Chocolate Covered Salted Caramels Food

SALTED CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment.
• Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, then reduce heat to low and add chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat.
• Bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring but gently swirling pan occasionally, until sugar is deep golden, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and carefully pour in chocolate mixture (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Continue to boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 255°F on thermometer, about 15 minutes. Add butter, stirring until completely melted, then immediately pour into lined baking pan (do not scrape any caramel clinging to bottom or side of saucepan). Let caramel stand 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours.
• Carefully invert caramel onto a clean, dry cutting board, then peel off parchment. Turn caramel salt side up. Lightly oil blade of a large heavy knife and cut into 1-inch squares.

HOMEMADE CARAMELS WITH DARK CHOCOLATE AND SEA SALT

Steps:

• Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
• Combine white sugar, 1/2 cup cream, light corn syrup, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup cream. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 242 degrees (117 degrees C), or until a small amount of the caramel mixture forms a firm yet pliable ball when dropped in cold water. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract.
• Pour caramel mixture into baking pan. Allow to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove baking pan from the fridge and allow caramel mixture to warm up slightly, about 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Combine dark and semisweet chocolate chips with shortening in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Cut caramel into 1-inch squares. Dip caramel squares in melted chocolate, shaking off excess. Place on lined baking sheet; sprinkle with sea salt. Chill until hardened, about 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE COVERED CARAMELS

Steps:

• Grease an 8 x 8 inch square pan.
• In a heavy 4 quart saucepan melt butter over medium heat; add brown sugar, corn syrup and milk. Stirring constantly, heat to 242 to 248 degrees F (116 to 120 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour into prepared pan.
• When caramel has cooled and set, cut into 1 inch squares. Chill in refrigerator until firm.
• Melt chocolate with 1 tablespoon butter in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth.
• Dip caramel squares in chocolate and place on wax paper to cool.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED SALTED CARAMELS

Steps:

• Insert toothpick into 1 caramel; dip in chocolate, turning until completely coated. Shake gently to remove excess chocolate. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining caramels.
• Sprinkle with salt. Let stand at room temperature 30 min. or until chocolate is firm.

CHOCOLATE COVERED CARAMELS

Steps:

• Unwrap the caramels and place the unwrapped caramels on a dinner plate covered in waxed paper.
• Break wooden skewers into 4 or 5 pieces each (or use round toothpicks or those little plastic swards often used for drinks) and insert a small piece of the skewer into each caramel (to create a small lollypop type appearance).
• Measure out the chocolate wafers, put chocolate into small ramekin microwavable cups.
• Microwave on low (I use power 5 or 6) for 10 to 15 seconds at a time, stirring often to ensure the chocolate does not burn.
• Since you are only covering 8 caramels in chocolate, to make sure the chocolate does not harden, fill a cereal or soup bowl with a small amount of hot tap water; place the ramekin with the melted chocolate in the bowl of water so the warm water surrounds the ramekin - be careful not to get any water in the melted chocolate.
• Pick up the caramel by its stick and dip into the chocolate; spread the chocolate onto the surface of the caramel (I used a small pickle fork to do this).
• Immediately dip the chocolate covered caramel into your desired toppings - Note the chocolate hardens very quickly once on the caramel.
• Place the decorated chocolate caramel back onto the dinner plate so the chocolate can fully harden.
• Repeat this process with all caramels; once finished store the chocolate covered caramels in a sealed container or wrap individually in plastic wrap for gifts.
• IDEA - S'more caramel; cut mini marshmallows in half, cover caramel with dark or milk chocolate, immediately place the cut marshmallows onto the chocolate surface of the caramel, let dry, spread a small amount of white chocolate onto each marshmallow and immediately dip in graham wafer crumbs.

SALTED CHOCOLATE-DIPPED CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil that extends over the sides. Grease the foil with vegetable oil. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Add the sugar, corn syrup and honey and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 257 degrees on a candy thermometer, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and, with oven mitts on, stir in the butter, vanilla and 2 teaspoons salt. Pour into the prepared pan and let cool. (If you are not coating them in chocolate, let cool slightly and sprinkle with the remaining salt.) When completely cool, coat a cutting board and the blade of a large chef's knife with vegetable oil. Invert the caramel onto the cutting board; peel off the foil and invert again. Cut the caramel into 8 1-inch-wide strips; then cut each strip into 1/2-inch pieces.
• To coat with chocolate, melt the chocolate in a double boiler set over simmering water (temper it if you want the coating to have polish). Using a fork to hold the caramel pieces, dip them one at a time into the chocolate and set them on a rack to cool. After dipping 4 caramels, sprinkle each with a little of the remaining sea salt. Transfer to parchment paper to set up and cool. Makes 128 caramels.