Soft Chocolate Caramels
User Reviews
4.4
Soft Chocolate Caramels
Description
This recipe starts by combining water, sugar, pure vanilla extract, sweetened condensed milk, light corn syrup, butter, chopped dark chocolate, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. The mixture is cooked over medium heat with constant stirring to prevent scorching, with a candy thermometer monitoring the temperature until reaching 245°F, which yields a soft but firm caramel consistency. The caramel’s readiness can also be tested by dropping a small portion into cold water to check firmness. Once cooked, the pot is removed from heat, and the salted caramel mixture is poured into a buttered pan to cool and set before cutting into candies.
The final product offers a contrast between the creamy, fudge-like chocolate and the chewy caramel, with a subtle saltiness to balance the sweet flavors. The use of dark chocolate infuses the caramel with richness not present in plain caramel candies.
The recipe allows for a variation into traditional caramel by omitting the chocolate and adjusting salt accordingly if unsalted butter is used.
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract pure
- 1 (14-ounce) (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 ½ ticks butter
- 1 cup dark chocolate chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Lightly butter a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vanilla, condensed milk, corn syrup, butter and chocolate. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, ensuring that the tip of the thermometer isn’t touching the bottom of the pan and is inserted at least 1-2 inches into the liquid (or according to your thermometer’s directions).
- Continue stirring while the mixture boils and cooks, until the caramels reach 245 degrees F. If the caramels seem to be scorching on the bottom of the pan, moderate the heat to a lower temperature. You can also test the caramels using a spoon and dropping a pea-sized amount of the hot caramel into cold water. If the cooled piece of caramel is firm but not hard, the caramel is properly cooked.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the salt. Pour the caramels into the prepared pan and allow to cool completely to room temperature, at least 2 hours.
- When cool, remove the sheet of caramels from the pan. Cut the caramels into pieces using a large knife or bench scraper.
Notes
- Omit chocolate to make regular soft caramels using the same method.
- If using unsalted butter, increase salt to 1 teaspoon to balance flavors.
- Monitor the temperature carefully to avoid burning; adjust heat as needed to maintain a gentle boil.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.4
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