Caramel and coconut milkshake recipe from Nestle

This delightful recipe will yield two servings and is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day
with a good friend. The combination of caramel and coconut flavors will remind you of a Samoa.

Ingredients

• 2 cups vanilla or chocolate light ice cream 
• 1 cup refrigerated unsweetened coconut milk (not canned) or lowfat 1% milk 
• 2 tablespoons NESTLÉ® COFFEE-MATE® GIRL SCOUTS® Caramel & Coconut Flavor Liquid Coffee Creamer 
• 1 tablespoon caramel syrup or NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Dulce de Leche (squeezable bottle) 
• Toasted coconut flakes (optional) 
• Chocolate shavings (optional) 

Directions
PLACE ice cream, milk and Coffee-mate in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.
SWIRL caramel syrup around inside of 2 glasses. Divide milk shake between glasses. Garnish milk shakes with coconut and chocolate.

Caramel peanut brittle recipe from Werther's

Peanut brittle is a popular candy this time-both to give as a gift and to share when friends and family come to visit. This recipe from Werther’s simplifies the process and makes some of the yummiest peanut brittle you have ever tasted!

CARAMEL PEANUT BRITTLE

Ingredients

• 1 (5.5 ounce) package Werther’s Original Hard Candies, unwrapped
• 5 pieces Werther’s Original Baking Caramels, unwrapped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and set aside. In a medium size saucepan, melt both Werther’s candies over low heat until they become smooth. Be sure to stir often. Add peanuts and cook for two minutes. Stir in baking soda and vanilla then immediately spread out a thin layer on the prepared cookie sheet. Allow to cool completely before breaking into bite size pieces.

Caramel mocha hot chocolate recipe from Werther's

With yet another round of frigid winter air blasting in our direction, now is the perfect time to try out a 

delicious new hot chocolate recipe. This recipe features the always welcome flavor of  Werther’s caramel candies and is sure to please children and adults alike!

CARAMEL MOCHA HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish
• 10 pieces Werther’s Original Baking Caramels, unwrapped
• ½ cup whipped cream

Directions

Heat milk, sugar and coffee in a medium size saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Stir often to keep the milk from scorching. Reduce heat to low then stir in caramels. Stir frequently and allow the caramels to completely melt. Pour into mugs and garnish with whipped cream and reserved chocolate. 

Salted caramel kissed cheesecake recipe from Nestle

Dear Nestle, you had me at salted caramel. The cheesecake was unnecessary (but very much appreciated!)

SALTED CARAMEL KISSED CHEESECAKE

CRUST 

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 (1/2 stick) cup butter or margarine, melted 
• 1 (3.5 ounces) WONKA Exceptionals Chocolate Waterfall Bar, divided 

CHEESECAKE 

• 2 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, at room temperature 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 2 large eggs 

TOPPING 

• 1 cup sour cream 
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE 

• 1/3 cup water 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream 
• Pinch sea salt 

Directions: 
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
FOR CRUST: COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in medium bowl. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan or 9- to 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake for 5 minutes. Finely chop half of chocolate bar and sprinkle evenly over crust. Set aside remaining half of chocolate bar for chocolate curl garnish.
FOR CHEESECAKE: BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour filling into crust. BAKE for 30 minutes or until center is almost set and edges just begin to crack. Remove from oven and quickly put together topping.
FOR TOPPING: COMBINE sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract in medium bowl; mix well. Spoon topping over cheesecake, starting with the edges first and working inward toward the center. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
FOR SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE: COMBINE water and sugar in medium saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat and boil, without stirring, until syrup is deep amber in color (occasionally brush down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirl pan). This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add whipping cream and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk until smooth, then pour into serving pitcher; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
TO SERVE: Gently run knife around inside of springform pan to loosen cheesecake. Remove side of springform pan. With vegetable peeler, shred remaining chocolate bar half around perimeter of cheesecake. Cut cheesecake into 16 wedges. Drizzle bottom of dessert plates with a little caramel sauce; top with piece of cheesecake. Drizzle with additional sauce.

