Caramels That Make You Believe You've Died and Gone to Heaven

I make them precisely once a year, but are remembered by friends and family throughout the year: golden caramels. I like to call them my labor of love, as they take the better part of an evening to cook them and then another couple of hours to cut and wrap, but they are so worth it. 

Here is the recipe for these unforgettable treats, found online at marthastewart.com. They are not difficult, but you must be precise!

• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 4 cups light corn syrup
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Vegetable-oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Spray an 11 3/4-by-16 1/2-inch baking pan (this is a half-sheet pan) with vegetable-oil spray. Set aside in a spot where it will not be moved. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine cream and sweetened condensed milk; set aside.
2. In a heavy 6- to 8-quart saucepan, combine corn syrup, 1 cup water, sugar, and salt. Clip on candy thermometer. Over high heat, cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring with a wooden spoon, 8 to 12 minutes. Brush down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals.
3. Stop stirring, reduce heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until temperature reaches 250 degrees (hard-ball stage), 45 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, cook cream mixture over low heat until it is just warm. Do not boil. When sugar reaches 250 degrees. slowly stir in butter and warmed cream mixture, keeping mixture boiling at all times. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thermometer reaches 244 degrees (firm-ball stage), 55 to 75 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Immediately pour into prepared pan without scraping pot. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 24 hours without moving.

Since dust and pet hair seem to have honing beacons for freshly-poured caramel, I've found that finding a good spot for the standing-at-room-temperature-for-24-hours part can be a bit daunting. I happen to live in a pet-free apartment, which enables me to set the pan on my dining table without threat of kitty attack, but I know many people have pets, kids, and curious hungry onlookers to contend with. If you can close off a room from traffic and pets, e.g. a mud room, that's a great place to cool the caramels. At my Dad's house, I've gone as far as clearing off a shelf in a storage closet and placing the pan in there to prevent the inevitable poking, pawing, and jarring of the candy! 

Once the caramels have "cured" for 24 hours, it's time to release them from the pan and cut 'n wrap. I loosen the 4 corners of the caramel with a butter knife, and with very little prodding the entire caramel will release itself onto your cutting surface. I use my bread board or a large wood cutting board to cut the caramels, spraying the surface first with just a bit of pan spray to prevent sticking. Using my biggest chef knife I halve the caramel to make the cutting more manageable, and then cut that section in half again (for the math whizzes out there I cut the sheet of caramels into quarters). I then cut that quarter into 3/4"-wide strips and then each strip into  1"-long pieces. I'm always amazed at how beautifully the caramels can be cut; the caramels are not too hard but cut cleanly with the knife. Once I've completed a quarter of the caramels I wrap them all at once in wax paper. 

Cutting the caramels. These caramels are receiving a crunchy topper: fleur de sel. 

Over the years of making these caramels, I have tried a few variations to enhance their smooth goodness. My favorite is pressing the tops into fleur de sel. Fleur de sel is a delicious, clean-tasting, large crystal sea salt. It's very expensive (I get mine at a local specialty kitchenware and food shop), but a jar lasts a long time. I sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the salt onto a saucer and gently press the candy into the salt. The result is a sweet caramel with just a touch of salty crunch. 

Another great variation is dipping in chocolate. I melt a bag of bittersweet/dark chocolate chips with a teaspoon or two of shortening in a double boiler. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, dip the caramels, using a toothpick or fork. Place on wax paper and allow to set completely before wrapping.

A Christmas Tree With a Little Old-World Charm

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, my niece and sister helped me put up my Christmas tree. It's a big tree in a very small space, but I do love how it warms up my living room. 

My niece adding ornaments to the tree

I have a 9-ft slim tree, which fits well in the corner of my living room. To play up my chosen theme, I used about 25 yards of tartan ribbon (with wired edges for shaping!), frosted cranberry garlands, sprays of pheasant feathers, and dozens of white glittered snowflakes. As I mentioned in a previous blog, my Stewart tartan wool blanket became my tree skirt. 

The first time I put up my Christmas tree, I had an extremely limited budget. I had to light and decorate this big tree for less than $100. I found that unbreakable ornaments from Wal Mart (or any from a discounter) can fill a tree fast...and affordably. Floral picks, sprays, and ribbon for garland came from Michael's. And the fun pheasant feathers, along with more unique ornaments, came from after-Christmas sales at Marshall Field's.

