Salted Caramel Sauce

10.08.2014 - Nongsa, Batam.  Wanted to try making my own salted caramel sauce and finally got the chance to try one.  This recipe from sallysbakingaddition.com.  The caramel sauce was perfectly delicious but however i still find my caramel a little runny.  I couldn't figure out why as i have followed all the steps.  anyway, it was super duper delicious!! maybe i am just little fussy about my sauce but for many probably say it was perfectly cook with that consistency. 

The caramel itself doesn’t take long to make – only about 10 minutes. However, you’ll want to to cool down completely before using it in a recipe. The caramel will thicken as it cools.  Salted Caramel can used for toppings of cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, apple pie bars, or even drizzled on chocolate chip quick bread. Dip apple slices into it, spoon it over ice cream, put it into decorated jars and give it as a holiday gift, or just eat it with a spoon. (You know you want to.) The possibilities for salted caramel are endless! written by sallysbakingaddiction.com

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

yield: 1 CUP 

prep time: 10 MINUTES 

total time: 10 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING

Ingredients:

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

6 Tablespoons (90g) salted butter, cut up into 6 pieces*

1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream*

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. 

Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.

Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.

Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.

Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.

Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.

Cover the caramel tightly and store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds before using in a recipe.

*Unsalted butter may be used instead, though I prefer salted. No other changes need to be made to the recipe if using unsalted.

*Heavy cream (approximately 36% milk fat) may also be sold as whipping cream. Light whipping cream (30% milk fat), or double cream (48% milk fat) may be substituted.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Salted Caramel

10.08.2014 - Nongsa, Batam.  Its my son birth-date again, so make him a lovely delicious dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache and salted caramel sauce. I am using the same old delicious, rich and moist chocolate cake recipe that i have posted before on my previous blog under chocolate cake.  Please feel free to browse through.

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE
* Refer to my previous post RECIPE here

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE 
* Refer to my previous post RECIPE here

GANACHE RECIPE
170g dark unsweeten dark chocolate ( u can use any kind of chocolate you prefer )
150g whipping cream
* double boil both chocolate & cream, set aside to room temperature before use.

   This cake has never fail me! look at the whole cake, so perfectly cooked

 My homemade beautiful delicious golden salted caramel, will post the recipe next.

My happy son celebrates his birth date every month!! 

Light Cheddar Cheesecake II

08.08.2014 - Batam, Nongsa.   Tomorrow need a cake for my son to bring to school.  Thought of making this simple cheesecake.

The first time i bake Light cheddar cheesecake was back in 18.11.2013.  Unfortunately i didn't know where had gone wrong that my cheesecake not so airy, cottony but i am actually happy with the volumn texture result that just what i am after for Brunei Cheesecake style.

However, the 2nd time i make, you can see that in my pics show this cake actually turn out super airy, spongy and light, just like japanese cotton cheesecake.. it should be the baking temperature that i used that is 180c instead of 150c in the original recipe compared to the 1st bake and surprisingly it works!

I did the same baking way to my japanese cotton cheesecake recently with a high temperature of 180c ( for my oven ).  I expect my cake to be shrink as the temperature is hot, but my cake top shrink nicely without a slight wrinkle to my cake (lol), and shrink a little each corner of  the cake when cooling, i don't panic, i know its absolutely normal.

This is the recipe again i used for this cake.  The red wordings not from the original recipe.
*makes a 9x9 square pan

6 slices of kraft cheddar cheese
100ml fresh milk
100g unsalted butter
6 egg yolks (large)
6 egg whites (large), cold from fridge
100g caster sugar
100g cake flour

Method:-

1. Line square pan with parchment paper, cover double aluminium foil around pan, set aside.  

2. Place butter and tear up cheddar cheese slices in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, After all melted, add in milk and stir until all melted and mixed together. Set aside to cool slightly before use.

3. Lightly whisk the egg yolks in another mixing bowl. Ladle big spoonful of the cheese mixture into the egg yolks. Mix well and then add in the rest and combine well.  Sift in the cake flour to mixture. ( You will get a very thick batter after flour mixed in and with lots of cheese lumps, sift the batter to get rid of all lumps before mix in egg white ) 

4. Preheat the oven to 180C with a water bath.

6. In another mixing bowl, beat egg white till foamy. Gradually add in sugar and beat till stiff peaks. Use a whisk, mix 1/3 of egg white into cheese mixture, mix to combine and till light.

7. Gently fold in the balance egg white mixture with a spatula, mix well.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the surface.  9" x 9".  

8. Bake the cake in the oven at 150c for 60 minutes in lower rack or till the tester comes out clean. ( For my oven, i bake at 180c for 60mins )  

9. Let cake sit inside the oven for 5mins with oven door ajour. Remove from oven, immediately remove cake from cake pan, cool on wire rack.