The first time I ever had salted caramel was a serious moment in my life. It was sweet, it was salty, it was perfect. Put it on top of some aged gouda and I'm yours. I've been perfecting my caramel recipes for sometime now playing around with many variations of the sticky stuff to a point of near obsession. Many recipes you will see require corn syrup or alternatively rice syrup, but I have always been disappointed with the results as i find them oily and greasy and lacking in flavor. I'm a real purist when it comes to caramel and my favorite versions are made with real butter. I'm talking the raw french stuff. I find the butter adds a real sumptuousness that can never be had in any of the recipes that require those nasty syrups. The biggest trick to caramel is to have all of your ingredients measured out before hand as caramel is a game of time. You have to keep a close eye on it and stir it frequently as it can easily burn and get away from you very quickly! These candies make great holiday presents and ship very well! Here are my two favorite caramel recipes:
Goat's Milk Honey Caramel
as adapted from Martha Stewart
1 cup goat milk butter
2 cups pure honey
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling
Line a 9 inch pan with parchment. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan fitted with a candy thermometer, add honey, cream and sugar. cook until boiling. Boil for about 50 minutes until thermometer reads 250 degrees. Remove from head and add vanilla. Pour into pan and sprinkle with salt. Allow to cool overnight or until firm and cut into 1 inch squares and wrap in 3 inch parchment paper.
Apple Cider Caramel
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
4 cups good apple cider
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons Maldon salt
1 stick good unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
In a medium sauce pan, reduce 4 cups of apple cider for 40 minutes until you have about 1/2 cup. Line a 9 in pan with parchment and prepare other ingredients. Once cider is reduced stir in butter, sugar and cream and bring to a boil, stirring rapidly until candy thermometer reads 252, around 5 minutes. Stir in salt and cinnamon and pour into prepared pan. Allow to cool overnight or until firm and cut into 1 inch squares and wrap in 3 inch parchment paper.