Spiced Browned Butter Honey Caramels
These deliciously soft and chewy caramels are easy to make at home. Candymaking may seem tricky, but it is fairly straight forward… it just requires a little patience and some care. A candy thermometer comes in handy, but don’t fret if you do not have one. Mine malfunctioned midway during cooking, so I ended up making these caramels without a candy thermometer. It took some effort to monitor, but the end result was more than satisfactory. I used a silicone candy mold (available on Amazon) to shape the caramels. Alternately, the caramel mixture can also be poured into a small parchment-lined metal sweet tray (also available online) and cut into pieces when set. Please note that plastic chocolate molds will NOT work as the caramel mixture is VERY HOT when taken off the stove.
These caramels are sweetened only with honey (so make sure to use a quality brand). Feel free to flavor them with any spice blend of your choice. The recipe calls for browned butter which adds a butterscotch-like nutty undertone. However, plain salted butter will also work. Whilst the sprinkling of flaky sea salt is optional, it is definitely recommended.
RECIPE
SPICED BROWNED BUTTER HONEY Caramels
(Makes 10 caramels)
Ingredients
1/2 cup honey
6 tbsp heavy cream (can be substituted with full fat coconut cream)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp salted butter, more for greasing
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp any spice blend of your choice (you could use apple/pumpkin pie spice, gingerbread spice, chai spice or garam masala)
1/4 tsp fleur de sel or flaky sea salt
Parchment/wax paper for rolling
Method
Grease a small 5’x5’ metal sweet tray lightly with melted butter and line with parchment. Grease the parchment paper with melted butter also.
Cut some extra parchment or wax paper into 10 small pieces (3”x2”) and set aside for wrapping the candies.
In a small pan, brown the butter over low heat (cook till it starts foaming, changes color and starts to smell nutty). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a heavy based saucepan, combine the honey, cream and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, stirring over medium heat. Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, turn down the heat to the lowest setting. Use a silicone spatula to stir occasionally as the mixture cooks (you will need to stir it more frequently as it thickens). Continue cooking the caramel for about 25 minutes or until the mixture reaches “soft ball” stage (240° F or 116° C on a candy thermometer). To test, drop a tiny bit of the mixture into a bowl of ice water… if it sets firm enough to be rolled into a soft ball, it is ready. If you cannot roll it into a ball that holds its shape, continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes and test again.
Turn off the heat and carefully stir in the vanilla, cream of tartar, your spice blend of choice and the browned butter. Mix well to incorporate them into the caramel mixture. Place the saucepan back over low heat and continue stir for another 5 minutes to thicken some more (250° F or 121° C on a candy thermometer), then turn off the heat.
Working quickly, transfer the mixture onto the prepared tray or spoon it into the silicone candy mold. Tap lightly to smooth the top. Lightly sprinkle the flaky sea salt on top. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until the caramel is hard enough to cut. Use a sharp, greased knife to cut it into bite-sized squares and wrap them in the cut parchment (the caramels will be a bit sticky). If using a silicone mold, refrigerate the caramels for two hours before removing and wrapping.
Store the honey caramels in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Troubleshooting - In case your caramels do not set, transfer the mixture to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 second increments, stirring well in between. Repeat this for two minutes, pour the candy back into the tray and allow to set again.
If you accidentally overcook the caramel, you will get a harder toffee. It won’t be soft and chewy, but it will still be delicious and edible.
