Chocolate, caramel, cocoa make day complete

By ANNA LAST Everyday Food

Everyone wins when these decadent ingredients team up for dessert.

Plus, learn an essential recipe for a foolproof, all-purpose caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce

Makes 2 cups

PREP TIME: 15 minutes. TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes, plus cooling.

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup sugar over medium-high heat until melted and brown at edges, about 3 minutes. With a heat-resistant spatula, pull melted sugar toward center until all sugar is melted and caramel is deep amber in color, about 3 minutes more.

Immediately whisk in 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

Whisk in 1/2 cup heavy cream.

Pour into a heatproof container and let cool. (To store, refrigerate up to 3 weeks.)

Nutritional information per tablespoons: 112 calories; 7 grams fat (4.4 grams sat fat); 0.2 gram protein; 12.7 grams carbohydrates; 0 gram fiber

Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes with Caramel Sauce

Serves 4.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes. TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes + chilling.

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus more, room temperature, for ramekins

1/3 cup sugar, plus more for ramekins

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Caramel Sauce (see above), for serving

Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter four 6-ounce ramekins, then coat lightly with sugar, tapping out excess. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate. Microwave until melted, about 1 minute; stir until smooth. (Or melt mixture in a heatproof bowl set over, not in, a pan of simmering water.)

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, yolks, flour and salt; add chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Fill each ramekin three-quarters full with batter; place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate 15 minutes.

Bake until center of each cake is soft but not wet when pressed, about 27 minutes to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve cakes warm, topped with caramel and whipped cream.

Nutritional information per serving: 519 calories; 40 grams fat (21.5 grams saturated fat); 8.5 grams protein; 44.4 grams carbohydrates; 3.3 grams fiber

Chocolate-Caramel Sandwich Cookies

Makes 40.

PREP TIME: 30 minutes. TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes plus cooling.

For cookies:

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1-1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

For Frosting:

1/4 cup Caramel Sauce (see above), cooled

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until pale and fluffy; stir in egg yolk.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir flour mixture into butter mixture until a dough forms. Using level teaspoons, drop dough, 1 inch apart, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake until cookies are puffed and cracked, about 8 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove sheets from oven and tap firmly on a counter to flatten cookies. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. (To store, keep in an airtight container up to 3 days.)

Make frosting: In a bowl, beat together caramel and butter with a wooden spoon until smooth; gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Spread frosting on flat sides of half the cookies and top with remaining cookies.

Nutritional information per cookie: 125 calories; 6.9 grams fat (4.3 grams saturated fat); 0.8 gram protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 0.5 gram fiber

Chocolate-Caramel Doughnut Holes

Makes 28 to 30.

PREP TIME: 45 minutes. TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes.

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface

1 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 cup sugar, plus more for coating

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

28 to 30 store-bought soft caramel squares, unwrapped

5 to 6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together sugar, buttermilk, butter and eggs until thoroughly combined. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until a smooth dough forms.

On a lightly floured work surface, pat dough flat and lightly flour. Roll out dough to a 1/3-inch thickness.

Cut into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter (to lift rounds from work surface, use a thin spatula). Reroll and cut scraps.

Place a caramel in the center of each round, pinch dough closed around it, and gently roll into a smooth ball.

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Fill a wide shallow bowl with 1 inch sugar. In a large heavy pot, heat 4 inches oil until it registers 350F on a candy thermometer. In batches of 4, fry doughnuts 5 minutes, turning once with a slotted spoon and adjusting heat as needed. Transfer doughnuts to prepared sheet; let rest 4 minutes. Roll in sugar to coat. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information per doughnut: 162 calories; 6.1 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat); 2.9 grams protein; 26.1 grams carbohydrates; 1.3 grams fiber

• Questions or comments about the column should be sent to everydayfood@marthastewart.com.

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