Coffee infused caramels recipe

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Deep, rich and buttery are three words that describe these coffee infused caramels. These candies will delight the taste buds of coffee and caramel lovers alike.

COFFEE CARAMELS

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee
• 1/4 cup butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee, ground to fine powder

Directions
Line a 8X8 pan with aluminum foil and spray it heavily with nonstick spray. Combine sugars, corn syrup, honey, half and half, instant coffee and butter in a saucepan Cook over medium-high heat, until the butter is melted and sugar dissolves. Insert a candy thermometer. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until thermometer reads between 244 and 248 degrees F. Once at the correct temperature, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with powdered coffee as garnish. Allow pan to rest until candy is firm and cooled, 2-3 hours. Lift foil from pan and flip upside down, peeling foil from candy. Cut caramels into squares as desired with a sharp knife. Wrap in waxed paper to prevent caramels from sticking together.

Cook's Notes-

• if you would like a harder candy, cook to 250 degrees
• these are also delicious when dipped in dark chocolate

Caramel sauce recipe

A saucer of liquid caramel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why spend money on a bottled caramel sauce when you can make better tasting in your own kitchen? This sauce is versatile-use it on desserts, in beverages, as garnish and more.

CARAMEL SAUCE

• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• dash salt

Directions
Combine water, sugar and butter in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.Do not stir the mixture until all of the sugar has dissolved. Cook 5-10 minutes, until the mixture has turned a golden brown. Add cream in a slow steady stream into the sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and salt and continue to stir over low heat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Cook's Notes-Don't be alarmed if the mixture boils and small clumps form when adding cream. This is a normal part of the process of making this sauce.

DeDe Wilson's Brown Sugar Buttermilk Snack Cake with Blackberries and Caramel Walnut Drizzle Recipe

Blackberries are one of Autumn's most tantalizing fruits and they are packed full of vitamins (A, B, C & E), minerals (calcium & iron), fiber and juicy flavor. They dress up the simplest of desserts in the most delicious way. It is no wonder that DeDe Wilson-television host, author and contributing editor- chose these dark beauties for her Brown Sugar Buttermilk Snack Cake with Blackberries & Caramel Walnut Drizzle recipe. Sounds complicated, doesn't it? Well, it isn't. I think the hardest part of this recipe was waiting for the ingredients to warm up to room temperature!


Cake

• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• Heaping 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 cup fresh Driscoll’s blackberries
  
  

For the Cake

• Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray.
  Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.
  Beat butter with flat paddle on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Beat in egg until well combined. Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternately with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour mixture and beat briefly until smooth. Scrape batter evenly into pan and smooth top with offset spatula. It will be a fairly shallow layer. Scatter blackberries evenly on top, reserving about 5 of them; do not press into batter. They will sink during baking.
  Bake for about 15 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick shows a few moist crumbs. The cake will just have begun to come away from the sides of the pan. Cool pan completely on rack. Cake is ready to decorate.

Icing

• 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup toasted walnut halves, chopped

For the Icing
Combine brown sugar, butter and cream in small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 1 minute, whisking frequently.
Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and confectioners’ sugar until smooth and fluid. It will firm up very quickly and if you whisk or cool it too long, it will become too firm and sugary. Use a spoon to immediately drizzle about half the icing all over top of cake, then quickly sprinkle walnuts and reserved berries evenly over top while icing is still wet. Drizzle with remaining icing, which will set up almost immediately. Cake is ready to serve. Store at room temperature well wrapped in plastic wrap up to 1 day.

Tip
You might be tempted to add extra Driscoll’s berries to the batter, but they add too much moisture and will throw off the balance of the cake. The amount called for along with the shallow cake layer, are well proportioned as is. Also, when making the icing, make sure you stop combining the ingredients the moment the mixture becomes smooth. If it becomes grainy and sandy you have stirred too long and must start again. 


