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This week is full of caramel deliciousness. I have three different recipes that will stand on their own or combine into one amazing confectionery creation. First on the agenda are simple Fleur de Sel Caramels that will make you weak in the knees.
Although I thoroughly enjoy consuming candy, I can’t make the stuff to save my life. Trust me; I have tried…numerous times. I always end up blaming the thermometer…because it couldn’t possibly me, right? Well numerous specialty thermometers later, candy is still not my forte.
However, when I saw this salted caramels recipe on Annie’s Eats back in December, I thought they appeared simple enough for someone with zero candy making skills like myself. Well, I was right, these buttery caramels are rich, smooth, and insanely tasty. Be careful…these are so incredibly addictive that I’m betting you could easily eat yourself into a caramel coma.
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Vanilla Bean Caramels with Fleur de Sel
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise and scraped
1¼ tsp. fleur de sel, plus more for sprinkling
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
Directions:
1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the cream, butter, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, pods, and fleur de sel. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, 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.
4. Remove the vanilla bean pods from the cream mixture and carefully stir the cream mixture into the caramel – the mixture will bubble up, so pour slowly and stir constantly. Continue simmering the mixture until it registers 248˚ F on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into the prepared pan. Let cool for 30 minutes, then sprinkle lightly with additional fleur de sel. Continue to 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 paper, about 4-inch squares.
Notes:
- I stored my caramels in the refrigerator. Leaving them out at room temp made them a little more pliable than I wanted them to be.
- From: Annie’s Eats
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This was my very first attempt at making candy of any kind and it was so simple. My family couldn’t believe that I made this from scratch. Thanx for a wonderful recipe that I will be making for Christmas presents this year. And also again for the family, they can’t get enough!!!!!
I’m so glad to hear that, Valerie!
I absolutely love your recipe for this Salted Caramel!!! But I am rather ignorant when it comes to some of the ingredients in some of these recipes. And this ones got me going, ” FLEUR-DE- SEL ” huh??? Does this mean you throw a little French man in the mix?? HAHAHA. So really, where in the grocery store do I find one of these? Could someone be so kind as to help me with this???
PLEASE????? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
Sincerely Lost,
Marilyn K. Jason
P.S. You have some wonderful recipes here, I can’t wait to try a few!!!
Hi, Marilyn! You made me smile! Fleur de sel is a hand harvested salt from France. Check at Whole Foods and Williams Sonoma; they should have it. Let me know how it goes! I hope you have a great day!
Do you know how long these are good for? I’m making some goodies to send over to the UK and shipping is about 10 days. Will they be good that long?
Anna-
These caramels should be fine during shipping and still be plenty fresh. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
Hi,
Can i use this recipe for caramel buttercream ?
Thank you
I’m hosting a brunch at a fancy restaurant for my girlfriends this weekend. I made these to put in their thank you for coming goodie bags. Smells amazing and I know they’re going to taste the same. The caramel is cooling as I type!
Hi. I am new to this site, but love the sound of the caramels. I have been hunting for a recipe that you can bake with to make a firm yet gooey caramel, like you would get in a chocolate bar. Would this work or do you have another recipe or adjustment.
I think this is going to be one of my new best sites for visiting!!
Heather-
You can definitely dip these in chocolate. They are semi-firm meaning you wouldn’t want them to sit in a warm area. I like to keep them in the refrigerator until just before serving. I hope this helps.
-Jamie