Gingerbread Caramels
User Reviews
5
Gingerbread Caramels
Description
Gingerbread Caramels combine traditional caramel ingredients with a blend of warm spices and molasses to evoke familiar seasonal flavors. Heavy cream, butter, corn syrup, and sugar cook together with spices including ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, along with vanilla extract and molasses for deep sweetness. The mixture is expertly heated to the right temperature to yield firm but chewy caramels.
The spices provide a balanced warmth without overpowering the buttery caramel base, complemented by molasses’ richness. Butter adds creaminess while the heavy cream and corn syrup prevent crystallization, ensuring smooth texture.
These caramels can be buttered into an 8 or 9-inch pan and cooled before cutting into squares. They make a tasty holiday treat or gift when wrapped individually.
The original notes mention altitude adjustments may be needed for candy thermometer readings and that doubling the spices can intensify the gingerbread flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves ground
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup molasses not blackstrap
- 6 tablespoons butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces, usually salted
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt coarse; use 1/4 tsp for table salt
Instructions
- Butter the bottom and sides (get into the corners, too!) of a 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. (Alternately, you can line with parchment and butter the parchment – this may make it easier to pull the slab of caramels out of the pan after they have cooled in order to cut and wrap them.) Set aside.
- Heat the cream in a saucepan or in the microwave until steaming. Keep warm.
- In a small bowl, stir together the vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Set aside.
- For the caramels, in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (at least 5- or 6-quarts), stir together the sugar, corn syrup, and water, taking care to not splash the mixture up the sides of the pot. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan, if using.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat WITHOUT STIRRING or moving the pan. As it begins to boil, fill a cup with water and use a pastry brush to wash down the sides of the pan so there are no granules of sugar sticking to the sides of the pan (you probably won’t need to repeat this after the sides have been well-cleaned). This prevents the caramel mixture from crystallizing in later steps.
- Cook until the boiling sugar turns a light amber color and registers 325 degrees F on the thermometer, about 15-20 minutes.
- Slowly and carefully pour the warm cream into the caramel. It will bubble and produce a lot of steam! Add the molasses, butter, and salt. The mixture will bubble high during this step but will go down after a few minutes.
- Begin stirring the caramel with a heatproof rubber spatula, making sure to scrape across the bottom of the pan (but avoid scraping the sides of the pan too much). Continue to cook, stirring constantly and slowly, until the mixture reaches 244-246 degrees F, about 10-20 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat.
- Off the heat, scrape the vanilla/spices mixture into the caramel and stir gently until well-combined.
- Pour the caramel mixture into the prepared pan. Let the caramels cool completely at room temperature.
- Cut the caramel into squares using a sharp knife or bench scraper. Wrap the caramels and store in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to two weeks.
Notes
- Adjust cooking temperature based on elevation; this recipe was tested at 2,400 feet.
- Doubling the spices will enhance the gingerbread flavor if desired.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 60caramels
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 caramel | |
| Calories | 86kcal | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 13g | 4% |
| Protein | 0.2g | 0% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 12mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 14mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.01g | 0% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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