Dayle Gregory, Institutional Research
Everyone in my family has always had a food that they have specialized in. For my mother it was deviled eggs. My aunt makes amazing fudge. My grandfather makes delicious chocolate chip cookies. Caramels have always been a favorite candy of mine and it wasn’t until I saw this video from ATK that I found the courage to attempt it. I found the ATK recipe to be far too soft and a little too oily, so after a few experimental batches I settled on the recipe here. Every year I make several batches of caramels and share them with all my family, friends, and neighbors. I have added all kinds of fillings/toppings over the years, from white chocolate swirl, to toasted pecans, to homemade bacon bits.
Dairy Portion:
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Vanilla Bean (Scrapings)
- 4 Tbsp. Butter
- 1 Tsp. Salt
Sugar Portion:
- 5 Cup Sugar
- 25 Cup Water
- 25 Cup Corn Syrup
Topping/Filling:
- Whatever you like, or nothing at all
Directions:
Mix dairy portion ingredients together in sauce pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and cover.
Add sugar portion ingredients to second, high-sided, sauce pan (2.5+ quart recommended). Add sugar to pan first and try to maintain a pyramid shape (high point in the center and low around the edges), then add water and corn syrup. Do not stir the sugar until it is (almost entirely) melted; even then just swirl the pan to prevent burning. Try not to get large amounts of sugar on the sides of the sauce pan; that sugar can cause crystallization and will not cook at the same rate as the rest.
Heat sugar over medium-high until faint golden and 300F. Reduce to medium-low for 2-3 more minutes. Once amber in color, with few bubbles, then remove from heat.
Slowly stir in cream mixture, making sure not to pour too fast, as the reaction will be violent. Once reaction has subsided a bit, return to medium heat until mixture is between 248F and 252F, stirring constantly.
Once ideal temperature is reached, pour into parchment and vegetable oil lined baking dish to cool (alternatively, a silicone baking dish can be used; avoiding additional oil and sometimes difficult to remove parchment paper). After 3-4 minutes, when the caramel is beginning to cool and thicken, chopped nuts or other additions can be mixed in to add flavor and texture. After 10 minutes, a topping can be added to the caramel, such as smoked sea salt flakes. After 30 minutes, the caramels can be transferred to the refrigerator to continue cooling and solidifying. After 1-2 hours, the caramels can be removed and cut into cubes. Use parchment paper squares to individually wrap caramels, so they do not stick to each other after cutting.
