My Cookbook Wishlist

Cooking is one of my favorite past-times, although I'm sad to say a joy for cooking has been replaced lately with a joy for TV and my bed. I hate to say it, but it's true. I've had cereal or microwave Trader Joe's meals more times than I want to admit lately. I really do miss cooking, and there is nothing like a new cookbook to thumb through to provide inspiration in a way Pinterst can never give. There is a wealth of wonderful cookbook releases this year and i would love to get my hands on any of them. Any of these would make great Christmas gifts for your favorite foodie.

My Cookbook Wishlist: 
1. Bouchon Bakery - Thomas Keller 2. The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook - Deb Perelman 
3. Dinner a Love Story - Jenny Rosenstrach 4. Ad Hoc at Home - Thomas Keller (not a new release, but I've wanted it for years.) 5. The Sprouted Kitchen - Sara Forte 6. HOMEMADE Winter - Yvette Van Boven

Rainbow Chard Stem Pickles

I've never really cared too much for pickles. They are one of those things that always SOUND good to me and the second I bite in I instantly remember why I hated them in the first place. Luckily, I've discovered I really enjoy other vegetables pickled. I don't know what it is about those pesky cucumbers.   

As many of you know, we've been up to our eyeballs in Rainbow Chard. So, I've been on the hunt for creative ways to use this drought-proof veggie that, to be quite honest, I don't like that much. Turns out, you can quick pickle the stems and store them in your fridge to crunch away on, serve on salads, burgers, a cheese plate ... you  name it! 

You can find the recipe from Bon Appetit. It worked out perfectly so there is really nothing to adapt for the blog. But, I couldn't help but share! 

Are you looking for other creative ways to use your garden, farmers market and CSA veggies? Make sure to follow my From the Garden and Farm Pinterest board for more inspiration. 

What veggies are you using creatively? Share your recipes below!

This post is part of the From the Garden and Farm Summer Series

Berry Berry Delicious

Just a little post to let you know ....

There is not much better in the world than the following ingredients quickly thrown on a plate for dessert. Oh who am I kidding ... for breakfast even. I want to lick the plate. 

local strawberries + goat cheese + balsamic glaze + raw sugar

 
Go eat this. Right this instant. You want to trust me on this one. You can even buy balsamic glaze pre-bottled at TJ's in the "new products" section. 

 

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

This post is part of the From the Garden and Farm Summer Series

CSA Share Week 1

We are about to embark on a 22 week adventure with a local farm. We received our first share last night, and what a delight! I'm obsessed with how adorable those little radishes are, and let's be honest ... I want to smear that cherry jam all over everything .... everything. 

Clockwise From Top Left: 

1. Strawberries
2. Cherry Freezer Jam
3. Green Garlic
4. Tuscan Kale
5. Rainbow Chard (MORE!)
6. Red Onion
7. Sunflower Shoots
8. Pink Lady and French Breakfast Radishes

Not pictured: Mixed Heirloom Lettuce (Totally forgot it was in the box. Whoops!)

I've never cooked with radishes, sunflower shoots, or tuscan kale. This should be interesting. Do you have any favorite recipes using these ingredients? I'd love to know!

This post is part of the From the Garden and Farm Summer Series

Berry Rosemary Cocktail

Our potted rosemary sprigs are out of control right now. We're talking big ol' rosemary stalks the size of snakes. Something had to be done. To be honest, I had no idea how to correctly harvest rosemary, so I followed my instincts and cut off one large sprig of rosemary from it's base. 

This is a simple springy cocktail that, most likely, uses ingredients you already have on hand (or in your herb garden!). I used blackberries, but raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or a combination would be delicious. Perhaps what is fresh at your local market or arrives in your CSA box would do the trick.  It's sweet, but the rosemary adds just a hint of herby flavor, which I happen to love in a  warm weather cocktail. 

Berry Rosemary Cocktail

20 berries of your choice
1 large rosemary sprig, or 2 smaller ones
Juice of one lime
3 Tablespoons of Simple Syrup
1/4 Cup of Gin
Ice
Sparkling Water

Muddle the berries and rosemary in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add lime juice, simple syrup, gin, and ice. Shake well till chilled and flavors are combined. Fill glasses 3/4 full and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and fancy straw. 


This post is part of the From the Garden and Farm Summer Series

From the Garden and Farm

As you may know, we are garden newbies and recently purchased a home with a garden full of insane amounts of chard and cauliflower. We are also first-time members of a CSA from a nearby farm and will receive our first share this week. 

