Wicked Wicked Salted Caramels

For all the closet-sugar lovers out there who haven't quite yet kicked the habit here is THE most delicious and wicked caramel recipe evah. These are what I now default to when I want to indulge a sugar craving (Sorry Sarah W! ) If you are going to weaken, my motto is make it worth it! (But if you want some sugar free recipes I will be posting some of those too!)

At least with these I know exactly what is in them and if you decide you DO want to indulge, may I humbly suggest that these are THE best way to do it - that is, apart from Darren Purchese's (of The Sweet Studio in South Yarra) stunning caramel sauce which was my gift to all my friends last Christmas!)

( I am SUCH a nice friend :) ).

Enough description - a picture (and in this case a taste!) is worth a thousand words.




One point - you will need a candy thermometer. Most kitchen style stores sell these for $10-$20.

Ingredients...

• 2 and 1/3 cup caster sugar (or brown sugar is fine and I think adds a certain richness. I often use half and half)
• 2cups thickened cream
• 1/2 cup liquid glucose (available from your supermarket in the bakery aisle)
• 60g chopped unsalted butter (if you don't have unsalted that is fine but just reduce the amount of added salt later)
• 1 and 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes and extra to sprinkle on top (I favour Maldon Sea Salt Flakes myself)

Added extras can be dried chilli flakes or roasted chopped pistachios but that comes after - yummmmm!)

What to do with them....

1. Prepare a shallow tray with butter greased baking paper ready to pour your caramel into!
2. Put all your ingredients into a large saucepan - a 2 litre minimum if you can as this baby can splatter a bit!
3. Dissolve the sugar into the other ingredients and then bring them all to a boil, positioning your candy thermometer on the side of the saucepan so you can see it clearly (for some of us this may mean a pair of reading glasses or a magnifying glass *rofl*)
4. Keep stirring the mix with a wooden spatula and monitoring the temperature until it reaches 180 degrees .This requires some attention and can take up to 20 minutes so I usually get a tall chair/bar stool and make myself comfortable.
5. As soon as the thermometer hits 180 tip your mix into the pre-prepared pan, sprinkle over and lightly press into the surface of the caramel your topping of choice and allow to set - about 30-45 mins.
6. Get a wide chopping knife and something long enough to hold the blade in boiling water to help you cut these - it be a can be sticky business and requires determination. Your reward is the left over uneven bits "cook's treat" :)
7. Wrap each candy in baking paper or for extra colour add cellophane (red is nice at Christmas)

 

Only one word ..YUMMMMMMMM!