So, how’s it taste?

Buttery and sweet with small bursts of chocolate that help to balance all the sugar. These were supposed to be chocolate swirl caramels, but those mini chips just would not melt, so chocolate chip caramels were born. The little chocolate chips aren’t too sweet, so they counteract all that sugary sweetness from the caramel. I loved each bite of chewy caramel with hints of chocolate. I feel like these caramels are a bit too light, but my previous caramels have been a bit too dark, so go figure. This recipe is much, much easier for anyone new to making their own caramel. Instead of heating the sugar and corn syrup and waiting on the perfect color before you add the cream, everything is added at once. All you have to do is watch the thermometer. Super easy, but you’ll miss out on the fun of watching the sugar boil violently when adding the cream…that’s my favorite part in the other method! Either way, the end result is a gooey, buttery treat that’s irresistible.

Chocolate Chip Caramels

Cooking Pleasures, December/January 2000
makes about 64 caramels
per caramel: 70 calories, 3.5g fat, 0g protein, 10.5g carbs, 0g fiber

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line an 8-inch square pan with wax paper; spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Melt butter in dutch oven or a heavy, large saucepan over low heat. Add sugar, cream, and corn syrup; stir to mix. Increase heat to medium; bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

2. Insert candy thermometer into mixture and attach to side of Dutch oven. Cook, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 230F. At this point, it is important to watch the mixture carefully. Begin stirring constantly until thermometer registers 248F.

3. Immediately pour half of the caramel mixture into pan. Sprinkle with half of the chocolate chips. Pour remaining mixture over chocolate chips; do not scrape Dutch oven. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Let stand 6 to 8 hours or until cool and set.

4. Remove caramel from pan by lifting wax paper. With large knife or pizza cutter, cut caramel into 64 pieces.

Copyright © 2009-2020 Leah Claire - Leah Claire

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Tomorrow’s St. Patrick’s Day and here’s my contribution…Salted Whiskey Caramels! I didn’t use Irish whiskey, but it’s whiskey nonetheless and that counts, right? The original recipe calls for honey-flavored whiskey, which I don’t like, so I opted for good ol’ straight Jack Daniel’s and I already had it on hand. I couldn’t wait to whip up a batch of homemade caramels, since I had such success with my first try, and find out what the added whiskey did for taste.

So, how’s it taste?

Om nom nom! I was pretty happy with these, although I wish I had taken them off the heat about 1 second earlier. They’re a teeny tiny tad bit darker than what I’d like, although they look as dark as the ones on Betty Crocker, and the ones I’ve done before. You really have to watch the sugar once it starts to change color, it goes fast! There’s a slight difference in taste between these and the ones without whiskey. I’m not sure if it’s a slight taste of burnt sugar from taking it off a bit late or if it’s the whiskey. I can see how the honey-flavored whiskey might blend in better, but I happen to like the taste of whiskey, so I didn’t mind. I really don’t think you’d be able to tell there’s whiskey in the caramels unless someone told you. They’re still decadently rich and creamy, with a hint of saltiness to balance. I’d make these again in a heartbeat!

Salted Whiskey Caramels

barely adapted from Baked Bree via Betty Crocker
makes 64 thin caramels in a 9-inch square pan
per caramel: 44 calories, 2g fat, 6g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g protein

Ingredients:

5 tbsp. butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 oz. (1/4 cup) whiskey (I used Jack Daniel's)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. kosher (coarse) salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
up to 1 tbsp. kosher (coarse) salt, for sprinkling (you may not need the entire tablespoon)

Directions:

1. Line 9-inch square pan with parchment or wax paper, allowing the paper to drape over two sides; spray lightly with cooking spray.

2. In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter, heavy whipping cream, whiskey, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; set aside.

3. In 3-quart saucepan, mix sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. DO NOT STIR. Boil until sugar turns a warm golden brown.

4. When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful -- it will bubble up violently. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer. Pour caramel into pan; cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with up to 1 tablespoon salt; cool completely.

5. Cut into squares; wrap individually in parchment paper.

Copyright © 2009-2020 Leah Claire - Leah Claire

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So, how’s it taste?

Um, fabulous. Ridiculously delicious for such a tiny piece of candy. The combination of sweet and salty is over-the-top good. I made myself sick the night I made these because I kept saying “ok I’ll just have one more” and that turned into a whole lot more. There’s nothing to be scared about with these caramels. Ina Garten offers a step-by-step picture tutorial on foodnetwork.com. The only part I was worried about is judging the right color of “warm golden brown” for the caramel, so it was handy to have Ina’s picture. It feels like it takes forever for the caramel to darken, but once it starts, it goes fast, so don’t turn away! I substituted Kosher salt for the fleur de sel because I couldn’t find it near me and was too lazy to drive in search of it. The Kosher salt worked great (and it’s much cheaper). I stored my caramels in the fridge and then later put them in a freezer bag (after I individually wrapped them) and put them in the freezer. I prefer to let them come to room temperature before I dig in. These would be great homemade gifts that look like you spent all day in the kitchen.

Salted Caramels

Ina Garten for Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. fine fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling (I used Kosher salt)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Prep the pan. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with oil.

2. Boil the sugar. In a deep saucepan (6 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep), combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don't stir -- just swirl the pan.

3. Heat the cream. In the meantime, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

4. Finish the caramel. When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful -- it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.

5. Fill the pan. Very carefully (it's hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.

6. Cut the caramel. When the caramel is cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut the square in half. (At this point, I sprinkled the top with the salt and used a pizza cutter to cut the caramels into bite-sized squares. The directions below are for how Ina cuts them.)

7. Roll it up. Starting with a long side, roll the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch-long log.

8. Cut into pieces. Sprinkle the log with fleur de sel, trim the ends and cut into 8 pieces. (Start by cutting the log in half, then continue cutting each piece in half until you have 8 equal pieces.) It's easier to cut the caramels if you brush the knife with flavorless oil like corn oil.

9. Wrap the candies. Cut glassine or parchment paper into 4-by-5-inch pieces and wrap each caramel individually, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.

Copyright © 2009-2020 Leah Claire - Leah Claire

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So, how’s it taste?

Just like its name, it’s silky smooth. Mostly chocolate with a hint of caramel in the background from the brown sugar. Make sure you use good quality chocolate for this recipe. These four ingredients combine to make the most decadent dessert topping. Serve over cheesecake, brownies, ice cream, the list is endless. I served mine over a slice of coconut bread. On a whim, I grabbed a box of Archer Farms Coconut Quick Bread Mix. Mix the ingredients and bake in a bread pan. They aren’t kidding when they say quick bread. It’s absolutely delicious and incredible with the chocolate caramel sauce.

Silky Chocolate Caramel Sauce

Pillsbury Holidays, November 2004
16 servings (2 tbsp. each); 170 calories, 12g fat

Ingredients:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup whipping cream
10 tbsp. butter
4 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, chopped

Directions:

1. In 2-quart saucepan, cook brown sugar, whipping cream and butter over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil.

2. Add chocolate; cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth. Serve warm or cover and refrigerate until serving time.

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