So, it is my pleasure to introduce the From the Garden and Farm summer blog series. 

Throughout the summer you can follow along with me as I put local produce to good use in our kitchen. My dear friend Erin will also be along for the ride. We will spend the summer sharing our culinary adventures using fresh, local, and often homegrown ingredients. We will tackle new-to-us foods and even preserving! We'll share preparation and storage tips, our recipe successes ... and disappointments, and our husbands may even pop in from time to time with growing and harvesting tips.

I've also started a board on Pinterest to gather together culinary inspiration based on the weekly harvest, follow along! 

We are looking forward to sharing our summer with you!

Basil Juleps

Summer is officially here and with the onset of warmer temperatures, fresh fruits and veggies, and grill season ... we needed a Julep. I already had some basil simple syrup on hand I had made for lemonade, and we really needed to harvest up some of our basil from the back yard. The result? The most delicious bourbony cocktail that has quite quickly (in 2 days) become our new summer favorite. 

There is something really wonderful about growing your own food, even if it's just to booze on. Jake is the resident gardener and mixologist. I credit this basil deliciousness to him. And, let's just take a 2 second break to notice how totally in love I am with the fact that there is dirt under Jake's fingernails from our new garden and callouses on his finger tips from the guitar. Adorable. 

Juleps are strong drinks. It's basically just bourbon poured over ice with a touch of sweetness. I'm not complaining, just be forewarned. I think the drink gets even better as the ice melts into the bourbon. It's easy to understand why this is a classic southern porch sitting concoction. 

Basil Julep
2-3 Fresh basil leaves
Bourbon
Basil Simple Syrup (see recipe below)

This drink is a 3 parts bourbon to one part simple syrup ratio. 

1. Muddle the basil leaves in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with the simple syrup. 
2. Add 3 parts bourbon to the one part simple syrup. 3. Stir and pour over cups or jars filled with crushed ice. 4. Garnish with a large basil leaf. 

Basil Simple Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 handful of fresh basil leaves

Heat sugar, water, and basil over stove top till sugar is dissolved and just boiling. Remove from heat and let sit for 1 hour. Remove Basil leaves. Store in a bottle or jar in the fridge. Simple syrups are yummy in iced tea, lemonade, and of course cocktails. 

Strawberry Basil Shortcakes

Strawberries are super delicious right now. So, I knew exactly what I had to make for this week's community dinner ... Strawberry Shortcakes! Since I used store-bought pound cake, (hangs head in shame) I decided to spruce these short cakes up a bit with strips of fresh basil from our herb garden. The basil paired oh-so-wonderfully with the strawberries and fresh whipped cream. In fact, I'd like to stuff my face with a big bowl of berries and cream right this instant. 

Homemade whipped cream is one million bazillion times better than any can or tub of cream you can buy at the store, and is also free of gross unpronounceable chemicals. Plus, it is one of the easiest things to make on the universe, and for some strange reason I find it incredibly enjoyable. This whipped cream recipe comes from our good friend and master gardener, Justin. You will want to thank him later. This stuff is good. See that perfect bowl of cream right down there? See that small section of delicious whipped cream missing from the lower left corner?  I couldn't help myself. 

Strawberry Basil Shortcakes

1 giant carton of Strawberries
2 Tablespoons of white sugar
Zest of one lemon
A handful of basil leaves (about 10)
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pound cake, angel food cake, or sweet biscuits

1. Hull and slice strawberries. Don't worry, hulling is just a fancy word for chopping off the top and scooping out that tough little middle piece. 
2. Toss strawberries in sugar and lemon zest
3. Cut, chop, tear or chiffonade your basil into little pieces and toss it in with the berries. Set the berries in the fridge while you whip up your cream so they can get all juicy and delicious. 
4. Beat together heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar in a large bowl. The cream will come together quicker if you use a stainless steel bowl you've chilled in the freezer. Beat on medium till soft peaks form from the cream when you lift the beater. 
5. Assemble berries and cream over your preferred vehicle for sugary carb goodness. 

Enjoy

A Spring Wall and Entertaining on Fridays

We're having some friends over for dinner tonight, so I made our chalkboard wall all springy. If you are like me and you work full time, having folks over on Friday nights, or any work night for that matter,  can be a tad challenging.

Here are a few of my tips ...

