yesterday, i returned home from a great trip to visit my friends maggie and tanya in chicago and champaign illinois. it was a whirlwind trip, but it was great to reconnect with some of my oldest friends before coming home to hunker down for the holidays. it's funny. in my old career, the holidays were a time to slow down and spend time at home and with family. this year is going to be all about the food.

wes and i have amped up our catering biz by adding ready to eat meals for delivery or pick up to our repertoire, i'm cooking up a thanksgiving spread for a photo shoot tomorrow and the calendar is quickly filling with holiday parties and jobs. and while it is a little daunting now that i'm finally busy, it's exciting. a year of planning and working is finally starting to pay off. and i feel like i have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. 

so i want to share the joy. and one of the best ways i know how is with this salted caramel. it is the perfect sweet treat to have on hand during the holidays. you can drizzle it over ice cream or mix it in with your cream cheese frosting for an extra decadent cake. or if you are like me, you can just eat it straight off a spoon. your choice. 

salted caramel
serves: 1 cup
prep time: 2 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
cooling time: 20-30 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: 1 cup sugar. 4 tablespoons water. 2 tablespoons light corn syrup .5 cup heavy cream. 2 tablespoons butter. .5 teaspoon lemon juice. .5 teaspoon kosher salt. 

start by combining the sugar, water and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir it with a wooden spoon over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
stay patient.

it seams like it taking a really long time, but all of a sudden the liquid will look completely clear. be patient. should take between 7-10 minutes.

when the sugar has dissolved, cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
after the 3 minutes, remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high heat. bring the mixture to a rapid boil.

from this point, do not stir. instead, swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn. 

continue to cook the caramel until it turns into an even amber color. then remove it from the heat and let it stand for 30 seconds.

now, carefully pour the heavy cream into the caramel mixture. it will bubble up fast and is very hot.

gently whisk the mixture. 

add the butter, lemon juice and salt. whisk until combined.

allow the caramel to cool to room temperature. whisk every few minutes until completely cooled and you can move it into a storage container. about 20-30 minutes depending on how cool it is out. you can use immediately or store in the fridge for 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months.

xo, a

salted caramel
serves: 1 cup
prep time: 2 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
cooling time: 20-30 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: 1 cup sugar. 4 tablespoons water. 2 tablespoons light corn syrup .5 cup heavy cream. 2 tablespoons butter. .5 teaspoon lemon juice. .5 teaspoon kosher salt.
start by combining the sugar, water and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir it with a wooden spoon over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
stay patient.
it seams like it taking a really long time, but all of a sudden the liquid will look completely clear. be patient. should take between 7-10 minutes.
when the sugar has dissolved, cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
after the 3 minutes, remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high heat. bring the mixture to a rapid boil.
from this point, do not stir. instead, swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn.
continue to cook the caramel until it turns into an even amber color. then remove it from the heat and let it stand for 30 seconds.
now, carefully pour the heavy cream into the caramel mixture. it will bubble up fast and is very hot.
gently whisk the mixture. add the butter, lemon juice and salt.
whisk until combined.
allow the caramel to cool to room temperature. whisk every few minutes until completely cooled and you can move it into a storage container. about 20-30 minutes depending on how cool it is out. you can use immediately or store in the fridge for 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months.

i'm not going to lie to you. the food coming out of our kitchen lately has been pretty insane. wes and i are really hitting our stride as far as taste and technique go and the results have been magic. and in my world, lots of good food comes with lots of good photos.

so i'm doing that common dance many of us do. deleting things from our phone to make space for new music, photos and apps. so i've been rummaging through old photos, deciding what i need and what i don't, and i stumbled upon this gem. 

we like to bust this recipe out for easy sundays in, or catering brunches. it is easy, a real crowd pleaser and is a stunning centerpiece to any breakfast buffet.

maple + bacon + bourbon monkey bread
total time: 1.5 hours
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 80 minutes
ingredients: 2 16 oz packages refrigerated biscuit dough. 1 cup white sugar. 2 tbs cinnamon. 1 cup butter, divided. 3 slices crispy cooked bacon, roughly chopped. 1 cup brown sugar. 2 tbs bourbon. 2 tbs maple sugar. angel food or bundt pan. aluminum foil.

start by cooking your bacon. you can cook it two different ways. you can place the strips on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 400 f for 20-22 minutes till crispy. or you can cook your bacon in a large frypan over medium low heat for 20-30 minutes until they are crispy. flipping a couple times. either way, when your bacon is cooked, pat it dry and roughly chop it into pieces. 

while your bacon is cooking, combine bourbon, brown sugar, butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan. cook over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves. about 5-7 minutes. set the sauce aside to cool. whatever you do not use can be stored in the fridge for a month or two.
preheat your oven to 350 degrees f. 

slice your biscuit rounds into quarters and lightly butter your pan. combine your white sugar and a cinnamon in a medium bowl. 

a few at a time, dunk pieces of biscuit into the remaining smelted butter. when lightly coated with butter, dump them into the sugar and cinnamon mixture and then create a bottom layer in your baking pan. 

when you have a complete layer, sprinkle one third of the bacon over the top and drizzle with some of the brown sugar sauce. 

continue on with another row of biscuit dough. sprinkle with one third of the bacon and some more of the sugar sauce. 

finish off with one more row of dough, the remaining bacon and an additional drizzle of brown sugar sauce. 

cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes covered. uncover and bake for an additional 15-25 minutes till golden browned and cooked through.
remove from the oven and allow to cool, covered, for about 10 minutes. turn the pan upside down on a cake stand or plate and serve hot with additional sauce for those who like it extra sweet. 

xo,a

maple + bacon + bourbon monkey bread
total time: 1.5 hours
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 80 minutes
ingredients: 2 16 oz packages refrigerated biscuit dough. 1 cup white sugar. 2 tbs cinnamon. 1 cup butter, divided. 3 slices crispy cooked bacon, roughly chopped. 1 cup brown sugar. 2 tbs bourbon. 2 tbs maple sugar. angel food or bundt pan. aluminum foil.
start by cooking your bacon. you can cook it two different ways. you can place the strips on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 400 f for 20-22 minutes till crispy. or you can cook your bacon in a large frypan over medium low heat for 20-30 minutes until they are crispy. flipping a couple times. either way, when your bacon is cooked, pat it dry and roughly chop it into pieces.
while your bacon is cooking, combine bourbon, brown sugar, butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan. cook over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves. about 5-7 minutes. set the sauce aside to cool. whatever you do not use can be stored in the fridge for a month or two.
preheat your oven to 350 degrees f.
slice your biscuit rounds into quarters and lightly butter your pan. combine your white sugar and a cinnamon in a medium bowl.
a few at a time, dunk pieces of biscuit into the remaining smelted butter. when lightly coated with butter, dump them into the sugar and cinnamon mixture and then create a bottom layer in your baking pan.
when you have a complete layer, sprinkle one third of the bacon over the top and drizzle with some of the brown sugar sauce.
continue on with another row of biscuit dough. sprinkle with one third of the bacon and some more of the sugar sauce.
finish off with one more row of dough, the remaining bacon and an additional drizzle of brown sugar sauce.
cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes covered. uncover and bake for an additional 15-25 minutes till golden browned and cooked through.
remove from the oven and allow to cool, covered, for about 10 minutes. turn the pan upside down on a cake stand or plate and serve hot with additional sauce for those who like it extra sweet.