Lighting is really important, so I bought two sizes of bulbs (C7 and regular indoor twinkle) for the tree. All said and done, I use about 500 twinkle lights and 100 C7-sized bulbs. One of the twinkle light strands has different lighting configurations, so I set it on a slow fade. It's amazing how much dimension that one change in lighting configuration can add to the tree!

Each year I add a little something new, which allows me to build a collection affordably. Now that I have a great base of non-breakable globe ornaments, I buy special ornaments to add visual interest to the tree. I have found so many beautiful ornaments at Macy's in recent years, and highly recommend finding something special on Holiday Lane. This year I bought Radko ornaments that were reproductions of the 1940s ornaments that hung on my Grandparents' and now Dad's Christmas trees.  I also bought a beautiful globe with the Manger Scene inside, a woodsmen-like Santa Claus, and gigantic glittered pinecones.

There's always such a sense of satisfaction and joy that comes with putting up the tree each year. Since many of the ornaments get rotated, it's always fun to decide which ornaments will fit the theme of the tree, and even more fun to bring back an old set of ornaments that haven't gotten their place of honor in a couple of years. Turning off the lights and sitting in the glow of the tree instantly transports me to Christmases past and reminds me of the magic of the season. 

The finished tree, complete with oversize pinecones, a wool blanket tree skirt, and a crown of feathers.

2 Hours, 3 Projects

My excitement for Christmas is growing by the day, so I made a trip to Michael's today, looking to find the components that would enhance my newly-minted Old-World/woodland theme. I'm happy with my existing collection of ornaments and decor, but I do like to add new projects every year or so. This year I added a new piece of furniture to my dining area, a china cabinet that was my Grandmother's, and it screamed for crowning glory. Literally. My vision was to create a sparkly "crown" for the top of the cabinet, made from glittery beaded branches and twinkle lights. In my head I had this winter-in-Narnia look, something that would've made the White Queen proud.

While at Michael's I decided to create a garland for the window in my bedroom (why should all the decorating fun occur in the living room?!), as well as make a wreath for my apartment door. 

I started with the wreath, which took only about 15 minutes and less than $10 in supplies. I bought a plain evergreen wreath, and wove a frosted cranberry garland (I bought several more for the tree) through the branches. To get the garland to stay exactly where you want it on the wreath, all you need to do is wind an occasional branch around it to secure! I love monograms, so a jingle-bell "A" ornament was the perfect finishing touch. 

The next project I tackled was the hutch's crowning glory. I found a pretty beaded garland with shimmering holly leaves, and I bought two so they could be bound together to make the arrangement look fuller. I also bought 3 packs of LED battery-operated lights, so that I didn't have to run extension cords to the nearest outlet. All said and done, I spent about $18 on this project.

I used floral wire to twist the garlands together, and later used more floral wire to bind the lights to the garland. To ensure even spacing on the lights and branches, I staggered both the 2nd garland and the strings of lights so that they didn't overlap. 

The finished product

 My last project was a garland for my bedroom, and took only about 20 minutes and less than $20 to put together. I bought two 9-ft evergreen garlands, and wound them together to make them more full. I then wound pretty floral picks that coordinated with my bedroom colors in the garland, along with two gorgeous gold branches that had dangling crystals.

 The best thing about all of these projects is that it took little effort and not a lot of money to make a big impact. By doing these yourself, you never have to settle for something "close but not quite perfect", or an expensive version from a store. You also come away with the self-satisfaction that you've created something custom-made that you'll be able to enjoy for many years to come.

Found: A Christmas Decor Theme

I love decorating for Christmas, but considering that I have a tiny apartment, I have to be careful about what I choose to display. A well-edited decor theme allows me to create a surprising and pretty scheme, without it looking like a Christmas shop exploded in my living room. 

Every year I try to do something just a little different, try to incorporate new/different colors and patterns. It's amazing how different a Christmas tree can look when one switches out some ribbons, adds a new color of ornaments, or tries a different size string of light bulbs. Every year I also try to add to my collection in some way, enhancing another room's decor. This year it took me a while to figure out how to tweak my existing decor, but a blanket I inherited from my Grandma earlier this year finally gave me the inspiration I wanted. 

I decided on a theme surrounding this comfy old wool blanket; in fact, it will serve as my tree skirt! My theme is a little Old World meets winter woodland. I want to incorporate natural elements into my tree (pheasant feathers, pinecones, wood ornaments), but still give it a pretty shimmer with the ball ornaments I already own. 

