Salted Caramel Sauce...and perhaps...just add a little butter!

Oh girls, I've discovered PINTEREST!!! haven't heard of it?? click here ... Inspiration station! Recipes..craft...event styling...divine fashion...recycling fashion...wedding ideas...you name it I think you'll find something there for everyone! ... so imagine coming across a delicious pic of Salted Caramel Sauce!!! It came from the lovely Julie Marie's blog, Always with Butter... here

The intense richness of caramel sauce balanced with nutty saltiness...m,mmm!! So I HAD to make some...easy peasy...BUT ...I warn you...do NOT step away from the stove! lol...burned the first lot in the blink of an eye!!

so ...if you want to make some you will need...

1 cup water, 2 cups white sugar, 1 cup cream, 1 tsp salt (or more to taste - I used near 2 cos I love the salty edge of a rich sweet dish ) , 40g butter (optional..I like the 'mouth appeal' that only butter can give...sorry...it's true...I'm a butter addict!) There..it's out there!! lol...anyways...here we go...

Okay..so i didn't remember to take a pic of the measured sugar and water...oops..already in the pot...

Over medium heat place one cup of water. Pour 2 cups of sugar into the centre of the water so that it does not touch the edges of the pot...DO NOT STIR - AT ANY TIME...seriously....just watching only...

See it just beginning to colour on one side...the whole process will only take about 10 minutes from start to finish...this is about 5 min after coming to the boil...KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT... While it's cooking, heat the cream for about 45 seconds in the microwave - this will warm it and help it not make lumps or spit up in the pot when you add it..

Cook over high heat till a lovely golden brown BUT not too dark..as soon as its golden all over...

Pour the cream into the centre of the pot and whisk in immediately...if it rises up like a volcano, remove from heat while you whisk..it will settle back down into the pot...

Here it is after adding the cream...all 'gloopy' and bubbling - like the mudpools in Rotorua..only smells waaaay better!!! lol...

Take off the heat and add the salt and butter...whisk in. Pour some onto a plate to cool and test saltiness preference...

I poured a little onto a plate to set to see if it was thick enough and salty enough...pretty much once you add the cream, cook for say 1-2 min more..and it's done. It thickens considerably on cooling.

Here it is (sorry bit messy into the jar)...isn't it glorious?? Oh yes..that's the test plate on the right..as you can see...it was good!!! and m hmm, definitely set enough ;) Practically licked the plate clean ;)

So there you have it...Salted Caramel Sauce. We had it over Rustic Apple Pie (a ha, also from Pinterest!)...with french vanilla icecream...it was heaven on a plate...

but really...it's so good you will want to just eat it out of the jar...as some of my lovely dinner guests did a bit later on...you know...just cos!!

Buon Appetito mi amici!!

ciao for now, bellas

luv jessie xx

OK..just a few more ;)

And not just the delicious sweet fruit...look at these divine eggplant and peppers...the colour!! seriously, have you seen anything so vibrant and beautiful lately? Bet you haven't...unless you are in the beautiful Italy!!!

Looking up at the delightful balconies covered in potted flowers...a bit bright on my point and click camera...but you get the idea.. :)

And off we all go heading for that castle in the background...

Thanks for stopping by :) off to bed now..no, really I am! ;)

ciao bellas

jessie xx

A little more from Guardagrele...

Ok...I'm still up...so here are some more! lol...they're a bit small...not sure why? hmm...anyway...look at the COLOUR of the fruit and veges...they were SO beautiful! And the flavour of the local produce was really really amazing...far more delicious than we get at our local markets and supermarkets. My favourite of all were wee tomatoes from Sicily...sweet and strong flavoured...de-licious!!! Just look at these cherries...I loved how they were displayed with branches and leaves still attached...I didn't sample them myself as I am mildly allergic...but they were soo beautiful I had to take pics...

And the strawberries were HUGE...and lusciously sweet!!

And then there were the A-M-A-ZING doors EVERYWHERE!! Intricate...beautifully detailed. I don't know what it is about doors but I love 'em! I have a whole folder of DOOR pics! lol...will share those when they are restored ;) (restored doors! hehe)

More delightful Italian elderly men just chillin...

And even their rubbish bins were exceptionally styley...

Beauty in the unexpected...Love it!

ciao bellas :)

xx

I'm Back!

Hello bloggerettes! I am finally settled into our little flat that we are renting until our more permanent departure to Italy next January. We're very cosy here...a completely furnished wee place so nothing much to unpack - ours all being in longterm storage...but I did have, oh, I don't know..maybe 10 boxes of kitchen 'stuff'!! lol...it certainly feels like my kitchen now! Got my espresso machine, my breadmaker, food processor, mixer, vintage cake tins, all good sharp knives, mums essence rack, maybe a quarter of my cookbooks (around 25)and my lovely kauri dining table (HAD to get that out of storage...only a wee table for two here and that's just not welcoming at all, is it??) Love my old table so feels good to have it...

Anyway....Wow..it's been over a month since I last blogged and tried uploading pics from Valdirose. Still can't...we brought home a memory stick (usb drive) with our ....3000 photos!!...and something ghastly happened to them...all files corrupt!!! Imagine our devastation!...until...we remembered Steve has them also has copies of them all on his laptop in Dubai! Praise God!! Beth and I were just gutted to see these files corrupt...well, 2000 of them! Luckily another 12 folders were on a separate usb stick...so here are a few from a gorgeous little village called Guardagrele near Chieti in the Abruzzo region...Steve B, Max, Beth, Steve(mine) and I went wandering on this day of village/castle hopping :)

starting with...the lavender shop!...seriously, all things purple, inside and out...

lavender pillows, lavender soap, lilac bath salts, moisturisers, vanilla massage bars...

it smelt good in there!

Dont' you love the old purple bike?? :)

There's Beth 'skipping' up the street...haha..just caught her as she swung around...dad and Steve B a bit further ahead past the old men...I love these old Italian men...all little and so friendly...well, I think they were friendly...lol...no english! or maybe they just liked my girls long legs!! ;)

Catherine (Max) enjoying the buildings as we wandered along...

And in here I bought a very cool wee verdigris coppery bronze bell - sheep bell I think - the shop was crammed...did I say CRAMMED?!...with all things bronze, copper and anything to do with lighting...the old man was lovely...but he started CLEANING and POLISHING my bell!! No No I say...I want it old, rusty and verdigris!! He couldn't understand it! lol...but hey, the more vintage the better for this girl. :)

Well that's it for tonight...but can I just say...have you discovered Pinterest? Oh my...I have...and what a time waster that is!! well not wasting...an inspiration station!!!!!!! but could seriously spend all day and half the night looking at the most amazing inspirational projects, food, recipes, decorating, flowers, diy projects...and the list goes on! If you haven't checked it out...DO IT...DO IT NOW!! BUT I WARN YOU...it's terribly addictive!

ciao bellas...good to be back!

much love and blessings

jessie xxx