1. Pick an easy menu. This is hard for me. Having people over is always an excuse for me to try out new and crazy fancy meals. Weeknights are just not the time. Remember, having people over to your home is less about wowing them with a super fancy meal and more about sharing time with them around your table. Tonight's menu? Honey Butter pork tenderloin, maple roasted brussels with bacon, take and bake rolls from TJ's and baked potatoes (from the crock pot).

2. Don't try and bake dessert and cook dinner after work. Unless you have time to bake the night before, keep dessert simple. Tonight we are having milkshakes, which will be both adorable and easy. Fresh fruit, or roasted pears with some homemade whipped cream is also a good option, or good old fashioned ice cream sundaes. Also, let's be honest, we need not fear the boxed brownies. They are awesome when you mix in enough dark chocolate chips.

3. Let your guests bring something! Eating is a group effort. If a guest offers to bring something, let them! Even if it's just drinks, it's one less thing for you to think about.

4. Tidy the house and set the table the night before. This is something I'm glad we've gotten in the habit of sticking with. There is nothing worse for a marriage than trying to clean the house, set a pretty table, cook dinner, and make dessert in less than 2 hours. Knock that stuff out early. Enough said.

5. Prep. Prep. Prep Ahead. Set out everything you need the night before. For example, last night I set out the empty bread basket prepped with a tea towel, an empty pitcher waiting for water, the pan for the pork is waiting on it's burner ready to go, my pan is lined and waiting for roastin' and toastin' brussels sprouts, and the crock pot was set out and plugged in with 4 potatoes anxiously awaiting to be cleaned and wrapped in foil. If you have veggies to dice or sauce to make, considering knocking that off your list early. Again, see point 1. Don't go nuts.

6. Get cute on casual Friday. Casual Friday is my one chance to wear a hoodie to work, but if we're having people over I try and get myself all ready in the morning. Wear what you will wear that night, curl your hair, do full makeup. You'll have less to get ready for when you get home.

7. Remember why you have people over in the first place.  Inviting friends and strangers into your home is important. It builds community and nourishes the spirit. When all is said and done, it's ok if your house isn't perfect, if you have flour all over your jeans, or if dinner isn't the fanciest thing ever. Stay at the table and linger. Lose yourself in a night of drinking wine and good conversation. Community is fed in those moments, not by a clean kitchen and full dishwasher.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

 

Our best friends, who are also our neighbors, have a gigantic covered patio. I consider it my home away from home during all warm months. Patio dinners just cry out for fresh vegetables, herbs, and bright citrus flavors ... which is why this salad is oh-so-perfect for such an occasion.

 

We are all not-so-patiently awaiting the arrival of fresh herbs and vegetables from Justin and Erin's raised bed garden. With an upcoming bounty of locally garden-grown veggies, I have a feeling this salad will be a mainstay of our summer patio gatherings. Ribbons of raw zucchini are tossed with lemon Parmesan dressing, toasted pine nuts, and strips of fresh basil. It's simply delicious.

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

adapted from Mary's Bites

Serves 4-6

3 medium sized zucchinis, cold

2.5 tablespoons pine nuts toasted

2 teaspoon lemon zest

Juice of one whole lemon

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus extra for topping

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

A handful of fresh basil leaves

1. Heat a small dry skillet until very hot.  Add the pine nuts and roast for a 1-2 minutes or until they are light brown and smell toasty delicious.  Remove and cool.

 
2. Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and olive oil and blend until almost smooth. A mini food processor works best I store dressing in a mason jar for easing shaking right before the salad is served.

 

 3. Wash and dry zucchini, cut off each end.  Peel zucchini with a vegetable peeler lengthwise into ribbons. 

4. Combine zucchini ribbons, pine nuts, and torn basil leaves in a large bowl. Dress the salad just before serving, tossing to combine. Top with Parmesan shavings if you're feeling fancy.

6. Get out on the patio with a bourbon sweet tea and eat a delicious meal with your neighbors.  

Almond Butter

We just got a Ninja Blender, and I'm obsessed with it. You can make your own almond butter in TEN MINUTES. So fast, in fact, that I started this lil' experiment about 12 minutes before we needed to leave for an event last night. I totally finished in time .... THIS IS VERY EASY! This also works with any high-power blender or food processor.

Homemade Almond Butter:
1 cup almonds of your choosing. I used the 50% less salt, dry roasted and salted Almonds from TJ's
1 spoonful of coconut oil (optional)
1 spoonful of raw agave nectar (optional)

1. Pour almonds in blender.
2. Turn on high.
3. Leave on for 10 minutes until buttery smooth. You may have to stop a couple of times to scrape down the sides. 
4. Blend in any extras of your choosing. - coconut oil, agave syrup, vanilla extract, chopped almonds
5. Store in a cute mason jar and say your husband about a million times, "Isn't this SO COOL?!"

