Creamy Rich Chocolate Caramels With Salt Recipe 455

SALTED CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment.
• Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, then reduce heat to low and add chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat.
• Bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring but gently swirling pan occasionally, until sugar is deep golden, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and carefully pour in chocolate mixture (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Continue to boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 255°F on thermometer, about 15 minutes. Add butter, stirring until completely melted, then immediately pour into lined baking pan (do not scrape any caramel clinging to bottom or side of saucepan). Let caramel stand 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours.
• Carefully invert caramel onto a clean, dry cutting board, then peel off parchment. Turn caramel salt side up. Lightly oil blade of a large heavy knife and cut into 1-inch squares.

CREAMY RICH CHOCOLATE CARAMELS WITH SALT RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• I highly recommended using a candy thermometer (that clips on the side of your pot). Candy making isn't difficult, but it's total guesswork if you don't have a reliable thermometer, that will guide you as to when the caramel has been cooked properly. I also bought a Chicago Metallic CMB039 Marshmallow Collection No-Bake Collapsible Pan with Cutting Gridlines, 8 by 8-Inch (under $15.00) on Amazon. It's a great tool for easily removing caramels, fudge or marshmallows. However, if you have just a plain old pan, I recommend lining it with a parchment paper "slight" and then butter it. The sling will make lifting out the caramel much less difficult. You will also need a very sharp chef's knife for the best ease in cutting the caramels. Sometimes, I use a little non-stick spray, on the blade of the knife to help the knife glide through the caramel cutting process. I used a non-stick large heavy pot, because caramel can tend to bubble up pretty high-- so use one that holds at least 4-quarts of water. Last, but not least, be sure to have all of your ingredients measured out and ready to go. Silicone based spatulas make cleanup much easier than working with a wooden spoon...just my own experience. In a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan, combine the water, sugar, condensed milk, corn syrup, and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, ensuring that the tip of the thermometer isn't touching the bottom of the pan and is inserted at least 1 to 2 inches into the liquid (or according to your thermometer's directions). Continue stirring gently while the mixture boils and cooks, until the caramels reach 242-244°F. this took about 40 minutes on my gas burner. If the caramels seem to be scorching on the bottom of the pan, moderate the heat to a lower temperature. You can also test the caramels using a spoon and dropping a pea-sized amount of the hot caramel into cold water. If the cooled piece of caramel is firm but not hard, the caramel is properly cooked. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste,vanilla extract, and salt. Pour the caramels into the prepared pan and allow to cool completely to room temperature, at least 2 hours. When cool, remove the sheet of caramels from the pan. If you invested in the collapsible pan, you simple unhinge each corner, and gently lift out the entire caramel. Easy peasy! Cut the caramels into pieces using a large knife or bench scraper. Wrap each caramel square in a bit of wax paper, twisting the ends to secure. These can store, in an airtight container (individually wrapped) for 1 to 2 weeks, but I doubt they will last that long!