Boston Cream Candy Recipes

Steps:

• Butter an 8x8-inch baking pan.
• Line the pan with a piece of parchment large enough to hang over two sides.
• Butter the paper, too, and tuck it flat against the pan.
• Put the chopped pecan pieces in a handy spot where you'll be working.
• Combine the sugar, salt, Karo syrup, half-and-half, cream, and butter in a heavy-based 3-qt pan (do not use a smaller pan), stirring with a wooden spoon over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• This can take a while, and it's hard to see; you should feel the texture (rub a little between your fingers or run your finger along the mixture clinging to the spoon) to be sure all the sugar is dissolved.
• Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the mixture foams to a boil.
• Add the baking soda.
• Lower the heat and stir like mad.
• The mixture will double in volume and then gradually subside and begin to take on a golden hue.
• After the mixture settles a bit, put in a warmed candy thermometer.
• Continue to stir constantly, scraping the sides, and cook over medium-low heat until the thermometer registers just 240°F.
• Watch very carefully, as the thermometer will hover at 239° for a while and then move up.
• You must remove the mixture before it passes 240°F.
• Remove the pot from the heat and take out the thermometer.
• Continue to stir quickly.
• The candy will look like a loose caramel sauce.
• Add the vanilla (watch out, it may sputter) and stir carefully to incorporate.
• Add the pecans and continue stirring quickly.
• Don't take your eyes off the mixture at this point.
• Watch and feel it as it begins to thicken, lighten in color, and become harder to stir.
• When it has thickened enough to leave a path on the bottom of the pan while you're stirring, it's just about ready.
• The moment you notice that the mixture is just beginning to lose its glossy shine, turn it out into the buttered pan.
• Don't wait until the mixture looks completely matte or it will be too dry when you try to cut it.
• If you stop stirring at the right moment, the mixture will firm up almost the second it hits the pan.
• Too soon, it will never be anything more than caramel (although very good caramel); too long, it will harden in the pot.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
• Crack the eggs into a small container and set aside. Set the sugar aside. Then, in a small bowl, mix the gluten-free flour, nutmeg and salt together with a fork and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter with a paddle attachment until the butter is light in color and fluffy. Add the sugar to the butter and continue beating until the sugar is uniformly incorporated into the butter. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then restart the mixer on low speed and add 1 egg at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated in the butter mixture before adding the next egg.
• Once all the eggs have been added, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that all the butter is incorporated with the eggs. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk and oil, added in two additions, fully incorporating each addition into the batter before moving to the next step. If needed, stop the mixer after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then resume mixing on low. Once all the dry ingredients and the milk have been combined with the butter mixture, evenly fill the cupcake pan cavities two-thirds of the way. Bake the cupcakes until the top of each cupcake is slightly springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately turn the cupcakes out of the pan onto a cooling rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
• Putting it all together: Using an apple corer or knife, core the centers out of the cooled cupcakes and remove. Fill the cupcakes with the Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream. Pipe the Dark Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream to cover the top of each cooled cupcake.
• Bring the shallow dish or container for the finished pastry cream near the stovetop, and have the plastic wrap nearby as well. Measure the butter and vanilla bean paste into a small container and bring over near the stovetop. Pour the milk and 1/4 cup sugar into a heavy saucepot and scald over medium heat until the milk starts to steam. Do not boil the milk!
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to combine and prevent any lumps in the cornstarch, and then add the whole egg and egg yolks. Whisk the egg yolk mixture until smooth and completely combined, and then bring over to the stove area and set the bowl with the yolks on top of a damp dish towel.
• When the milk is steaming, remove from the heat. Whisking the egg yolk mixture constantly, slowly pour the milk in a steady stream into the egg yolk mixture. Once all the milk is combined with the egg yolk mixture, pour it back into the saucepot and return to medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Continue whisking and bring it to a boil. Let the egg yolk mixture boil for 1 minute (and continue whisking constantly so lumps don't form!) and then remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla bean paste, and then pour the entire contents of the pot into the shallow dish.
• Immediately cover the surface of the pastry cream with the plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour. Once cool, remove from the refrigerator and whisk until completely smooth and lump free. Fill a piping bag with the pastry cream and set aside until you need it.
• Measure the sugar and 1/4 cup water into a heavy saucepan and heat over high heat until the sugar mixture reaches 250 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes (use a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature).
• While the sugar is cooking, beat the egg whites on medium speed in the mixing bowl of a stand mixture to the soft peak stage (whites will look foamy and white). Be careful not to over whip the whites (if the egg whites start to look clumpy, then they've been over whipped. If this happens, toss them out and start again! If the whites are beating faster than the sugar is cooking, turn down the mixer speed. You can always turn up the speed if you need to!) Add the cream of tartar and continue whipping.
• While the egg whites are whipping on medium speed, gently pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl. Turn the speed up to high and whip until the mixing bowl no longer feels warm to the touch, about 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted.
• Turn the mixer speed back to medium and add the butter in small chunks until it is completely incorporated. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla bean paste and sea salt. Turn the mixer back on medium-low speed until the vanilla paste has mixed entirely through the buttercream. Spoon a small amount (about 1/2 cup) of the buttercream into the melted dark chocolate and stir to combine. Add the chocolate mixture back to the buttercream and whip thoroughly, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the chocolate is combined.
• Fit an 18-inch plastic piping bag with an 847 star tip and twist the bag right by the tip to prevent the buttercream from leaking out. While you grasp the piping bag right above the star tip with your hand, fold the top of the piping bag over your hand and spoon the butter cream into the piping bag.

Steps:

• Combine sugar, cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Cook to soft ball stage (238 degrees F on candy thermometer), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and add maple flavoring and vanilla. Pour into a large bowl and beat with a mixer until creamy. Add pecans. Drop by teaspoonsful onto buttered waxed paper. Let cool for 1 hour. Store in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

Steps:

• For custard, in a heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch; whisk in milk and egg yolks. Cook and stir over medium heat; bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Immediately transfer to a clean bowl; stir in vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of filling; cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold., While custard is chilling, make cake layers. Preheat oven to 375°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper and dust with flour., In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For glaze, in a small saucepan, bring water and butter to a simmer; immediately remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth; cool slightly. , Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with cold custard. Top with the second cake layer. Spoon chocolate glaze over the top, allowing it to drip down sides of cake. Refrigerate until serving.

Steps:

• Mix sugar, Karo, and cream,. Cook until soft ball forms. Take off heat, add butter and vanilla. Let cool, then add pecans and beat until ready to drop. Pour into buttered 8 x 8 pan. Cool and then cut into squares. If you want chocolate candy, add 2 heaping Tblsp of Cocoa with the sugar, Karo and cream.

Steps:

• Beat pudding mix and 1 cup milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP. Let stand 5 min. Meanwhile, cut cake horizontally into 2 layers with serrated knife.
• Stack cake layers on plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers.
• Microwave chocolate and butter in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Add sugar and remaining milk; mix well. Spread over cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Steps:

• Combine sugar, cornstarch & salt in saucepan. Add milk, vanilla & egg yolks, stir with wire wisk until blended. Cook over medium heat, strring constantly until thickened. Cool completely.
• You can also add a cup of whipped cream to make a fluffier, moussie type filling, or 2 oz. of baking chocolate for a chocolatey one.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry bag; insert a small tip. Fill with pudding. Push the tip through the top to fill each cupcake., Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Spoon over cupcakes. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.