Even though I make caramels pretty frequently, I had not tried the recipe for Soft Candy Caramels in Baked Explorations until it came up on the schedule for Baked Sunday Mornings; since I found a go-to recipe for salted caramels a few years ago that comes out perfectly every time, I've never had the reason to try another one.
This recipe is exactly the same as the caramel component of the Caramel Coconut Cluster Bars in Baked Elements, except that it also includes salt. So I should not have been surprised that I had the same problem I had when I made the caramel coconut cluster bars; it seemed to take forever to get my caramel up to 245-250 degrees at the end. It stalled out around 225 degrees and when I finally got tired of waiting and raised the heat, the caramel became quite foamy and it boiled over (I was using a large, heavy pot, but I was also making a batch and a half of the recipe, so I had quite a bit of liquid). I was trapped a horrible cycle of raising and lowering the stove heat as I tried to get the caramel temperature to increase without having another boil over. The caramel finally reached the correct temperature, but it took about an hour of cooking after I added the cream and condensed milk.
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I poured the caramel into a parchment-lined pan (I used a 9-inch by 13-inch pan since I was making a batch and a half of the recipe) and sprinkled a bit of extra fleur de sel on top. After letting the caramels set overnight, I sliced them into one-inch squares and wrapped them in wax paper. The caramels held their shape well and true to their name, they had a very smooth, soft texture that is less chewy than other caramels I've made. These rich, buttery bites are decadent little treats!
Recipe: "Soft Candy Caramels" from Baked Explorations, Classic American Desserts Reinvented, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Recipe available here at Baked Sunday Mornings.
Previous Posts:
This recipe is exactly the same as the caramel component of the Caramel Coconut Cluster Bars in Baked Elements, except that it also includes salt. So I should not have been surprised that I had the same problem I had when I made the caramel coconut cluster bars; it seemed to take forever to get my caramel up to 245-250 degrees at the end. It stalled out around 225 degrees and when I finally got tired of waiting and raised the heat, the caramel became quite foamy and it boiled over (I was using a large, heavy pot, but I was also making a batch and a half of the recipe, so I had quite a bit of liquid). I was trapped a horrible cycle of raising and lowering the stove heat as I tried to get the caramel temperature to increase without having another boil over. The caramel finally reached the correct temperature, but it took about an hour of cooking after I added the cream and condensed milk.
.JPG)
Recipe: "Soft Candy Caramels" from Baked Explorations, Classic American Desserts Reinvented, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Recipe available here at Baked Sunday Mornings.
Previous Posts:
- "Wisconsin Wants You To Use More Heavy Cream: Spiced Apple Caramels," September 17, 2011.
- "A Lovely Little Bite: Salted Caramels," November 6, 2009.
Comments
I'm bookmarking your other recipe for caramels - they're so pretty! I've made the Alton Brown caramels and they turned out great.
Your caramels look just perfect!