Playing Catsup

It has been almost a year since my last post and in that time a great deal has happened. (Most significantly my computer died and it has taken this long to get a new one.) I have found a job, one I like, I am healed from breaking my leg and having a plate and a few pins put in and I have been baking like crazy. Now it's time to play "catsup." Or catch up, cleverly hidden inside a food reference.

During the holidays my thoughts, and worries, turn towards finding the perfect present for everyone. I decided not to worry so much and just bake everyone in my life something I think they will like, and really, who doesn't like homemade baked goods? With this in mind I start my experimenting this week. Some of the items must be mail worthy and others just need to go down the street. I've started my list; salted caramels and chocolate pecan diamonds for the mailing, Kahlua triangles, chocolate crackle cookies and maybe some decorated sugar cookies as well, and maybe chocolate cream cheese brownie bites...oh my I have a lot to do now. I've made the caramels before and the pecan diamonds, but the others..nope, never. I also plan to make some cheese balls and quiches for some of my friends that would actually not enjoy the baked goods. I know, crazy right?!

As this Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close and my vacation slowly dies I head to the kitchen to do what I love to do. Bake..cook..play...whatever you call it, as long as there is something to eat at the end of it all, I'll be pretty darn happy.

Salted Caramels courtesy of Epicurious

makes about 40 candies

Ingredients

1 cup Heavy Cream

5 T Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces

1 t Fleur de Sel (or any other natural sea salt, I've made them with rosemary salt..delish)

1 1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup

1/4 cup Water

Special equipment needed: Parchment paper and deep fat thermometer

Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment. I usually use pam spray for this part.

Bring cream, butter and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside. Boil sugar, corn syrup and water in a 3-4 quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel.

Carefully stir in cream mixture--this will boil up, just keep stirring. Simmer until caramel registers 248 degrees Fahrenheit. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes. Pour into baking pan and cool 2 hours. Cut into 1 inch pieces, then wrap each piece in a 4 inch square of wax or parchment paper, twisting ends to close.

**My twist on this, as soon as you pour caramel into pan, sprinkle with a little extra salt and some chocolate shavings. The shavings will melt and harden as it cools. Most delicious.**

Happy Sunday everyone! Enjoy your Food Frenzy.