caramel Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Pumpkin Caramel Pull-Apart Bread

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 13:47:33 +0000

A lot of you have been making my Apple Cider Pull-Apart Bread, so I decided to come up with a pumpkin flavored one since we have now moved into November. I use a Pumpkin Caramel recipe from my book, 100 Morning Treats, which is incredible paired with the fluffy, soft bread that’s also fun to eat, pulling apart each delicious slice. The sugar filling for the dough has cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg giving it warm flavor throughout. Easy Pumpkin Caramel This caramel topping for the pull-apart bread is easy to make, and there is no thermometer involved! Most of the ingredients are combined together and cooked on the stovetop, including the pumpkin (which is in the caramel, not the dough). I think this caramel tastes best with a nice splash of bourbon, but if you don’t want to use alcohol you can omit it. How To Make Pull-Apart Bread: Although this bread is a little time consuming to make, it is always worth the effort. What can I do to make this recipe ahead? For overnight Pull-Apart bread: Assemble the pull-apart bread in the Pullman pan, but do not let it rise at room temperature. Cover the pan loosely with […]

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Hard Cider Caramel Apple Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 16:29:28 +0000

Apple pie is quintessential holiday fare, and my family would be highly disappointed if it was missing from our dessert table. In my cookbook, Baking for the Holidays, I’ve taken my favorite apple pie recipe (found in The Vanilla Bean Baking Book) and added hard cider and caramel to it, elevating it to superstar level. A Different Apple Pie Making Technique The method I use for making pie comes from Ms. Rose Levy Beranbaum and her wonderful book The Pie and Pastry Bible. Releasing the fruit juice and then cooking it down helps control how much liquid is in the filling and gives it a more concentrated flavor. To release the juice from the apples in this recipe, you’ll mix the cut apples with brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt, and let them sit for a few hours, or overnight. The sugary juice is then strained and boiled down with the hard cider, to eventually be stirred into the caramel. Store-bought caramel can also work to save time, but make sure it is not overly sweet. Can this pie be made without alcohol? If you don’t prefer to use alcohol, the hard cider can be replaced with straight-up apple cider. […]

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Peach Caramel Sticky Buns

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 10 Aug 2019 22:49:32 +0000

Would you like to throw a stone at me?Here, take all that’s left of my peach. Blood-red, deep:Heaven knows how it came to pass.Somebody’s pound of flesh rendered up. Wrinkled with secretsAnd hard with the intention to keep them. Why, from silvery peach-bloom,From that shallow-silvery wine-glass on a short stemThis rolling, dropping, heavy globule? I am thinking, of course, of the peach before I ate it.Why so velvety, why so voluptuous heavy?Why hanging with such inordinate weight?Why so indented? Why the groove?Why the lovely, bivalve roundnesses?Why the ripple down the sphere?Why the suggestion of incision? Why was not my peach round and finished like a billiard ball?It would have been if man had made it.Though I’ve eaten it now. But it wasn’t round and finished like a billiard ball;And because I say so, you would like to throw something at me. Here, you can have my peach stone. Peach, by D.H. Lawrence***************************************** I have had Peach-Caramel Sticky Buns on my mental to-do list for quite some time, and was quite happy to find a recipe for them in new The Peach Truck Cookbook. If you haven’t heard of The Peach Truck, you can look them up here; every summer I […]

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Coffee Caramel Ice Cream Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 15:42:37 +0000

This just might be a perfect summer dessert: a chocolate cookie crust, no-churn (and so easy!) coffee ice cream, with a topping of caramel whipped cream and candied cacao nibs. The crust and ice cream base can be put together a day or two in advance, which also comes in handy. If you aren’t into the candied cacao nibs, crushed chocolate covered espresso beans would also be delicious here. A few things: *The Coffee-Caramel combination on my ice cream cake is inspired by this Ice Box Cake over on ZoeBakes. *My summer reading has been fluctuating between Wodehouse (the Jeeves series) and the French Revolution, which has been an odd but interesting combination. I’m currently in the middle of the Twelve Who Ruled, which is a fascinating look at the Committee of Public Safety and their role in the Reign of Terror. *We recently splurged on an outdoor projector, so we could take our family movie nights outside this summer. We’ve just been projecting it onto our garage door, which works just fine! We’ve been showing our kids a bunch of our favorite movies from the late 80’s/early 90’s, and we’ve made it through Goonies, UHF, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, […]

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Chocolate Walnut Shortbread Bites for Halloween