Sparkling Mint Smoothie

It has been in the 80's here in St. Louis, so needless to say I've been a bit smoothie obsessed. We made these delicious sparkling mint smoothies last night for dinner, and I was surprised by just how much we loved it. It's nice to have a smoothie every now and again that isn't berry flavored. This smoothie is delicious, nutritious and surprisingly very filling! We grow a ton of mint in the summer, so I'm sure this smoothie is here to stay. 

Sparkling Mint Green Smoothie 
Yields 2 full glasses. 

2 Tbsp Chia seeds
2-4 Tbsp raw agave nectar 
1/4 cup almond milk
1 cup sparkling mineral water, such as San Pellegrino
3-4 handfuls of spinach leaves
12 mint leaves
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 ripe banana

Combine all ingredients in blender and mix on high till smooth and frothy. Enjoy!

As with all smoothies, adjust your ingredients to taste and your desired consistency. You  may want to add a bit more milk if you like a creamier smoothie, or throw in some greek yogurt if you like a thicker smoothie, up the agave nectar (or use honey) if you like a sweeter smoothie. 

Olive Oil Granola

There is something really wonderful and exciting about homemade recipes. This homemade olive oil granola is a favorite around our home. It's quick, simple, delicious, and makes your house smell AMAZING. Crunchy pistachios, juicy apricots, sweet maple syrup, and spicy cardamom make this granola far more delicious and satisfying than any you could find in the store. It is quite tasty served over vanilla greek yogurt with fresh berries. Trust me, you really really really want to make this.

Olive Oil Granola adapted from the New York Times

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups raw pistachios, hulled

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, pistachios, maple syrup, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone mat in an even layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown and well toasted. 

2. Bask in your home smelling absolutely fantastic.

3. Transfer granola to a large bowl and add apricots and cherries, tossing to combine.

4. Serve over sweetened greek yogurt with fresh berries. 

Community Dinner

Every Monday night we gather together with fifteen of our neighbors for a family dinner. We are united not only by neighborhood boundaries, but by our desire to build genuine community through studying, speaking and sharing the Gospel. Monday's are sweet time of conversation, laughter, insane amounts of good food, and lots of red wine. We spend time sharing how our weeks have been, playing and drawing on the chalkboard wall with the two amazing kids in our group, telling the stories of Christ's redeeming work in our lives, admitting where we're struggling and where we need prayer, taking communion, and discussing how we can encourage and serve our neighbors.

We feast together. As we gather around the table for a meal our community is strengthened and knit together, and this is precisely why I love food and why I love to cook.

Living intentionally in community is not always easy and certainly can be a strain on comfort and free time, but it also incredibly rewarding to see the Holy Spirit at work within our group and our neighborhood. God calls us to live in community. Practically for our group it looks like this:  helping our neighbors move, helping our group member get around and grocery shop with a broken leg, hosting bar-b-ques, lazy Saturday breakfasts and super bowl parties, inviting our neighbors to events, delivering meals, meeting for coffee, daydreaming up a community garden, meeting with small groups to study and memorize scripture, praying for one another, going to the hard places in conversation and challenging each other in where we are not believing the Gospel, celebrating birthdays and weddings and anniversaries, babysitting, attending neighborhood association meetings and community fundraisers, opening our home outside of Mondays and worshiping together at church on Sundays.

 

If you are interested in the idea of Missional Community, I encourage you to watch this video. I cry every single time.

Stout Braised Short Ribs

This meal is warm, comforting and the perfect dish for a Sunday dinner with friends.  Please forgive my lack of photo with this recipe, but ribs braised for 3 hours make for less than attractive photography.  Picture or no picture, these were SO GOOD I just had to share. 

Stout Braised Short Ribs from Gourmet Magazine, 2005  

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon paprika (not hot)

1 tablespoon curry powder (preferably Madras)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

4 to 4 1/4 lb beef short ribs, cut into 4-inch pieces 

(Short ribs are expensive so I only used 2 pounds. It worked wonderfully and easily served 4)

4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped (2 cups)

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium carrots, chopped (2 cups)

3 celery ribs, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California

1/4 cup chopped garlic (5 to 6 large cloves)

1 3/4 cups beef broth (14 oz)

2 (12-oz) bottles stout 

2 (14- to 15-oz) cans diced tomatoes

Instructions

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together brown sugar, paprika, curry powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and mustard in a small bowl until combined.