My intention is not to create something too "country" or too "rustic cabin". I merely want to reflect my heritage and the beauty of where I grew up. Simple, pretty, slightly mismatched, and completely unique. 

As I complete my decorating later this week, I'll be sure to post photos of the process and the end result, as well as how I did my decorating on a very tight budget. In the mean time, however, are some of my favorite Christmas trees from the last few years. 

 

Above left: the Christmas tree in the upstairs living room at Dad's house. It spotlights a special set of "12 Days of Christmas" ornaments my Mom bought years ago. 

Above right: the Christmas tree at my apartment 2 years ago.

Left: the Christmas tree in the downstairs living room at Dad's house. We call it the "rebel" tree, as we use strings and strings of colored twinkle lights, a rare thing at my Dad's. The tree is covered with decades' worth of handmade ornaments by us kids, antique ornaments that were once owned by my great-grandparents and passed down, and spools of silver ribbon.

Heart Attack in a Bowl

In honor of the first snowstorm of the season, here is a recipe for a tried-and-true hearty meal. Affectionately known as Heart Attack in a Bowl, it is filling, delicious, and has almost no redeeming nutritional qualities. Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup (makes a large pot of soup, 8-10 generous servings)

1-5 lb. bag of russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)

1 box of Betty Crocker sour cream and chive pouch potatoes (you will use both pouches in the box)

2+ cups of milk

 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1-12 oz. tub of Top the Tater sour cream (or any other variety)

1 lb of bacon

1/2 cup of chopped green onions (optional)

Salt and cracked ground pepper to taste

• Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes in salted water, or until fork-tender. Better to err on the side of a little too firm--when everything is mixed together a firmer potato will hold up better to the stirring.
• While the potatoes are cooking, chop the bacon and fry in a pan. When crisp and brown, transfer to a plate covered in paper towels to drain. 
• When the potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander, reserving about 2 cups of potato water in the pot. This will be used to help thicken the soup. 
• Over low heat, add the stick of butter to the potatoes in large chunks. Add the two pouches of potato flakes and slowly stir in the milk. Stir carefully, so that the potatoes do not break up. 
• As the soup starts to thicken, stir in the tub of sour cream and one cup of cheddar cheese. Add any salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat the soup, stirring occasionally. If desired, add more milk in 1/4 cup increments to thin the soup.
• Use the reserved cup of cheddar cheese, the bacon crumbles, and optional green onions as garnish. (I don't recommend mixing the bacon into the soup, as it will lose its crispiness quickly, especially if it is stored as a leftover.)

Pumpkins of Halloweens Past

With a linoleum cutter set (found at any art supply store), an awl (even a long needle will do), an image to transfer, and a little bit of patience, almost any image can be carved into a pumpkin! Below are some of my tried-and-true tips for amazing pumpkins, but here are a few samples from years past...enjoy!

Pumpkins carved for a Harry Potter-themed Halloween party a couple of years ago

A pumpkin carved for a contest at my old job...this one earned second place, good enough for a large gift bag full of Martha Stewart goodies!

Pumpkins I carved for last year's 80's themed Halloween party.

Obviously Michael Jackson's Thriller was a huge inspiration for the pumpkins!

As promised, here are some of the things I've learned in the last few years to make the pumpkin-carving process less daunting: 

• Prep your space. Always lay down plenty of newspaper to make clean-up easy.
• Carve under good light. Natural light, or at least bright overhead lighting, will make carving intricate details much easier. 
• Print out your carving image. Use your computer's photo-editing functionality to make the image negative or "inverted", and print in grayscale. That image negative will help you determine exactly how deep to carve. For example, light skin tones on a photo will appear black, signifying that you need to cut almost through the wall of the pumpkin to achieve a lighter (brighter) image when the pumpkin is lit.
• Use what you have on-hand. Masking tape will hold the image onto the pumpkin just fine, and even attach a sewing needle to a ball-point pen or dowel rod to serve as a makeshift awl. A cereal bowl serves as a great pedestal for the pumpkin while carving, keeping it securely balanced. A cheap scoop from a pumpkin-carving kit or a soup spoon is all you need to hollow out the pumpkin.
• Cut the bottom off of the pumpkin. This is really the best way to keep a great stem intact, prevent the lid from falling into the pumpkin as it dries out, and to make lighting a cinch.
• To get down to transferring the image and carving the pumpkin:
• Use a kitchen knife to carve a good-sized hole into the bottom of a pumpkin. It should be large enough to accommodate your hand so cleaning is easy.
• Clean out the pumpkin, making sure to get rid of all hanging strands and seeds. I also try to get the top-most layer of the pumpkin flesh scraped out, in order to make the lighted image brighter.
• Trim your printed image down to a half-inch border all around, and use masking tape to adhere it to the pumpkin. 
• Transfer the image to the pumpkin by using an awl or needle to create hundreds of tiny holes on the surface of the pumpkin. Don't be intimidated by the complicated pattern you see upon removing the paper from the pumpkin! 
• Using the original image as your guide, use the linoleum cutters to gouge out the skin of the pumpkin. I recommend starting with the largest areas first, and then working down to the smaller detail. Try to gauge how deep to cut into the flesh using the negative image. The white areas on the image should be left uncarved; the black areas should have the most flesh removed. However, make sure that you don't carve all the way through the wall of the pumpkin!

