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Autumn Caramels

Source of Recipe

From "The Sweet Book of Candy Making" by Elizabeth LaBau


Recipe Introduction

"If you omit the spices, this is a perfect recipe for classic caramels, full of deep, toasty sugar flavors and a hint of rich butter. I urge you, though, to give the spices a try. The warm fall flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla are a wonderful match for the caramelized sugar, and you just might find you don't want to go back to plain caramels again."

List of Ingredients

• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 6 whole cloves, coarsely crushed
• 1 whole allspice, coarsely crushed
• 12 ounces or 1½ cups heavy cream
• 4 ounces or 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 11 ounces or 1 cup light corn syrup
• 14 ounces or 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract


Recipe

Line an 8- x 8-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. In a small saucepan, place the vanilla bean seeds, the scraped vanilla bean pod, the cinnamon sticks, the crushed cloves, the crushed allspice, the heavy cream, and 2 ounces of the butter. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it with a tight-fitting lid, and let it sit for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors.

After 30 minutes, combine the corn syrup and the granulated sugar in a 4-quart saucepan and place the pan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and let it boil for 4 minutes, so the condensation will wash the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan.

Remove the lid and insert a candy thermometer. Continue to cook the sugar, without stirring, until it reaches 320°F on the candy thermometer. Once at 320°F, carefully pour the warm cream through a strainer into the hot sugar syrup, straining out the vanilla pod, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice. The mixture will bubble and splatter a great deal, and the temperature will drop.

Cook the caramel, stirring frequently, until it reaches 250°F. This will give you a soft, chewy caramel. If you prefer firmer caramels, cook the candy to 255°F. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 ounces butter, the salt, and the vanilla extract, then pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Let it sit at room temperature until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Once set, remove the candy from the pan and peel off the foil from the back. Use a large sharp knife to cut the caramels into small squares. Wrap each individual caramel in waxed paper to prevent them from sticking together or losing their shape. Store Autumn Caramels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.


Makes 1 pound 14 ounces