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 01:29:08 +0000

This post is sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are my own. I’ve never been a Halloween person; I enjoyed roaming the neighborhood for candy each year with my sister, but as someone who has always been terrified of scary movies and creepy decorations, I will take December 25th over October 31st most days. When I did celebrate Halloween, I always tried to make the day less about death and dying which never really worked (this might play into my actual fear of dying, but that’s a whole other post). Regardless of fears, Halloween was still celebrated each fall with pillowcases full of chocolate and silly last minute costumes, and this year I am actually going to a real Halloween party, which is a first for me. I am bringing treats to share, but as store bought Halloween candy is often too sweet for my taste buds, I decided to make my own chocolate treats. So, here is my adult Halloween candy post – Chocolate Caramel Walnut Shortbread bites. I’ve teamed up with California Walnuts to bring you some recipes over the following year that include, of course, walnuts. Over 99 percent of walnuts grown in the U.S. come […]

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no-knead caramel rolls

Sarah Kieffer — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 14:04:59 +0000

Made with my favorite sweet dough, these rolls are swirled up in cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, then smothered in warm caramel and toasted pecans. The sides of the pans are buttered and then dusted with sugar, which caramelizes the sides of the buns, making for an incredible roll. Tips for making the best caramel rolls: I make these rolls in the Mauviel soufflé 3×2 inch mini molds because it gives them the most beautiful tall sides, but you can nestle them together in a 9×13 pan if you don’t have individual pans. Or you can use these ramekins (you’ll want to select the “4 inch”, which measure 3.1 in diameter at bottom (4 in at top)and are 2 inches high. Take note that the copper molds are crazy hot when they come out of the oven, which can make it a little tricky to get them out. I use a kitchen towel and wrap it around the base of the copper mold, then run a knife carefully around each roll, and flip them onto a wire rack. Make sure to line the bottom of each mold with parchment paper as noted in the instructions, or the buns will stick to the […]

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Caramel Shards

Sarah Kieffer — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 23:18:20 +0000

I came across caramel shards in Pierre Herme’s books Macaron; he uses them finely processed as filling in his famous cookies. I love trying o sneak crunchiness into most of my desserts, and found this to be a clever way to do so.

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Apple Crème Fraîche Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 15:06:34 +0000

It’s my favorite time of year: THE HOLIDAYS! The snow is snowing, the bells are jingling, and there is a constant buzz of excitement everywhere. The 10 year old in me still tends to get caught up in all the buzz; often forgetting to focus on the present, and enjoying each moment with gratitude. Often the Christmas season is about what we get, instead of what we give. The older I get, the more I let go of the getting aspect, and am working on teaching my littles the same. It’s a work in progress. One thing that helps me in this regard is baking. I look for pastries with multiple steps that require some focus, and I find that the act of concentrating on a specific task not only helps me slow everything down, but also opens up an important door – the door that cares about the quality of my soul. I find myself thinking through things that often get pushed aside in the rush of life. Pie is one of these solaces; while it is a slice of self-care, it also is the best way to share. My family alone can’t (well, shouldn’t) eat an entire pie, […]

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Roasted Peach and Salted Caramel Pops (With Vanilla and Bourbon)

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 15:47:31 +0000

I missed Billy’s Popsicle Week back in June. I stuck my popsicle molds somewhere last winter ‘so I knew where they were’ and then of course, couldn’t find them when warm weather hit. Last week my husband gently guided me down to the basement to clean out our storage room filled with (mostly my) boxes and piles and whatnot, and lo and behold, there they were, tucked in a box marked ‘random kitchen things.’ So, much later, I am finally making popsicles. But not just any popsicles. These little pretties took a bit of time to put together, but dang, they are worth it. Roasted peaches, salted caramel, simple syrup, and some bourbon make these quite the late summer evening treat. Get yourself cozy in on a pool floaty and enjoy. Roasted Peach and Salted Caramel Popsicles (with vanilla and bourbon) Adapted from People’s Pops by Jordi, Carrell, and Horowitz. Ten Speed Press 2012. The salted caramel and simple syrup can be made ahead of time, and refrigerated. You will have a little caramel and simple syrup left over. I have these popsicle molds, and they work well – I just didn’t use the lids, and put sticks in instead. […]

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Cake!Cake!Cake!Cake!Cake!

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 02:13:34 +0000

I first discovered Wayne Thiebaud’s painting Cakes at Zoe’s house. She has a small print hanging in her kitchen, and I find myself drawn to it each time I go visit her. It’s simple but beautiful, and I’m often questioning the cakes as I study them. Are you all just chocolate and vanilla, or is there a carrot cake in there, too? Maybe even pumpkin? Is that lemon curd on top down front, or did someone get crazy with the food coloring? What kind are you, little cake peeking out from the side? Why is only one cake cut into way in the back row? Zoe and I have chatted about the piece over the years, and finally came up with a project that has been starring us in the face: baking through Thiebaud’s Cakes. We’ll be starting the series later this summer, so stay tuned. I finally purchased a print of Cakes for myself (details below), and it is now hanging proudly in my kitchen. I still find myself questioning each and every cake on a weekly basis, and it’s spurred on some delicious conversation between friends and family alike. But! I have a non-Thiebaud dessert for you today. […]

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