Excellent flavor combinations

[CanadianBakin']

I didn't notice too many flavour combo's with caramel. Any ideas?

[McAuliflower]

I didn't notice too many flavour combo's with caramel. Any ideas?

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I noted a fair number using my browsers "find in page" feature.

Caramel Occurances in thread so far:

- Saffron + caramel (just steep some saffron in hot water and add it a batch of dulce de leche as it simmers)

- red stripe beer caramel + sauteed bananna + espelette pepper + hybiscus syrup + cardamon ice cream

- black truffle ice cream + truffle caramel + marcona almonds + shaved truffle + cognac choco sauce + warm chocolate chip & truffle cookie or white truffle madelines = $50 ice cream sunday

- Espresso and Caramel (especially for ice cream)

- Buttery caramel ganache enrobed in dark chocolate and garnished with candied Hawaiian ginger.

- Caramel ganache over cashew praline, enrobed in dark choc.

- Milk chocolate ganache with caramelized bananas tossed in Jamaician rum and vanilla seeds, enrobed in milk choc.

- Granny smith apple pate de fruit over a white choc. ganache with ground caramel, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and all spice

- Caramel ganache over coffee ganache enrobed in milk choc.

- and, who could forget the classic pear and caramel

- dark chocolate + burnt caramel

- chestnut + caramel

- browned butter + any nut + chocolate caramel

- mango + caramel sauce

- black truffle + sugar + cream + water = truffle caramel sauce

- apple sorbet + bacon + caramel + balsalmic

- espelette pepper + macadamia nuts + caramel + maldon sea salt

I've also enjoyed caramel with roasted orange peel salt.

[butterscotch]

corn and butter

beans and bacon

fudge and walnuts

[McAuliflower]

from ludja's post on June taylor's Jams...

Grapefruit & Meyer Lemon

Meyer Lemon and Lime

Meyer Lemon and Rose Geranium

Silver Lime and Ginger

Blackberry & Lemon Verbena

Boysenberry & Rose Geranium

Fig & Plum

Pluot & Lavender

Apricot & Almond

Quince & Rose Geranium

edited to add more found on june taylor's site...

Blood Orange & Port

Strawberry & Rose Geranium

Strawberry Rosemary

Boysenberry & Rose Geranium

Buddha's Hand & Rose Geranium

Buddha's Hand & Rosemary

Silver Lime & Rosemary

Strawberry Mint

Strawberry & Provençal Lavender

oh joy!

Edited February 27, 2006 by McAuliflower (log)

[CanadianBakin']

McAuliflower - I'm sorry I should have done that myself. Thanks for putting them all together!

[McAuliflower]

McAuliflower - I'm sorry I should have done that myself. Thanks for putting them all together!

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no problem- it was a good refresher of what's on the list (its pretty dense with ideas!).

[Kouign Aman]

almond with raspberry - especially good accompanied by coffee

orange peel & rosemary - great in bread

saffron and raisins

dried figs and cheese - pick your fig, pick your cheese.

[Truffle Guy]

I didn't notice too many flavour combo's with caramel. Any ideas?

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With the number of replies, I'm sure some of these caramels will be redundant but here goes. All of these caramels are very fluid and are centers in my bon bons. They are very easy to make and the combinations are pretty endless:

Rosemary Caramel -

Lavendar Caramel

Earl Grey Caramel

Creme Brulee - I brush the inside of a white shell with Chambord then drop in some bits of caramelized sugar and then finish it with a white chocolate-vanilla bean caramel. I just expermented and came up with this a few weeks ago and it has gotten the best response of almost anything I've ever done.

Lemon Caramel

Gran Marnier Caramel

Some I will be experimenting with shortly:

Basil and Curry Caramel

Anise Caramel

Key Lime Caramel

Cardamon Caramel

[Rebecca263]

I swear that I'm not a peppercorn fiend, but I've tried all of these combos and do adore them:

Baked apple with cracked black peppercorns

Apple tart with whole black peppercorns

Pear tart with whole black peppercorns

Baked pear with cracked pink peppercorns and drizzles of caramel

Small squares of caramel with a few crystals of kosher salt and a tiny few bits of cracked black peppercorn atop each piece. Somehow, it was better with the addition of the salt grains than with just the peppercorns alone.

And for a savory salad dressing I like the combination of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil and a bit of adobe seasoning... it's so much better than a plain vinaigrette, especially when you add some sliced strawberries to the greens! OK, now add some blue cheese! Aaah, heaven!

