Salted Caramel, Chocolate Iced Hearts
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
Serves:
24 assembled biscuits (48 individual hearts)
Candice Brown arrived at the Bake Off tent in Season 7 with bold lipstick, a vintage aesthetic, and an unapologetic ambition that would carry her all the way to the title. In just the second week of competition, while other bakers played it safe, Candice doubled her workload by creating 48 individual heart-shaped biscuits—24 bases and 24 tops—sandwiched with homemade salted caramel and finished with glossy chocolate icing. Paul Hollywood praised the prominent salted caramel flavor, while Mary Berry declared they tasted amazing. These biscuits perfectly encapsulated what would become Candice's signature style: technically challenging, generously flavored, and utterly irresistible.
Ingredients
Instructions
Make the Biscuit Dough:
Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
Add egg, vanilla bean paste, and almond extract. Beat until fully combined, about 1 minute.
With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture. Mix just until dough comes together—do not overwork.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Shape each portion into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.
Roll and Cut the Hearts:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Working with one disc at a time (keep the other refrigerated), roll dough between two sheets of parchment to ¼-inch (6mm) thickness. Use rolling pin guides or wooden dowels to ensure uniform thickness—this guarantees even baking and matched pairs.
Using a 2½-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut out shapes. You need 48 hearts total (24 pairs). Re-roll scraps once if needed, chilling briefly if dough becomes soft.
Transfer hearts to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Refrigerate cut shapes for 10 minutes before baking—this prevents spreading and preserves clean edges.
Bake the Biscuits:
Bake 10-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are just barely golden. The centers should look slightly underdone—they will firm as they cool.
Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Biscuits must be fully cool before filling.
Make the Salted Caramel:
Place sugar in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a heat-resistant spatula, until sugar melts and turns deep amber, 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully once it begins to color—caramel can burn quickly.
Remove from heat and immediately add butter, whisking vigorously. The mixture will bubble violently—this is normal.
Slowly stream in cream, whisking constantly. Return to medium heat and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat, stir in flaky salt and vanilla. Pour into a heat-safe bowl and cool to room temperature—caramel will thicken as it cools. For faster thickening, refrigerate 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Caramel should be spreadable but not runny.
Make the Chocolate Icing:
Place chopped chocolate in a heat-safe bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat cream, butter, and golden syrup until just simmering.
Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk from the center outward until completely smooth and glossy.
Let icing cool slightly until it reaches a thick but pourable consistency, about 10 minutes. If it becomes too thick, gently rewarm over a double boiler.
Assemble the Hearts:
Sort biscuits into pairs of similar size and shape. Designate half as bottoms and half as tops.
Turn bottom biscuits flat-side up. Spoon or pipe approximately 1½ teaspoons salted caramel onto the center of each. Leave a small border—caramel will spread when sandwiched.
Gently press a top biscuit onto each, flat-side down. Press just enough to spread caramel near (but not over) the edges.
Spoon or pipe chocolate icing onto the top of each assembled biscuit, spreading to cover the surface. For a cleaner finish, let each layer of icing set slightly before adding more.
Allow chocolate icing to set completely at room temperature, about 30 minutes, or refrigerate briefly to speed setting.
