Praline Patisserie's Lavender Caramel Sauce

My one impulse buy at the Little Italy Farmer's Market was a ten ounce jar of Praline Patisserie's Lavender Caramel Sauce for a whopping (for me) US$8.00. The vendor at the stand was waving caramel samples in my face and I am a big sucker for caramel. The lavender was fragrant and floral in my mouth so I had to have it. She said that the caramel sauce has a shelf-life of about 3 months unopened before it starts to separate.

I forgot about my guilty pleasure after sticking it in the back of my pantry to save for a good time. More than 3 months had passed and the caramel already started to separate. It was time to break it out. After opening, a good mix with a chopstick brought the suspension of pure cane sugar, cream, glucose, butter, dried organic lavender, and sea salt back together.

The jar states, "Each batch of our artisan caramel is watched closely as it develops the rich amber color & complex flavors we are known for. The perfect care for an aching sweet tooth, it is great on anything from apples to ice cream and you'll probably want to eat it straight from the jar!"

Opening the jar, the silky, sticky, gooey caramel was bursting with the aroma of lavender mingling with the sweet caramel. It tasted even more decadent and indulgent than it smelled. The texture was smooth and thick. The caramel flavors hit first and are equally balanced by the lavender, which lingers on your tongue. The lavender caramel was great with apples, but it was even better to eat out of the jar. Just pluge your finger in the soft goodness and roll it around your tongue making sure the flavors spread to every taste bud dotting your tongue. I think most of the jar disappeared this way. Oh yes, pour that sugar in me. That lavender caramel is so divine you cannot resist a lick of it.

Praline Patisserie. Find them at one of San Diego's farmer's markets. PralinePatisserie.com.

Rotiboy

The smell is captivating. Warm, fresh from the oven baked goodness tickles and tempts olfactory glands. The sweet aroma makes your stomach growl and the queues at the stand for the buns pulled directly from the oven show reflect how tasty it is. Rotiboy is a bakery chain that serves only one thing: Rotiboy. There are other variations to choose from, but you can only get the original Rotiboy bun hot from the oven about any time of day. The Rotiboy chain also offers other types of pastries and sandwiches, but what made it famous is the Signature Rotiboy Original Bun, which is also likened to the "Mexican Bun." Butter, milk, flour, water, sugar, salt, and coffee are combined and baked resulting in a sweetly divine, round bun with a hint of coffee and an artery clogging buttery center. Rotiboy was founded in Penang, Malaysia and has expanded to stores in Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand.


I stood in line patiently as the bakers expertly removed the buns from the oven in pairs putting one each into a bag. There are directions on the bag on how to enjoy your Rotiboy at home like it was fresh from the oven (pre-heat oven to about 180°C and heat for about 10 minutes) and where else to find it in Indonesia. Each bun cost 7000Rp. The smell was thrilling and comforting at the same time. The first bite was warm and the spongy, sweet cake melts along your tongue as you chew. The crust is barely firm and hints of coffee linger along your taste buds and nostrils. Reaching the center, you bite into a sinfully buttery middle that is slightly gooey. It is fabulously doughy. Yum. What a great start to the day. What a great part of the day for my stomach!

If you are looking for a recipe, try this one from House of Annie or this one. I do not recall seeing a topping (someone commented about this in the posts) piped onto the dough, but rather the dough resting and waiting for baking in temperature-controlled storage units. Maybe this was added right before baking.

Rotiboy. Multiple locations. www.rotiboy.com

Lokum At Its Best

Where else is the best place to get quality lokum than its native country, Turkey? Every corner at every sweet food stall and confectioner vendors are proudly displaying their variety of Turkish delight. The difference between the Turkish delight made in Turkey (Istanbul, in this case) and other countries, such as the United Kingdom, is that the confection is not too sweet. Another difference is the significance in flavor. Instead of being "lemon-flavored" or "rose-flavored" where the taste implies a sweetner that happens to have a tinge of lemon or rose, the lokum is infused with the essence of the lemon or tastes exactly like the scent of a rose. As just sweet enough, the proper flavor intended comes through. Other Turkish delight varieties which are popular are pistachio, hazelnut, and walnut. Some stands offer varities that combine flavors such as rose and pistachio (particularly good) or pistachio with milk or walnut and lemon. If you do happen to find yourself in Turkey, make a point of sampling the local Turkish delight. If or when you decide to bring some home, be sure to make your own box instead of the pre-packaged boxes to ensure freshness.