This recipe is just one of many taste bud tempting treasures that can be found in DeDe's new book, Unforgettable Desserts. This book features 150 recipes and over 300 pages. The recipe collection includes cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, custards, mousses, frozen desserts, candies and confections. The recipes sound absolutely delicious and you don't have to be a professional pastry chef to create them.

Recipe and Photo used with permission.

Have It Sweet's Fleur de Sel Caramels are sweet and salty heaven

I came across a delicious looking shop on the internet and immediately knew I would be making a purchase. It was just a matter of deciding which yummy looking treat to indulge in. When you are faced with such decisions as organic blueberry pie swirl marshmallows (picture below), heavenly vanilla caramels, pumpkin pie marshmallows, Belgian dark chocolate (see below) and fleur de sel caramels (see side), you know you have stepped in confection heaven. Have It Sweet is certainly heavenly!

Organic Blueberry Pie Swirl Marshmallow

After looking through the Have It Sweet site a few times, I decided on a familiar favorite with a new twist-sea salt caramels (fleur de sel caramels). I love caramels and I love sea salt, so it was a natural decision to indulge in them. I placed my order and waited for my goodies to arrive.

Today was the day-my fleur de sel caramels arrived safe and sound from California. I literally tore into the box (darn packing tape) and proceeded to unwrap what is probably the tastiest caramel I have ever indulged in. If you enjoy a sweet/salty flavor combination, these caramels will certainly hit the spot. Imagine the rich, buttery taste of homemade caramels with a sprinkling of sea salt across the top. This is how the confectioners at Have It Sweet describe these morsels"

"This is not like traditional caramel and is very different from our other flavors. It is sweet yet slightly salty. This is truly an amazing caramel and our signature flavor. Our Fleur de Sel (French Sea Salt) is hand harvested and unrefined. We use truly the best ingredients and we take our Fleur de Sel Caramel very seriously. You will never look at caramel the same way after you savor one of these amazing golden sweets. "

I coudn't agree more! The flavor is quite unique for a caramel and I have become an instant addict.

Begian Dark Chocolate

Have It Sweet is located in Glendale, California. The owners, Vincent and Bethany, have a love for confections that shines through in their finished product. Every item is made fresh to order in small batches to ensure every bite is delicious. Their kitchen is state licensed and the pair are both "Serv-Safe Certified".

Many of the Have It Sweet offerings are organic and they are always all natural, gluten and preservative free. Their packaging is recyclable and biodegradable. This is definitely one company that truly cares about their customers and the environment.

My experience with Have It Sweet was flawless. Easy ordering, fast shipping and delicious products make this a must visit shop if you are a candy aficionado. I can safely say that I will be a repeat customer-there are many more sweets I want to indulge in. The organic blueberry pie swirl marshmallows are at the top of my list.

For more info: visit Have It Sweet on the internet at www.HaveItSweet.com

All photos courtesy of Have It Sweet

Brownie Caramel Cheesecake

This decadent dessert features two of my favorites sweets-brownies and cheesecake. The added caramel is a bonus for me.

BROWNIE CARAMEL CHEESECAKE 
Ingredients 

• 1 (9 ounce) package brownie mix 
• 1 egg 
• 1 tablespoon cold water 
• 1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped 
• 1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk 
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 cup white sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup chocolate fudge topping 

DIRECTIONS 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. In a small bowl, mix together brownie mix, 1 egg and water and spread evenly into the greased pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Combine the caramels and evaporated milk in a small pan and melt over low heat. Make sure to stir the mixture frequently to avoid scorching. Reserve 1/3 cup of this caramel mixture, and pour the remainder over the warm, baked brownie crust. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour cream cheese mixture over caramel mixture. Bake cheesecake for 40 minutes. Chill in pan. When cake is thoroughly chilled, loosen by running a knife around the edge, and then remove the rim of the pan. Heat reserved caramel mixture, and spoon over cheesecake. Drizzle with the chocolate topping.

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