I want a recipe that is almost a heart attack in a square :D

    You're right, the shop-bought ones promise so much but just don't deliver. Like a scone or muffin where someone has been scroungy with the butter! :)

    So, I made them. And I don't have a photo!

    They were absolutely fabulous!

    A couple of things...

    I made mine with evaporated milk, not condensed milk. i added the sugar amount that you specified and it worked out just fine. It turned out thick and deep brown. I used evaporated milk because I had two tins of it in the press that were gathering dust.

    When cooking the milk and sugar, I stirred it until melted, set the heat to simmer, put the lid on the pot and simply neglected it for an hour and a half or so. Turned out just fine.

    With the sugar I also used what I had: half white caster and half muscovado.

    The biscuit base was great, too!

    I will be making it again soon with the other tin that I still have left!


  • Options
    #56
    Wurly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭Wurly


    Little Alex wrote: »

    So, I made them. And I don't have a photo!

    NOOO!!! I LIVE for your photos.:o They make everything look so appetising!;)


  • Options
    #57
    Little Alex
    Registered Users Posts: 1,302 ✭✭✭Little Alex


    Thanks, Trí. There are some nice photos up already, though!

    I'm going to make these again next week! :pac:


  • Options
    #58
    Wurly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭Wurly


    Little Alex wrote: »
    Thanks, Trí. There are some nice photos up already, though!

    I'm going to make these again next week! :pac:

    And take lots of photies, I hope.;)


  • Options
    #59
    dvpower
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,183 ✭✭✭dvpower


    Made these today following Faith's recipe (thanks Faith :))

    Turned out really well - my only difficulty was getting the caramel from fudge to caramel without burning it. One for the repertoire.

    CaramelSq.png


  • Options
    #60
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,655 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    I'm so glad they're working out for people!

    I made them myself this evening for a bake sale I'm doing tomorrow :)


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #61
    Sparks
    Registered Users Posts: 40,055 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    Batch number 4 to be made tomorrow - herself and bump heartily approve that recipe Faith :D


Advertisement