WHISKEY SALTED CARAMELS

Dec 22, 2012

smitten ⋅ holiday, sugars ⋅ candy, caramel, chocolate, dessert, Liquor, whiskey ⋅ 3 comments

•I love caramels! Around Halloween the wrapped caramels always call my name.  Those I always thought were the best, until I had a salted caramel…..mind blown! I needed to make these, but I really don’t have caramel making experience.  I know that candy making can be tricky and searched for recipes.  I finally found one over at Doughmesstic that is made all in one pot and sounded wonderful.  I changed things up a little and played with the boiling temperature.  These are soft and chewy caramels infused with a little whiskey and covered with dark chocolate and a sprinkle of sea salt.

 

for the caramels

14 tbls unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp sea salt

2 1/2 tsp whiskey-I used Crown Royal (can use 1 tsp vanilla instead or another liquor)

for the chocolate coating

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 tbls shortning

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

sea salt for sprinkling

 

makes approx 3 dozen

cooking, chillin, and dippin time-5 hours (the set caramel can sit in fridge, wrapped, for a couple days until you’re ready to cut and coat with chocolate)

special equipment-candy thermometer

 

TIPS: candy making can be very persnickety.  One wrong move and things might not turn out.  Not trying to freak ya out.  Have everything measured out and ready to go.  Move quickly and only concentrate on the candy, don’t multi task with the laundry or dishes.  Use a pot bigger than you think you need, you’re cooking with hot molten lava, a boil over can be disastrous.  Make sure to cook at the right temperature, a high heat rolling boil is too hot, things can burn.  Cook at a med high heat (7 is what I use). Humidity can play a big part in how things turn out, try not to make candies on a humid day.

The joy of tasting liquor at 11 am.  The toasted caramel whiskey is super yummy, but a little too sweet for this.  Grand Marnier has a orange flavor and goes well with chocolate.  Honey flavor sounded good, but maybe better for drinking in a hot toddy.  Stuck with Crown, clean and simple.  The caramels don’t taste all boozy, the whiskey just gives it a deeper, more complex flavor.

Line a square baking dish with a large piece of parchment paper, so it hangs over the sides. Spray with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large heavy bottomed pot (I used my favorite enameled dutch oven) melt the butter over med high heat.

Add in both sugars-whisk until dissolved.

Add in the corn syrup-whisk.

Pour in the cream-whisk.

Sprinkle in the salt-whisk for the last time while cooking.

Attach the candy thermometer and bring to a slow boil over med high heat.  Do not stir while boiling, just swirl the pot.

When the thermometer reads 228° pull off of stove.  Let sit on counter for 1 min, whisking while it continues to cook.  Stir in the whiskey.  Carefully pour the caramel into your prepared baking pan.  Let sit on the counter for 30 min, then pop into the fridge to set a couple hours.

Pull pan out of the fridge and let come to room temp before you start cutting.  Two things you need for this is a nonskid cutting board, or put a wet paper towel under your cutting board, and a big sharp knife.  Cut into long strips, then into squares-set aside and work on the chocolate.

In a microwave safe bowl, pour in the chocolate chips.   Microwave on high in 30 sec intervals, stirring between.  After the second go around add in the shortening, and pop back into microwave until fully melted and smooth-total about 1 1/2 min.  Once smooth, stir in the vanilla.

Using two forks, add the caramels, a couple at a time into the chocolate.

Let most of the chocolate drip off and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with sea salt.

Place baking sheet into the fridge until the chocolate is set.  Can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for 1 week.  

How cute would these be packaged up in a tin or fancy box with tissue paper♥Enjoy

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