From eclairs to a light (and yummy) panna cotta, these delicious caramel desserts are sure to impress and leave your guests wanting more.  

Sea-salt caramels

Makes 20 // Cooking time 2 hours 25 min 

Ingredients 

2½ cups sugar
1 cup water
385 g tin condensed milk
115 g butter, cubed
1 tbsp sea-salt flakes 

Method 

1. Line and grease a loaf tin.
2. Heat the sugar and water in a pot over low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil and cook, swirling the pot occasionally, until the mixture turns a deep amber.
3. Remove from the heat and add the condensed milk and butter. Allow to bubble for a few seconds, then whisk vigorously.
4. Return to medium heat. Use a sugar thermometer to monitor the caramel. Cook, whisking all the time, until it reaches 115°C. Remove from the heat and add 2 tsp sea salt flakes.
5. Pour into loaf tin and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp sea salt flakes. Leave to cool and set, at least 2 hours.
6. Use a hot knife to slice into bite-sized caramels. Wrap in waxed paper and store in a cool place.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli 

No-churn salted-caramel ice-cream sandwiches

Makes 10-12  

Ingredients  

500 ml cream 
3 cans Caramel Treat, plus extra for drizzling 
½ tsp sea salt flakes (or use fine salt) 
1 box (400 g) ready-rolled puff pastry, defrosted 
Chopped and toasted nuts or praline, for serving 
Mint leaves, for garnish   

Method 

1. Whisk the cream into stiff peaks. 
2. Whisk the caramel until smooth.  
3.  Add half of the cream to the caramel and mix until well combined, then fold in the remaining cream.  
4. Pour into a 30×20 cm tray and freeze for 8–12 hours or overnight.  
5. Preheat oven to 200 °C. Prick pastry all over with a fork and cut into rectangles.  
6. Place on a baking tray and bake for 13–18 minutes or until golden. Cool.  
7. Cut ice cream into the same size as pastry shapes. Refreeze to set, if needed.  
8. Sandwich the ice cream portions between two pastry rectangles.  
9. Serve drizzled with extra caramel, top with toasted nuts or praline and garnish with mint leaves. 

Cook’s note: Cut the ice cream before the party and refreeze to avoid a sticky, melting mess.  

Recipe and photography: Fresh Living Magazine 

Peppermint Crisp & Caramel Swiss Roll

Serves 6–8 // Total time 30 min + cooling 

Ingredients 

For the Swiss roll 

3 eggs
1 cup (130 g) caster sugar
1 cup (130 g) cake flour 
¾ tsp baking powder 
½ tsp salt   

To assemble 

1 can Caramel Treat 
1 (49 g) Peppermint Crisp chocolate bar, finely chopped 
½ cup cream, whipped   

Method  

For the Swiss roll 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 ºC. Grease and line a 23×33 cm Swiss roll tray.
2. Using an electric hand mixer, whip the eggs and caster sugar until tripled in volume and pale in colour, about 5 minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the egg mixture. Gently fold in using a large metal spoon until the flour is just combined. 
4. Pour the batter into the prepared tray and bake for 10 min until lightly golden.
5. Line a kitchen cloth with a piece of baking paper and sprinkle a layer of castor sugar. When the cake is baked, tip it out on to the cloth and roll up into a tight coil starting from the short end. Leave for 10 minutes until cool, then carefully unroll.

To assemble 

1. Whip the caramel with an electric mixer until smooth. 
2. Spread three-quarters of the caramel in an even layer over the Swiss roll. Sprinkle over half the chopped Peppermint Crisp and top with a layer of whipped cream. 
3. Carefully roll up the Swiss roll and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Decorate with the remaining caramel and chocolate.

Cook’s note: Experiment with flavour. You can also fill this Swiss roll with your favourite jam and serve with fresh berries. 

Styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Photography: Callen Jefferson/hmimages.co.za 

Salted-caramel panna cotta

Makes 4 // Cooking time: 1 hour 20 min 

Ingredients 

300 ml cream
250 ml milk
2 tsp salt, plus to decorate
3 gelatine leaves
200 g sugar
2 tbsp water 

Method 

1. Lightly grease 4 moulds.
2. Scald the cream and milk in a pot over medium heat. Add salt.
3. Place the gelatine leaves in ice water to soak.
4. Meanwhile, boil sugar and 2 tbsp water in a pot over high heat until the sugar reaches a dark caramel colour.
5. Remove from the heat and add the warm cream and milk immediately. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature.
6. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine. Add it, stirring until fully dissolved.
7. Pour the mixture into the moulds and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.
8. Remove panna cottas from moulds by placing them in hot water for a few seconds before turning out.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli 

White-chocolate-and-caramel eclairs

Makes 10 eclairs // Hands-on 60 mins // Hands-off 75 min 

Ingredients 

For the choux pastry 

85 g unsalted butter
220 ml water
100 g flour
Pinch of fine sea salt
3 large eggs, beaten 

For the eclairs 

150 g white chocolate
250 ml cream
360 g tin caramel  

Method 

For the choux pastry  

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C and grease a baking tray.
2. Bring butter and water to the boil.
3. Sift flour and salt on to a piece of waxed paper and pour into the boiling water.
4. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Spread out on a plate and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
5. Once cool, return dough to the pot. Gradually beat in the eggs until it reaches a consistency that lazily drops off the spoon. (You may not need to use all the egg.)

For the eclairs 

1. Pour the pastry mixture into a piping bag with a wide nozzle tip. Pipe oblongs on to a baking tray. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden.
2. Use a skewer to pierce a hole in the base of each pastry, then leave upside-down on a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat.
4. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold in the caramel.
5. Cut each pastry in half and fill with caramel cream.
6. Dip each filled pastry into the melted chocolate. Use a blowtorch to slightly burn it. Serve immediately.

Also read: Caramel 101

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