My favorite recipes are the ones that so obviously require sharing the finished product. I came across these caramels just before Christmas, a time of year that, for me, is best celebrated by the combination of my favorite people and tasty goods full of sugar and butter.
This recipe is pulled from a number of sources and, in all honesty, has come out slightly different each time I’ve made it. A bit of a confession–I made five batches of these babies, and two turned out MISERABLY terrible. As in, throw them away terrible. Turns out that you really can’t substitute whole milk for heavy cream (even if it’s cold and dark outside and you don’t feel like walking to the Jewel several blocks away and you figure, “Eh, what the hell. Worth a shot, right?” Wrong). And you shouldn’t really turn the heat up too high, hoping to rush these along. Lessons learned. But the results (and my technique) certainly improved with each attempt–and by the time I got to batch number five, it was, hands down, the best by far (lucky for you, Maryland friends!). So at the very least, I got some candy-making experience under my belt (and gladly sampled as I went along). With a little patience and a fair amount of sugar, these soft, buttery caramels are actually pretty easy to make. Add a sprinkle of salt on top and you’ve got just the right balance of sweet and salty. Hell, you could even dip them in melted chocolate…but maybe I’m just getting carried away. Read the rest of this entry »