Pat ribs dry and arrange in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan or a shallow dish, then generously coat all sides of ribs with spice mixture. Marinate, uncovered and chilled, 1 hour

Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating water, then lift out leeks and drain in a colander.

Heat oil in pot over high heat until hot but not smoking and quickly brown ribs on all 3 meaty sides (but not bone side) without crowding, in batches if necessary, about 1 minute per side. Transfer meat to a large plate, then add leeks, carrots, celery, and bay leaves to pot and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add broth, beer, and tomatoes with their juice, then add ribs with any juices and remaining spices accumulated on plate and bring liquid to a boil, uncovered. Cover pot and transfer to oven, then braise until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Skim off excess fat from surface of sauce. Discard bay leaves.

Serve with buttered egg noodles and crusty french bread for sopping! 

Short ribs improve in flavor if braised 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven until hot, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Making these ahead of time not only improves the flavor, but makes serving this dish to guests super stress-free also!

Buttermilk Roasted Chicken

There is nothing more comforting than roasted chicken. So when I saw this recipe for Buttermilk Roasted Chicken from Smitten Kitchen, I knew I had to give it a try. This is a very simple recipe. You prep everything ahead of time and brine the chicken in buttermilk and smoked paprika for a day (yum) ... so it comes together quickly - perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.  

Buttermilk Roasted Chicken: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients: 
2 cups buttermilk
5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed or copped
1 tablespoon table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts (I used a pre-cut whole chicken from TJ's)
Drizzle of olive oil
Flaked or coarse sea salt, to finish

Directions:
1. Whisk together the buttermilk, garlic cloves, salt, sugar and paprika. 
2. Place chicken parts is a lidded container (I used a pyrex 9x9).
3. Pour buttermilk brine all over chicken, place lid on container, and gently shake to coat chicken.
4. Let the chicken brine overnight in the refrigerator.
5. When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, remove chicken from the brine and arrange in a cast iron skillet, or other baking pan. 
6. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, paprika, and coarsely ground black pepper. 
7. Roast at 425 for 30-45 minutes. The juices should run clear.
8. Enjoy! I served the chicken with baked potatoes (with goat cheese!) and roasted Brussels.

Let me know how it turns out!  

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Brussels sprouts have totally made a comeback, as I'm sure many of you know. There are a million recipes like this out there, I know. But these are a favorite around our house so I figured I'd share!

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crisped Pancetta

Ingredients: 
- 2-4 big handfuls of brussels sprouts. (I buy the bags at TJ's)
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- Coarse salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil 
- I package of diced pancetta

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Slice each sprout in half.
- Spread all the sprouts out on a jelly roll pan lined with a silicone baking mat
- Toss with olive oil
- Shower with coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper
- Drizzle with maple syrup and stir to coat
- Bake for 30 + minutes until fully roasted and soft in the middle. They may be a bit charred,  
  don't worry. 
- While the sprouts are roasting, crisp your pancetta in a pan over to stove and drain on a 
   paper towel. 
- When the sprouts are done, toss with the pancetta and serve. 

Enjoy!

Salted Caramel & Chocolate Shortbread Bars

It would be an understatement to call these a "hit". They were DELISH! I brought these to a dinner and every single one was gobbled up. The saltiness is just perfect if I must say so. I assembled these over the course of a super busy two days and they came together quite easily. They also store and travel well. If I were you, I would add these to the "must make list". 

Salted Caramel & Shortbread Bars from: Annie's Eats

INGREDIENTS: 

For the shortbread layer:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

For the caramel layer:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup sugar

4 tbsp. light corn syrup

2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate layer:

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tsp. light corn syrup

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Fleur de sel or sea salt, for sprinkling

• To make the shortbread layer, preheat the oven to 325° F.  Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.  In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a fork to blend, and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 1-2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.  (If the crust puffs up a bit while baking, just gently press it down while it is cooling.)  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• To make the caramel layer, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring constantly.  Continue simmering and stirring until the mixture turns an amber color and thickens slightly.  Pour the mixture over the shortbread layer, smooth the top, and allow to cool completely and set.  (I chilled at this stage to ensure that the caramel layer would not melt when the warm chocolate was added.)
• To make the chocolate glaze, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Pour evenly over the caramel layer and use an offset spatula to smooth the top.  Allow to cool for a minute or two and then sprinkle with fleur de sel.  Chill, covered, until ready to slice and serve.