The mister isn't much of a praying man, nope, he thinks people who pray suffer from mental illness, why else would they "talk" to themselves? Lately however, the mister has been uttering the most curious things - they almost sound like he's praying...Lordy, I hope this weather holds...Jiminychristmas, it sure would be nice if it didn't rain this week...I just might promise to behave if the clouds stayed away...yep, sounds like praying to me! And what would bring this about you ask?? Well, as you might surmise, the mister has gotten himself into somewhat of a pickle...he started his "summer project" LAST WEEK...just a wee bit late, no? He has been "goin' to" paint the front door for months...last week he sanded it and now the race is on to see if he can get it primed and painted before it rains!! Oh sure, painting a door shouldn't take that long...but when you have to run to Home Depot TWICE a day for supplies things kind of drag out...we are on Day FOUR of the door painting saga...if I were a betting gal I'd say by the end of the week the mister will hire someone to finish the job...or I will!
Salted Caramel is everywhere...I fully expect to see clothing and shoe designers incorporate salted caramel into their creations...like the Salted Caramel dress...rich amber colors swirled together with a sprinkling of Swarovski crystals ...the Salted Caramel Stiletto, luscious shades of gold dotted with crushed diamonds for the gal who wants to step out in a delicious way! Actually, that might not be a bad idea, because really, who doesn't like salted caramel anything?!?!? Well, hold onto your salt shaker because this Salted Caramel Peanut Pie is the one salted caramel recipe you need in your designer recipe box!
Let's do some math: Buttery crust + toasted peanuts + rich caramel + sea salt = one dang tasty treat! And it's easy to make, too! The first time I made this I took it to a birthday luncheon and it was met with raves! That was in March, and since then I've probably made it five or six times...I tend to be obsessive with things that I love - and I do love this!
Honest to Pete, this one is worth the calories! This can serve 12, because it's super rich so a little goes a long way. Make this one kids...you'll thank me!
Salted Caramel Peanut Pie - Adapted from Bouchon Bakery Cookbook via Joyce Murray (Thanks Joyce - you gave me the cookbook years ago and I love it!)
For the Pie Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz. cold butter, but into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons ice water
For the Caramel:
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 oz. peanuts, toasted
sea salt, for sprinkling
To make the crust: In a large bowl with somewhat flat sides (the flatter the better, if you use a bowl with straight sides blending in the butter takes longer ;-0) whisk together the flour and salt. Sprinkle the butter pieces over the flour and using a pastry blender, rock the blender back and forth against the sides of the bowl until almost all of the butter as been "cut" in, leaving pieces that are about the size of a small pea. Sprinkle the water over the top of the flour mixture and mix until just combined, where the dough just starts to come together. Do not over-mix. "Smush" dough together into a round disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes. (You can refrigerate overnight.)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. lightly spray a 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Top with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment and then add either baking beans, pie weights or raw rice, filling the pie pan almost to the top (this helps the crust not to shrink). Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights, then bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Set on a rack to cool completely.
Put peanuts in a frying pan over high-heat, and stir continuously for about 3 to 5 minutes or until peanuts give off a nutty fragrance and are very lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
While crust is baking, make the caramel: In a large pan over high heat, bring the corn syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the sugar; cook until sugar has dissolved and the mixture turns a rich amber color. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the butter and cream, stirring continuously until the mixture reaches 237 degrees on an instant-read thermometer or candy thermometer. (You want the caramel to be soft-chewy, but not too soft because it has to hold up. The original recipe said to cook the caramel until it reached 248 degrees, but in my way of thinking, that's WAY too long, so to make sure I had the caramel at the right consistency, I did the cold water test: In a glass of ice cold water put a half teaspoon of caramel and let it sit for a few seconds, then remove it and if it holds its shape but is pliable and somewhat soft, then it's done!) Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
Pour peanuts into cooled crust. Pour caramel over the peanuts while it's still warm, filling the pie pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely before slicing. Serves 12.