[delhigirl]

red apples and cheese

caramelized bananas + coconut

caramelized dry coconut

caramelized fresh coconut

caramelized orange peel + fresh coconut

bananas, fresh coconut, melted chocolate, slightly smoky honey

bananas, oranges, fresh coconut, melted chocolate

salty butter, large sugar crystals that go CRUNCH, lemon

fennel + basmati rice

fennel + black tea

green chillis + garlic + coriander + lime

ripe mangoes + red chillis +coriander seeds + curry leaves

green guavas + rock salt

[nightscotsman]

I'm a little late to this party, so I hope most of these aren't repeats:

lavender and

- nectarine

- peach

- apricot

- honey

- dark chocolate

rosemary or thyme and

- pear

- apple

- dark chocolate

- caramel

- blackberries

pineapple and

- cilantro

- maple syrup

coconut and

- orange

- strawberry

black pepper and

- dark chocolate

- strawberry

green tea and

- dark chocolate

coffee and

- walnuts

- gianduja

- caramel

banana and

- sesame

passion fruit and

- cilantro

- apricot

- mango

- lychee

blueberry and

- lemon

- red wine

- cinnamon

[HQAntithesis]

As a stab in the dark, how about milk chocolate and green apples? Would that work?

[petite tête de chou]

As a stab in the dark, how about milk chocolate and green apples? Would that work?

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Why not? I've seen chocolate-caramel covered green apples for sale in the autumn.

[Kieranm]

dried figs and cheese - pick your fig, pick your cheese.

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Very cool thread to get the brain going. Just found it, so talk about late to the party!

Anyway, as to the above we have done caramalised fig and goats cheese. Very good.

You have listed so many good ones. Here's a few I missed:

White chocolate and rosewater

Ginger and rosemary

Passionfruit and peach

Mango and jalapeno

Marsala wine with just about anything

[Kerry Beal]

Hope I'm not repeating

pineapple + coconut + dark rum

chocolate + hazelnut + orange

white chocolate + oil of bergemot + black pepper

cheddar cheese + bitter orange marmalade

apple pie + cheddar cheese (my dad always says that apple pie without cheese, is like a hug without a squeeze)

dark chocolate + humbugs

strawberry + coriander + orange rind

raspberry + violet

and that classic PB + J

[Wendy DeBord]

dark chocolate + humbugs

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What's a humbug?

[Kerry Beal]

dark chocolate + humbugs

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What's a humbug?

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It's a little hard pulled candy, that is brown with lighter stripes. Everyones granny had them around when I was a kid. English I think. Tastes a little bit like caramel and a bit minty.

[Teri Everitt]

[

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It's a little hard pulled candy, that is brown with lighter stripes. Everyones granny had them around when I was a kid. English I think. Tastes a little bit like caramel and a bit minty.

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[Kerry Beal]

Anyway, to get back to the topic:

How about some spring themed flavour combinations? I won't actually be able to use any local produce until the rhubarb is ready, so I'll start with a rhubarb one...

Rhubarb, honey, almond, fig and calvados.

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[McAuliflower]

I just love this thread.

I'm looking for a fun set of flavors for strawberry truffles...

the Dec 06 Bon Appetit has a Balsamic Truffle with Katrina Markoff of Vosges that I'm thinking of rolling in powdered strawberries.

Also thinking of tossing some whole peppercorns into the ganache cream. That wouldn't be overdoing it, would it?

[Miriam Rozian]

I just tuned into this thread, and thought I'd toss in a few sweet kitchen offerings of my own. There are plenty of exotic flavor combinations, like:

Pomegranate and sage or jasmine

Lychee and Rata (vaguely eucalyptus-like New Zealand floral) honey

Pinenuts and pumpkin or sweet potato

Rose water or rose petal jelly and strawberries

Grappa and dark chocolate

Carrot, cardamom, ginger and star anise

Roasted cashews and chai spices

Red bean paste and tangerines

Among more traditional, but not previously mentioned flavor combinations:

Pears, apricots, or raspberries and almond [marzipan or frangipane]

Milk chocolate, chestnuts and brandy

Poppyseeds and lemon/orange, or prune, or espresso

Currants with sweet fruits (pear, apple, orange)

Chevre, berries and mint

Riesling with pears or apples

Golden raisins and fennel seed or rosemary

Just throwing ideas around...

~M

[McAuliflower]

has this thread jumped the shark?

some recent favorite flavor combos:

keifer + blueberries + pineapple

grapefruit + cilantro

carrot+ ginger + coconut

[ksaw29]

Bump...

I noticed no orange combinations.

White chocolate and blood orange

Mango curd and orange

[TeakettleSlim]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread, and think it deserves a bump!

And I will add to it:

apple and thyme

blueberry and lavender

plum and tarragon

peach and basil

molasses and dark chocolate

[andiesenji]

An accidental "pairing" that turned out to be particularly tasty, lemon curd with a generous topping of freshly ground black pepper.

The flavor was simply amazing.

I'm going to try peppering my next batch of lime curd (made with the little Mexican limes -AKA key limes).