Caramels By Jacques Pepin Recipes

CARAMELS BY JACQUES PEPIN

Steps:

• Prepare a standard loaf pan either by buttering it or lining it with lightly oiled parchment paper.
• Place the butter, cut into pieces, and the cream in a glass bowl and microwave until butter is melted and mixture is hot, about 90 seconds. Set mixture aside, close enough to be reached quickly.
• Combine water, corn syrup, and sugar in a straight-sided pan. Stir just enough to moisten the sugar, but not so vigorously as to slosh any sugar onto the sides of the pan, where it is likely to crystalize.
• Heat over medium-high heat until mixture begins to boil, then put on a tight-fitting lid and continue to cook for one to two minutes. The steam will condense in the lidded pan and run down the sides, washing away any sugar crystals that have formed.
• Remove the lid and attach a candy thermometer. Cook to 320 degrees F or until the sugar begins to turn amber around the edges. This may take five to six minutes, but it can happen fast, so do not allow your attention to be diverted at this point or you will have a smoking black mess on your hands.
• As soon as the thermometer hits 320 F, or you see the edges turning amber, pour the butter and cream mixture slowly into the sugar mixture, stirring to combine. Temperature will drop to just above 200°F.
• Continue cooking until the mixture reaches your desired temperature: 240 degrees F for very soft caramels, 245 for soft-but-chewy, 250 for hard.
• When the desired temperature is reached, pour the mixture immediately into the prepared loaf pan. Allow to cool until they are just slightly warm to the touch, then turn out onto parchment or waxed paper and cut to desired size. They're very rich, so I like small pieces.
• Wrap in squares of waxed paper to store. The softer ones will need to be refrigerated, the medium and hard ones will not. These also freeze well if you want to store them longer-term.

JACQUES PEPIN'S BRAISED PEARS IN CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Peel pears and cut in half lengthwise. Remove cores. Place pear halves flat side down in single layer in 1 or 2 large baking or gratin dishes. Sprinkle sugar over pears and dot with butter.
• Place in oven and bake 35 minutes. By this time sugar should have caramelized and pears should be tender when pierced with point of knife. If pears are not tender continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes. Pour cream over pears and return to oven. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, basting every 5 minutes with cream.
• Cream should have reduced and thickened and turned nice ivory color. If sauce seems to be separating, add a tablespoon or two of hot water.
• Remove pears from oven, allow to cool slightly. Serve directly from baking dish.

CREAM CARAMELS

Steps:

• 1. Have at the ready: candy thermometer, lid for sauce pot, deep ice bath (I use my sink), and buttered 13x9 with a kitchen towel next to it.
• 2. Butter a 13x9 baking dish. Line lengthwise with buttered parchment. Line again the opposite direction with buttered parchment.
• 3. In a bowl, microwave cream and butter until hot. Add the vanilla bean after it is hot, and let stand in microwave.
• 4. In a heavy bottomed pot add water, corn syrup, and sugar. Cook on med-high until it boils. Cover for 1 minute. (This creates steam that will help to ensure all the sugar crystals melt and don't crystallize on the sides of the pan.)
• 5. Uncover, lower cooking temperature to medium. Cook until the sugar mixture reaches 320 degrees. This is when your sugar will caramelize and begin to change color.
• 6. When the sugar has become the color you like, add the hot cream/butter/vanilla bean mixture, slowly, 1/3 at a time. Stir only with your thermometer.
• 7. Continue to cook until temperature reaches 243 degrees.
• 8. Immediately dunk the bottom of your pot into the ice bath. This must be done rapidly, so as only to stop the cooking process but not cool your caramel so much that it won't pour. 1 or 2 seconds at the most.
• 9. Pour into buttered dish, making sure not to drip any water onto the caramel (this is where the kitchen towel comes in). Remove the vanilla bean with candy thermometer.
• 10. Cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Turn 13x9 upside down onto silpat or buttered parchment. Cut into bite-sized pieces, wrap in parchment or plastic wrap to keep. These freeze quite well.