So, I am sure you all know by now that I have a crazy sweet tooth. I can hardly resist anything sweet. Caramel is a personal weakness of mine. My favorite sauce for ice cream as a kid was always caramel. So, I knew that as soon as I saw the recipe for these caramels, I needed to make them immediately.
They did not disappoint. I actually made these as part of my christmas gifts to my family. I saved a few back for myself and immediately wished I didn’t have to share any at all. They are creamy, chewy and amazing. Don’t make the mistake I did and skip individually wrapping them. I had run out of time and didn’t feel like dealing with cutting little pieces of wax paper out to wrap them with. I paid for my laziness. They ended up getting soft (they were out of the refrigerator), then sort of melting together. They still tasted amazing, but it was kind of a gooey mess. So, make sure you don’t miss that step! Make these today and you won’t be disappointed.
Recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Confections of a Foodie Bride
Vanilla Bean Caramels
These wonderfully creamy, chewy and thick caramels are worth the effort. Full of flavor eaten on their own, or mixed with another dessert, these are great any time of the year.
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise and scraped
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment.In a small saucepan or a heatproof measuring cup, combine the cream, butter, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and fleur de sel. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. (Alternatively, microwave until the butter is melted and the cream has come to a boil.) Remove from the heat and set aside.In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer clipped to the side, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture is a light golden caramel color.
- Once the sugar has reached the desired amber color, carefully stir the warm cream mixture into the caramel in a steady drizzle down the inside of the pan – the mixture will bubble up, so pour slowly and stir constantly.
- Continue simmering the mixture until it registers exactly 248ºF on a candy thermometer.
- Immediately remove from the heat and pour into the prepared pan. Let sit until completely set and cooled. Cut into 1-inch pieces (a buttered pizza cutter works well). Wrap the individual caramels in small pieces of wax or parchment paper, about 4-inch squares.
