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Secret Recipe Club Post: My first mission

By Eliot, on July 18th, 2011

I am new to the Secret Recipe Club.

Amanda at Amanda’s Cookin‘  organizes the whole club and every month  she assigns each member a foodie blog to explore.   I was thrilled when I got my assignment:  to check out Love Veggies and Yoga,  peruse some of Averie’s great and healthy recipes,  and post!  This is my first “mission”  for the club.  (The theme to Mission Impossible is going through my head!)

If I could ever look like Averie while eating the great recipes that she has posted (like Peanut Butter Marshmallow Chocolate Bars with Vegan Chocolate Frosting),   I could die a happy woman.   I had also just gotten back into yoga myself, so I was intrigued to explore her site further.

What kind of recipe was I looking for.  Well,  let me say that it has been over 100 degrees for the past two weeks with NO rain since a smattering on July 3.

During the heat of summer,  I often find myself anticipating fall and the cool weather that will soon be upon us.   With no end for our dry hot weather in sight,  I was pining for the crisp sounds,  smells, and tastes of autumn.

As I perused Averie’s site,  I found a recipe that helped my wistfulness for fall:  homemade Dark Rum Caramel Sauce.     “What a great way to quench my autumn nostalgia,”  I thought as I pictured caramel apples in my head.  (This must be a favorite recipe for her family because ironically she highlighted it again last week!)

Averie used dark rum and states that you can use “bourbon,  whiskey,  other rum,  or other liquor such as Gran Marnier, Cointreau,  etc. – adding alcohol is entirely optional and if you omit,  you’ll still have amazing caramel sauce.”    Since it seems like any alcohol will work 🙂 ,  I decided to rename the recipe.   I used Amaretto because that is all I had on hand.

Drunken Caramel Sauce

1 c sugar
1/4 c water
1/2 c butter
1/2 c heavy cream
1 t pure vanilla extract
2 T liquor
I used Amaretto because I love it!

Directions:

  • Since you have to work quick, have all of  your ingredients ready to go and handy.

    My "mise en place" (such as it is).

  • Place sugar in a heavy sauce pan and add the water.  Turn stove to medium-high heat and stir  until sugar has dissolved (avoid letting sugar burn).

I used my All-Clad 2 quart sauce pan and it was heavy and big enough for this batch.

  • Cover pot, turn heat to high, and boil for 2 minutes.  (I was scared to turn it to high so I left my heat on med-high and it seemed to work well.)
  • Remove lid and continue to boil on med-high heat until syrup turns brown around the edges of the pan.

    After I removed the lid, a bit of the sugar had crystallized around the edge of the pan. I used a pastry brush dampened with water to get rid of the crystallization.

  • Swirl the pan occasionally until mixture turns a deep amber and begins to smoke.

Caramel will turn a deep mahogany color.

  • Remove pan from heat.
  • Add butter (the mixture will really bubble) and gently stir until all butter is mixed in.

    Cut the butter into slices before you dump it in. Averie is correct, it will bubble!

  • Stir in cream (more bubbling).

    Lots more bubbles and a super rich aroma.

  • Add vanilla extract and  liquor of choice.  🙂
  • Stir until bubbling stops.  (If sauce become lumpy, set pan over low heat and stir until smooth then remove from heat.)  I had no problems with lumpiness.
  • Pour into glass (or heat-safe) container.

    The finished product. It is the same hue as the kitchen table.

Try to let it cool and try to serve with at least some healthy fruit!  I chose apples so I could sit in the air conditioned kitchen,  imagine myself eating a caramel apple,  and try to trick myself into thinking it was fall!

A tasty dessert or snack.

I encourage you to check out Love Veggies and Yoga for yourself.  I really love Averie’s casual style,  her healthy outlook,  shopping addiction :), and her great photos.    And, she has a real cutie for a daughter!

Thanks for a great recipe, Averie.

I would also encourage everyone to check out the Secret Recipe Club.   I had fun on “my mission”  and it really helps all of us in the foodie blog world to get to know each other.

See more recipes from the bloggers of The Secret Recipe Club by clinking on the the link below!

Clubs and Blog Hops, Recipes, What we're growing, eating, and doing.   , , , , ,  
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28 comments to Secret Recipe Club Post: My first mission

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