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Vanilla Bean Salted Caramels

11/28/2012

 
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I read a post on Facebook the other day that said that because this person didn't make a lot of money, they were forced to give homemade food as gifts. And this person clearly did not think this was a positive thing. I almost said something but I don't like to fight with people in general and definitely not on the interwebz. So I bit my tongue...or fingers...and silently screamed, homemade food gifts are awesome! Seriously. Last year, my peeps got brownie mix in a jar. I've given cookies and other great stuff, and this year, some lucky people will be getting these vanilla bean salted caramels. They are amazing. And now I've ruined the surprise for some, but they'll forgive me when they pop one of these suckers into their mouths and moan with pleasure. By the way, if you Googled moan with pleasure and came up here, I'm sorry, but you should try these too!

Anyway...making caramel is hard you say. Guess what? It's not. This recipe is super easy to follow and while it takes some time, it's pretty much inactive time where you're watching sugar boil. I made these chocolate peppermint cupcakes while I was making these caramels because I try to multitask whenever possible.

And now let me really sell you. I'm not a big caramel fan, but I've been eating a handful of these daily. Homemade caramel is leaps and bounds better than store bought. When you add a vanilla bean into them, there is such a great depth of flavor and richness. And then you sprinkle some sea salt on top, and it satisfies every sweet/salty craving you've ever had. They are truly incredible. I insist you make these and if you can, give some as gifts. If you can't because you ate them all, I understand. There's always next year.  

Vanilla Bean Salted Caramels Recipe
Makes 64 caramels
Print this recipe

Note: I cooked my caramel to 248 degrees, but it took me a little bit of time to actually pour the caramel out of the pan. So my caramels were a bit too hard (but still edible and delicious). To cut them, I placed the large square on a plate and microwaved them for about 15 seconds until they were soft enough to cut. Next time, I will cook my caramel to 246-247 degrees.

1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and lightly butter the parchment.

In a small saucepan, combine the cream, butter, vanilla extract, vanilla beans, pods, and sea salt in a pan and set over medium high heat until it boils. Then remove from heat and set aside.

In a 3-4 quart heavy saucepan, boil the sugar, corn syrup, and water, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Don't stir anymore but swirl the pan every so often until the mixture turns a light golden color.

Remove the pods from the cream mixture and then slowly and carefully stir the cream mixture into the boiling sugar (it will bubble up so be careful). Stir frequently and simmer until the mixture registers 246-248 degrees on a candy thermometer (246 will give you a softer caramel and 248 will be a firmer caramel).

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, sprinkle some additional sea salt on top of the caramel. Let cool completely and then remove from the pan and cut into 1-inch squares, using a greased knife or pizza wheel. Wrap each piece into a 4-inch square of waxed paper, twisting the two ends to close.  

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride
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Tasha Z link
11/29/2012 12:36:30 am

2 magic words ... vanilla & caramel. Looks delicious!

Julia Mueller link
11/29/2012 12:56:30 am

These caramels look like such a treat! I have to admit, I love all things salted caramel and I bet the vanilla gives them such a unique flavor! These would be perfect to include in a holiday treat basket for friends and family!

Kayle (The Cooking Actress) link
11/29/2012 04:37:03 am

GOSH DARNIT I WAS LOOKING FOR SOME QUALITY EROTICA AND ALL I FIND ARE VANILLA BEAN SALTED CARAMELS?

Oh wait...that's awesome :P

Heheheeee
Seriously, I'm not super in love with caramel but I completely believe that these are amaze-balls.

She Makes and Bakes
11/29/2012 04:41:36 am

Hahahahahahhahaha! I wasn't super in love with caramel either...until now!

Kari@Loave n Dishes link
11/29/2012 04:47:18 am

No matter what my Christmas gift budget is, my friends favorite gifts are always my homemade edible gifts!

CJ link
11/29/2012 06:20:59 am

They look very sweet and tasty, can't wait to make them.

Tiffany link
11/29/2012 06:51:35 am

I have been meaning to search for a good caramel recipe to try some newly acquired smoked chili salt in and voila, your post arrived in my email! I am going to make these this weekend. I think the combination fo sweet caramel with the smokey spicey salt will be great - at least I'm hopeful. Thanks for sharing.

C Irish
9/7/2014 08:12:46 am

I just made these! Except, in the pan cooling at the moment they're still quite liquidy. It's cool to the touch, what did I do wrong? Can I salvage these caramels by maybe putting them in the fridge to make them harden??


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     Welcome!

    Cooking is fun and easy at high altitude, but baking can be frustrating. About 90% of my recipes work everywhere, but some are adjusted so us mountain dwellers can enjoy baked goods from scratch. I hope you find great recipes on here for your family, and I'll let you know if any are adjusted for high altitude. 

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