• Check your progress in the dark. Keep a votive or pillar candle on hand so that you can periodically check your work. Once you're happy with your carving, or to make sure you're on track, turn out the lights and place the pumpkin on the lit candle. It'll help you see what areas need more work. 
• Make your image brighter...fast. If you're pleased with the carved image but want it to be brighter, it's much faster to scrape out more flesh on the inside of the pumpkin than on the outside. Scrape carefully, layer by layer, checking the image in the dark, until you achieve the desired brightness. 
• Go beyond candles for lighting. Although a flickering candle is eerie in a jack-o-lantern, twinkle lights can be just as effective (and a lot safer). Just wrap a string of 50 twinkle lights around an empty jar, plug in, and voila!

First Apples of the Season

September is my favorite month of the year for many reasons, but the apple harvest is certainly toward the top of that list. Every September, my sister and I head to the local orchard and load up on fresh apples, jams and butters, syrup, and fresh-pressed cider. 

A decadent Fall breakfast: chunky cinnamon bread French toast with pumpkin butter from the orchard and a drizzle of hot caramel sauce.

In the following weeks, the Jonathans, Galas, McIntoshes, and Honeycrisps are put to good use in many different recipes. 

A panorama of the apple orchard and vineyard we visit each year.

My sister protecting one of the best treats from the orchard: the homemade kettle corn from a local vendor.

 Three of my favorites are apple crisp, apple pie, and apple turnovers. The best thing about each of these recipes is that it only takes a few humble ingredients to showcase the flavor of the apples. In fact, I use the same recipe for pate brisee (from marthastewart.com) for both apple pie and apple turnovers:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp each sugar and salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp ice water

Although it is very easy to roll a good pie crust, there are a few hard and fast rules to ensure perfection every time. 

• Refrigerate everything, including the metal bowl and dry ingredients, for about 10 minutes before starting to make sure that the dough remains as cold as possible while mixing.
• Don't use your hands to blend the dry ingredients and butter; use a pastry blender or a few pulses of a food processor to prevent heat from being introduced into the dough. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size chunks for faster mixing. The resulting mixture should be soft and crumbly.
• Add the 1/3 cup of ice water all at once, and use a wooden spoon to pull the dough together. Do not over-mix; that will only make the dough tough. Mix it only well enough to fully incorporate the flour. If the flour cannot be incorporated with the 1/3 cup of water, add the extra tablespoon.
• Divide the dough into two portions, press into two disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, or overnight. 

Rolling out the dough for turnovers

When rolling out the dough, work only one disk at a time, leaving the other in the refrigerator. Lightly dust the rolling surface with flour, and make sure the rolling pin is well-dusted too. Roll out dough to about an eighth of an inch, and trim into a rectangle if making turnovers, or gently roll up the dough onto the pin and unroll into the pie plate. The second disk of dough will serve as the second batch of turnovers, or a top crust for a pie.

Here are some of my other tried-and-true tips for apple turnovers and pies:

• Any unused scraps should be refrigerated immediately, and only rolled out once more. Any dough remaining after rolling twice should be used for another recipe or discarded. 
• Do not overfill turnovers; spoon filling into lower right half of the turnover, leaving at least an inch of dough on the edges so that the edges can be crimped with the tines of a fork. 

• Use a paring knife to make slits in the top crust or top of the turnover before baking. This will allow to steam to escape while baking.

• Brush egg white onto the top of the pie or turnover to create a golden crust. It will also help sanding sugar adhere to the crust better.