Caramel Confections with Gavan Knox

As summer gives way to fall in the northern hemisphere, the bears are beginning to prepare for pumpkin spice everything, sweater weather and of course, baking! Cooler temperatures mean its time to turn those ovens back on for some autumnal baked treats and our good friend Gavan Knox has the perfect salted caramel confection in mind!

In fact, Gavan has a whole slew of salted caramel concoctions to get you through the harvest which you cannot afford to miss! (Be sure to follow his Instagram to get every recipe.) His love for caramel has even prompted him to commission a sticky, sweet, and sexy photo shoot inspired by one of our cooking idols – the fabulous Nigella Lawson.

We grab a chat with our favourite bear baking sensation to get all the details on the photo shoot and a brand new recipe to try out for the fall.

John Hernandez (JH): Thanks for joining me Gavan! Tell us the inspiration behind your caramel photo shoot.

Gavan Knox (GK): The inspiration for the shoot came from many years ago when I lived in the UK, from a women’s lifestyle magazine called “Stylist” which I would sometimes read on my daily commute. In 2011 they ran an issue with Nigella Lawson as guest editor. Of course, Nigella spoke of her love of food, particularly her love affair with salted caramel. In addition to this she featured as the cover star. But it wasn’t any old glamour shot of Nigella coquettishly posing in a kitchen. Here we had a tight, portrait of her face sumptuously dripping with caramel. For me it was an image that was provocative, delicious, and ground-breaking all at the same time. For someone of her calibre to go to that place of “wearing” food showed utter abandon and commitment to her love of it.

The photograph has stuck with me throughout the years, on my bucket list of things to achieve. It was here in Toronto that I managed to bring it to life thanks to the skills of the insanely talented photographer (and friend) David Hawe. I didn’t want to create a copycat image of the original photo. I wanted to portray something that showed my love of Nigella’s love of food – an homage to her culinary abandon; kindred spirits lost in salted-caramel induced abandon.

JH:Woof! And what is it about Nigella that appeals to you and gay men in general?

GK: I will go on record saying that I think Nigella Lawson is an absolute gay icon through and through. In the broader spectrum she has been a huge ally to the LGBTQIA+ community in the past lending her voice on such issues as trans rights and more. While the first thing that springs to mind with her is “Camp” (more on that later) there is a certain resilience about her – the lady has been through some heavy, tragic stuff in her life and mustered on, perhaps even drawing strength from it. I think this a quality that gay men (I can only speak as one of them) can relate to on some level and certainly gravitate towards.

Nigella is an English journalist, broadcaster, television personality and food writer, with a plethora of best-selling recipe books and cooking shows to her name but she is also something else- Camp. She is Camp personified. I’m not talking about the oft used (and frankly derogatory) image of being limp-wristed and simpering. It’s more about understanding who you are, leaning into it- cranking the dial up to 11. Nigella is unapologetic about her love for food and the pleasure it can bring. As she has said herself, “…life is so much easier when you can take pleasure form such little things”.

I could also mention her penchant for leopard-print knives; sauntering to the fridge in the midnight hours with tousled hair, wearing silk dressing robes; and let’s not forget her redefining gay kitchen culture with “mee-cro-wah-vé”. I mean why say “microwave” when there’s a more glamourous way?

On a personal level, her philosophy on food is something that hits close to home for me. Fancy, fine dining is all well and good, but food can be enjoyed on so many levels, from prepping it to consuming it, and this philosophy is evident in everything she does no matter how simple or extravagant. She unapologetically embraces who she is, what she loves and seems to draw great joy in having people along for the ride.

JH: Authenticity is always the key. I gotta ask though, was it real caramel in the photoshoot and how awful was it to get it out of your beard!!!???

GK: Yup- it was real caramel! 100% sweet, sticky all the way. I’m a firm believer in leaning into things so with this photoshoot it had to be the real deal all the way. David (the photographer) was a little concerned about how we’d achieve the look, but I had absolute faith in his talent to capture what I wanted and once we started rolling it just happened naturally. Rather than just dump a bucket of salted caramel on me (a la kids tv show!) David built up the drips and dribbles with several pours of the salted caramel while I was trying to channel my best Nigella. Cleaning my beard afterwards whilst a bit laborious was actually a lot easier than I expected going into the shoot. However, needless to say numerous wet wipes were harmed during the clean-up process!

(Photos by David Hawe Photography)

JH: Oh man I bet! Do you use salted caramel often in your desserts?  

