know, I know, I know. It’s called 12 Days of Christmas Cookies, and I keep giving you treats that aren’t actually cookies. But look! Look with your special eyes- these caramels are worth the theme deviation. I mean really:
Ha! How can you say no to that creamy salty chocolate goodness, I ask you!? No really, I would like to know, because I ate two on my way to the shower this morning. What could I do? They were begging to be eaten, I swear to you. Although I really have no business eating caramel at 7 in the morning. I’ve had enough sweets in the last few weeks to last me a lifetime, but still I want more.
Salted Dark Chocolate Caramels
Tips: Keep a short glass half full of water nearby. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, make sure to wipe away any residual sugar from the inside of the pan as the sugar cooks down. The glass of water will also come in handy when checking for the soft ball test.To check for soft ball stage: as the caramel cooks, drop small amounts into the water. The caramel is ready when it forms a ball in the water, but flattens out a bit when removed. You want it to be soft but not mushy. If the caramel turns hard once it hits the water, it’s been cooked too long.If you like your caramel extra-chewy, add an extra ½ cup of sugar with the cream in the beginning.
Servings: 18 caramels
Calories: 200kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- large pinch of salt
- plus coarse kosher salt., for sprinkling
- 4 tablespoons butter, diced
- 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 5 x3 bread pan, lined with aluminum foil that hangs over the sides of the pan to lift out the caramel after it has set.
Instructions
- Butter the aluminum foil in the bread pan well with at least ½ tablespoon of butter. Keep it nearby as the caramel cooks.
- Over medium heat, combine the sugar, cream and corn syrup. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and started to brown. Once the color of the sugar is a light tan color (I like to think of it as a “blonde wood” color) start adding the butter pieces, one by one, stirring fully after each piece melts before adding another one. Once all the butter is added, do the same process with the chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate is fully melted into the caramel, then turn the heat down to low.
- Let the mixture cook on a low boil, stirring often. When the caramel reaches soft ball stage (see note), or about 240*F with a candy thermometer, it’s ready to be poured.
- Carefully pour the hot caramel into the bread pan, gently smoothing the corners in to be filled. Sprinkle the kosher salt on top, as much as desired- I use about a tablespoon. Let the caramel sit overnight in a place where it will not be disturbed.
- In the morning, remove the caramel by lifting it out of the bread pan by the foil and inverting it onto a cutting board. Peel away the foil, slice and wrap caramels. They will last up to a week if wrapped and kept tightly covered
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