Delicious Easy Caramels
This is a slight modification of a recipe from a friend whose caramels I love. Every time I make these everyone raves about them. Great for holiday gifts!
This is a slight modification of a recipe from a friend whose caramels I love. Every time I make these everyone raves about them. Great for holiday gifts!
- Carbohydrate 31.2017962749202 g
- Cholesterol 99.625000062187 mg
- Fat 34.1758600235252 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 1.39941500024586 g
- Saturated Fat 21.1581835148578 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (121g)
- Sodium 322.11225018671 mg
- Sugar 31.2017962749202 g
- Trans Fat 2.62241500170718 g
- Calories 422 calories
Step-by-step
- Put all the ingredients except 1 cup of heavy cream, vanilla, and sea salt in large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Then, stir in the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and cook until the temperature rises to 240 degrees.
- When the temperature is at 240 degrees, remove the saucepan from heat.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Add and stir in the sea salt if you like your caramels slightly salted.
- Pour into 9 x 13 pan lined with parchment paper (extend the paper past the edges of the pan), put in refrigerator to cool and set.
- Once cool, cut caramels into squares and wrap into wax/candy paper.
Hard candies rely on reaching the hard-crack stage above 300 degrees Fahrenheit, but chewy caramels demand strict adherence to the soft-ball stage at exactly 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Confectioners have historically relied on heavy-bottomed copper pots for this work to prevent scorching during the prolonged boiling process.
The Importance of Gradual Dairy Incorporation
Adding the heavy whipping cream in two distinct stages controls the vigorous boiling action inside the saucepan. Pouring the second cup of cream slowly keeps the sugar syrup from seizing and forming hard, crystalline lumps. Stir constantly over medium heat to maintain an even temperature distribution across the base of the pan.
Cooling and Cutting Mechanics
Remove the pan immediately from the heat source once the thermometer registers 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir the vanilla extract and sea salt rapidly into the hot mixture before transferring the liquid into a parchment-lined 9x13 inch pan. Chill the block thoroughly in the refrigerator to firm the fats before slicing with an oiled blade.
