Super Easy Salted Goat Milk Caramels

I decided to make these beauties because my boyfriend was trying to get through his law school finals and needed a boost of sugar to get him through the long nights of studying. Making some cute, wrapped, homemade goodies really brightened his day! You can also make them and put them into cute boxes as gifts for friends and family, or even wedding favors!

Candy isn't the easiest thing to make, so I wanted to make a recipe that anyone could follow. Here are my "Super Easy Salted Goat Milk Caramels". For those than can't find goats milk, or would prefer to cows milk, the recipe will turn out just fine. I haven't tried almond or soy milk, but I think that would be an interesting chemistry experiment to see if they behave in the same way.

My inspiration to use goat milk happened when I noticed that Trader Joe's carries goats milk - once I had that tangy, clover infused, milky gold - I HAD to put it into a caramel. I prefer a bit of crunch so I roll course grain salt into the inner section of the caramel to get that oh-so-divine salty/sweet combination.

What you'll need

• 2 cups Brown sugar
• 1 cup White sugar 
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1.5 cup goats milk ( or milk of your choice ) 
• 1.5 cups heavy cream 
• 1.5 tbs vanilla
• 1/2 tbs salt ( fine grain) 
• Coarse grain salt to finish ( I ended up using Himalayan pink rock salt from Trader Joes )
• 1 cup butter
• 1 Vanilla bean ( optional - cut lengthwise and scrape out the insides!) 

1) Prep a pot on the stove, and a baking dish for for pouring the caramel. I like to line my  baking dish with parchment ( much easier than trying to butter the dish, faster cleanup! )

2) Combine the sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, goat's milk, heavy cream, and butter in the pot on the stove. Mixing this mixture and heating it evenly is important to make the candy work.You'll notice that the mixture goes from looking like a frothy delicious caramel sponge to a slightly darker, with less bubbles mixture ( I use this as a guide to know that the temp is starting to get close )

3) Watch the temperature of the mixture with a candy thermometer while stirring. When the thermometer reaches 247 degrees remove the pot from the heat. Add the vanilla and stir.
 
WARNING! Do not let the temperature exceed 250 degrees F. ( 120 C) This is ceiling for the "firm ball" stage when cooking sugar. If the candy goes over this temp you could have problems with forming your caramels.  Please be careful when working with hot sugar. It might not look hot, but it is!


3) Pour the mixture from your pot into the lined or buttered baking pan ( 12X15 works best ) 


4) I let the mixture cool for about 5-7 min and then cut the caramel into 1in X 1in pieces. The caramel will still be warm to the touch and slightly gooey. I sprinkle pieces of coarse grain salt on the pieces and then roll them into balls and wrap in parchment to keep them from sticking together. 


5) Unwrap and enjoy!!

Farmers Market Pictures / Tomato Glory

It's the season for farmers markets, sun dresses, and strawberries!

What kinds of herbs do you plant this season? I've been thinking of thai basil and tomatoes. My obsession with pho has returned and I would like to have my own side of veggies to add to the steaming pot of sumptuous broth!                                   

Rosemary is a good standby for those of us who are overzealous about watering - and perhaps a little slow when it comes to figuring out how much sun certain plants need... ( that wouldn't be me... right?)                                                                          

I've been thinking about Jalapeno's or some other chili as I hear they are easy to grow... anyone have suggestions out there?

 

These glistening gems of goodness were  thrown into the broiler for a couple minutes, and then were carefully placed on top of handmade lobster ravioli. ( Recipe to come ) :) They pop delightfully, spilling sweet juice and pulp in your mouth when you bite down. I like to add them to my white sauce recipes so that you can have the best of both worlds, eating pasta with a white base and with tomato.

It nearly made me want to try an interesting technique from Italy where the tomatoes are picked and then woven into a braid of sorts. The tomatoes are then smoked while on the vine, and then are preserved so they can be used for months and months later. I will probably give this a shot the next time I go because I hear it makes the best pasta sauce.

 Here's a teaser of the strawberries that I made into a triple berry trifle. Homemade  jam with a vanilla and burbon reduction, layered with fresh fruit and scented cream...mmm! I made fresh pound cake to crumble between the layers. Delish!

Super Salad

The Super Salad is inspired by my friends who don't like to cook, but prefer to assemble meals. This salad is easy to put together, balanced, tasty, and filling. I know it's simple... but it appeals to my love of simple flavors, and It's also great for those nights where you don't want to cook something hot!

A balsamic delight, this salad has the tangyness of baby arugula, the sweetness of broiled grape tomatoes, and the crunch of carrots slices. Each bite is a textural and taste adventure.

I added a bit of lemon zest and 1 clove of pressed garlic to equal parts of balsamic vinegar, and apple cider vinegar. Sometimes I add a spoonful Hot and Sweet Mustard ( as seen in Diana's Blog... however, it's not discontinued anymore ) and local honey to add another layer of character.

  

Drizzle just a little olive oil over the tomatoes before you stick them in the oven for 2 minutes in the broiler.

I add a little salt and pepper after they come out of the over and sprinkle on top of the salad. It's all the oil / salt and pepper I need. You can add more oil if you wish, be careful not to over dress the salad!

You can find all the ingredients at Trader Joes.

• Just Chicken 
• Grape tomatoes
• TJ's Arugula mix / Spring mix 
• Tj's Modena Balsamico
• Tj's Extra Virgin Olive oil
• Tj's Shredded carrot

Braised Rabbit with Chimichurri Sauce

I was inspired by Andrew Zimmern's demonstration / recipe for Braised Rabbit. The need for fresh, earthy flavors pulled at me until I drove down to my local butchers and made it happen!

Surprisingly it wasn't too difficult to find rabbit and the butcher was happy to chop it to reasonable sized pieces for me. I was extremely happy to find that he also added in the liver, kidney, and heart.

I pan fried the organ meats to salty, caramelized, medium rare perfection. Being the carnivore that I am, I immediately popped the heart into my mouth with great satisfaction. My boyfriend and I spread the liver on crackers with a bit of cave aged Gruyere ( found at Sigona's Farmers Market). It was surprisingly sweet and less iron-y than calves liver. Sidenote: I love Sigona's- it's a great place to find locally sourced produce and specialty items.

Here's a Californian twist to Chimichurri

• 1 cup fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup avocado
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 Jalapenos, seeds optional for more spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

I prefer to make it the night ahead so that all the flavors can mix overnight. The jalapenos really add a fresh / spicy aspect to the sauce.

I adore pairing wine with food, and cooking with wine- it was just my luck that I had something in my stores that would go perfectly with this dish. I chose an Argentinian Malbec that gave the dish a fruity, yet characteristic gravel/earthy taste to the tender meat.

Braising Tips

Remember when getting ready to braise the rabbit, choose a deep, large pan. Cast iron or a dutch oven work equally well.

• Heat the pan with a little oil.
• Season your meat and veggies with your choice of spices ( I used black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper and some garlic )
• Once the pan gets really hot, brown the meat 
• Add the veggies ( 1 cup celery, 1 cup onion,  several garlic cloves )
• Add wine until the meat and veggies are submerged halfway. 
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook slowly with the lid on do not let the liquid evaporate.
• I cooked my rabbit for about 1.5 hours on the stove top. Alternatively, I would put it in the dutch oven and cook at 375 degrees for 45 min - 1 hr. Checking to see when the meat looks like it will fall off the bone.
• Enjoy! 

The chimichurri will be a repeat in my house - I've put it on everything from quesodillas to spicy grilled sausages. I also altered it a bit to function as a vinagarette in a cold steak, tomato, basil, and jicama salad.

Let me know if you try it!