GK: This time of year- yes. There’s something about salted caramel that just goes so well with what’s on offer– harvest fruits; pumpkin spice; that longing for something comforting. For me salted caramel is one of those flavours and ingredients that instantly suggests “sweater weather”. When I make a batch, I usually make extra so there’s some surplus sitting on the counter-top tempting me into all and sundry uses- desserts…of course; but how about in coffee? And what about spread on warm toast? It’s such a versatile sweet condiment that once you master it (not that there’s really much mastering to do!) you’ll be constantly surprised at ways to use it. In connection with this photoshoot, I’m running a whole series of caramel-influenced recipes which readers can find details of on my social media feed on Instagram @crumbsinmybeardyyz. One of these is the Skillet Carmel Apple crisp which I’ve included here (see below). Delicious warmly spiced apple mixed together with salted caramel and topped with a crumbly oat streusel- a perfect Autumnal sweet treat. And if you want to make it a li’l bit more indulgent serve it with some additional salted caramel sauce and a scoop of Nigella’s No Churn Salted Caramel Bourbon ice cream. You can thank me later!

JH: MMMM! I can’t wait to try it out! What are you working on for the fall?

GK: I can’t believe here we are at Fall already! Needless to say, thoughts have already turned to pumpkin spice; Halloween decorations and I even seen Christmas stock in some stories! As you can imagine we’re heading into prime baking season. So, it’ll be stepping up a gear or two for me content creation-wise. I’ve also got some TV segments coming up on CTV’s The Social here in Canada. In fact, I’m appearing on 18^th September, talking about the topic of “Newstalgia” in baking and food. What’s “Newstalgia” you might be asking? Summing it up it’s all about blending classic and familiar flavours with unique and modern twists. It has been steadily gaining popularity in recent years as more people seek out ways to feel connected to their past – food can be an emotional anchor and “Newstalgia” is about tapping into that. Think the flavours like birthday cake; cotton candy, and the surge in the popularity of cookies.

JH: Fascinating. Always staying busy Gavan – we love to see it. Thanks for joining me and Happy Fall!

GK: Thank you!

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Gavan Knox’s Skillet Caramel Apple Crisp

Yields: 8 to 10 servings

The salted caramel sauce does double duty in this warm, comforting crisp. First, it lends sweetness to the apple filling, and second, it yields a lot of leftovers to serve alongside. Use firm, tart apples like Granny Smith, Jonathan or Honeycrisp, which will hold their shape during baking. Room-temperature apples work best here: If your apples are cold from the refrigerator, the caramel sauce may seize a bit.

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
• 1 cup whipping, heavy cream, room temperature
• Sea salt flakes, to taste

Filling

• 1 ¼ kg tart, firm apples, such as Ganny Smith, Jonathan or Honeycrisp (about 6 medium apples)
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoons good quality vanilla paste or extract
• 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½teaspoon ground cardamom
• ⅛teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch of kosher salt

Crisp Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

Method

Caramel Sauce

1. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and water in a large saucepan set over a medium–low heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–12minutes until it becomes a deep gold colour, but not dark brown. DO NOT STIR at any point. If you need to you can gently swirl the pan to make sure the mixture is melting evenly. When the caramel begins to colour, it will darken quickly so keep a close eye on it
2. Once it reaches the correct color, quickly, but carefully, remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter cubes and using a wooden spoon gently stir until the butter has melted and is well combined. It will bubble a little and release steam so take care not to burn yourself!
3. Next, add the cream and again slowly stir, again taking care not to burn yourself from the rising steam
4. Once well combined, add sea salt flakes to taste (carefully tasting as you go!) and whisk to combine. Set aside to cool completely in a hat-proof container while you prepare the rest of the crisp*

Filling

1. Heat your oven to 350F degrees and lightly butter/ oil a 9- or 10-inch oven-safe skillet
2. Peel, core and slice the apples into ½-inch slices
3. Combine the sliced apples, both zests, both juices, vanilla extract, spices and salt in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Drizzle ½ cup cooled caramel sauce over the top and stir again. Scrape the apples and all their juices into your prepared skillet

Topping

1. In the same bowl, combine the flour, oats, pecans, sugar and salt. Stir until well combined, then add the butter and mash it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until crumbs form. Pour the crumb topping evenly over the apples
2. Bake the crisp until the topping is golden and the juices are bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes
3. Serve warm with more warm caramel sauce and ice cream

*Store any remaining sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. It can be rewarmed for later use in a saucepan over low heat.