Soft Caramels

Buttery, chewy, soft caramel makes great candies and is a tooth-saving alternative for tough or hard caramel apples. I love making it with the seeds scraped from the inside of a vanilla bean, with fleur de sel sprinkled on the top. These caramels wrapped in a twisted square of waxed paper make wonderful homemade gifts. This recipe, for making soft caramels with fleur de sel, is adapted from the recipe for Fleur de Sel Caramels, which originally appeared in Gourmet Magazine's October 2004 issue. Special equipment: candy thermometer, pastry brush, parchment paper

1 cup heavy cream 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon fleur de sel (or other coarse salt), plus more for sprinkling Optional: seeds scraped from the inside of one vanilla bean 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/4 cup corn syrup 1/4 cup water 1 Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. 2 Bring cream, butter, vanilla bean seeds, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside. 3 Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, taking care not to get excess on the sides of the pan. Ensure that the sugar is completely hydrated by mixing it with your fingers. Wash down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in water. Bring the mixture to a boil, without stirring. Once the mixture begins to darken around the edges, begin swirling the pot to even out the caramelization, until the caramel is a deep amber color. 4 Turn off the heat and carefully add the cream mixture (mixture will bubble up) and simmer. Once the bubbling calms down, return to low heat, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 250F on thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into baking pan and cool 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch rectangles, then wrap each piece in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting 2 ends to close. For caramels that are a bit chewier, chill, for softer caramels, store in the fridge in a sealed plastic bag.

Alpine Mint Brownies

Ingredients
yield: 2 dozen brownies

For The Brownies 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder 11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 5 large eggs, at room temperature 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract For The Mint Filling 2 cups confectioners sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream 1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract 2 drops green food coloring (optional) For The Ganache Glaze 6 ounces chocolate chips or chopped chocolate 3 ounces butter

Procedures
1. 1

For The Brownies: Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 glass or light-colored metal baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together. 2. 2 Put the chocolate and butter in a large bowl and melt it over a saucepan of simmering water, or in the microwave (heat for 1 minute, then stir and heat in 15-second increments until melted). Add the sugars and whisk to combine. 3. 3 Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined (make sure not to overbeat, or the brownies will be cakey). Sift the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture; fold gently with a spatula until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible. 4. 4 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly; bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan. 5. 5 For The Mint Filling: Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined and creamy. Add a tablespoon of cream, the mint extract, and the food coloring (if using) and beat until combined. The filling should be just spreadable; if its too thick, add a little more cream. 6. 6 Spread in an even layer over the cooled brownies and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up. 7. 7 For The Ganache Glaze: Combine in a small bowl and melt in the microwave; 30 seconds on High, then 10-second increments until melted. Allow to cool to room temperature and pour over the firm mint filling, spreading in an even layer. 8. 8

Allow the brownies to set in the fridge for 10-20 minutes. Using a sharp knife, and wiping with a warm towel between cuts, cut into pieces and serve.