For as long as I’ve worked in the hospitality industry (and it’s been awhile!), chocolate has been the star of Valentine’s Day desserts. This year, however, I’m going to give some love to caramel and its velvety smooth and crunchy textures through Salted Caramel ‘Popcorn’ Pot de Crème. This is a recipe for individual desserts, of which I’ve always been a fan and take an extra measure of TLC to make. Instead of a slice of cake, you have a small round cake individually baked and decorated just for your loved one!

 Don’t worry, it’s not an individual seven-layer caramel cake that will have you slaving away for hours on end. The hardest part of this recipe is the salted caramel popcorn garnish; feel free to purchase a ready-to-eat caramel popcorn. At the end of the day, it will be made with love… Happy Heart’s Day!

SALTED CARAMEL “POP CORN” POT DE CRÈME

Pot De Crème

¼ Cup                                      Butter, unsalted (1/2 stick)
¾ Cup                                      Light Brown Sugar
¼ teaspoon                           Fine Sea Salt
1 Each                                      Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise
1 ¾ Cup                                   Heavy Cream
¾ Cup                                      Whole Milk
7 Each                                      Egg Yolks

1. Position rack at the center of the oven and pre-heat to 325 F.

2. Place 4 ceramic ramekins (or vessel of choice) in a 9” X 13” cake pan.

3. In a heavy sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar and sea salt. Using the tip of a small sharp knife scrape vanilla seeds from the bean, add to the butter mixture and drop in the bean too. Stir for 5 minutes or until the mixture has the texture of thick sand and has taken a nutty, caramel fragrance.

4. Reduce to medium-low heat and gradually whisk in the cream. The mixture will bubble vigorously and will seize when cream is added. Whisk for about 5 minutes, or until the hardened sugar bits dissolve and the mixture begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the milk.

5. In a large bowl, stir the egg yolks to blend. Gradually whisk in the warm caramel mixture. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-Cup liquid measuring cup. Pour the custard into the ceramic ramekins, dividing it equally. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, leaving one corner uncovered.

6. Place the pan in the oven and carefully pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups, then cover the open corner with the foil. Bake the custards for about 1 hour or until they are just set around the edges but still jiggle slightly when the cups are gently shaken. (Be very careful of escaping steam when you uncover the pan).

7. Remove the cups from the pan and transfer to a sheet pan to cool for 1 hour. Cover each cup with plastic wrap (if the cups do not have a lid) and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days.

Salted Caramel Popcorn

¼ Cup                          Unpopped Popcorn Kernels
2 teaspoons                 Canola Oil
½ Cup                          Butter, Salted
½ Cup                          Light Brown Sugar
¼ Cup                          Maple Syrup
½ teaspoon                  Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon                   Kosher Salt, Divided
¼ teaspoon                  Baking Soda
½ Cup                          Slivered Almonds, toasted

1. In a large, lidded sauce pot, warm 3 kernels with 2 teaspoons of oil. Make sure that you have a pot large enough to handle about 6 cups of popcorn.

2. Once those kernels pop, add the rest of the corn kernels to the pot and shake to coat with oil. Put the lid on the pot.

3. Pop the corn, shaking the pan occasionally until popping slows.

4. Empty the popped corn into a large mixing bowl, and try to pull out as many unpopped kernels as possible so they don’t end up in the mix.

5. In a separate sauce pot, melt the butter then mix in the sugar, maple syrup and ½ teaspoon of salt.

6. Once the sugar is completely moistened, increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to medium.

7. Boil for 3-4 minutes without stirring.

8. Add baking soda and vanilla to the caramel mixture, stirring until you have a thick, even, glossy sauce.

9. Slowly pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn, while stirring the popcorn. Add the slivered almonds to the popcorn at the same time as the caramel sauce. Continue to stir the popcorn and the sauce until it’s all well coated.

10. Divide the popcorn between two half sheet trays lined with silpat (non-stick silicone baking mats) and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt on top, then place in the oven.

11. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

12. Allow the popcorn to cool completely and separate clusters if needed and add more sea salt to taste.

13. Store in a zip lock bag then in an airtight container. Store in room temperature, label and rotate.

Top Salted Caramel Pot de Crème with Salted Caramel Popcorn piled high and overflowing on the plate. Serve immediately.