Sea Salt Caramels

I'm definitely a chocolate-holic. If given a choice of different types of candy or sweets, I always go for the chocolate. But caramel comes in a close second. A very close second. I wasn't planning on making caramels this Christmas season--my baking list is already quite long. But then I stumbled upon a sea salt caramel recipe. I already had everything I needed to make them except heavy cream. I checked out a variety of other recipes to see which one I liked best and the one I'm going to show you was the most popular. I found it on a number of different sites with rave reviews on every one. So I went to the grocery store, bought my heavy cream, and here you have it: melt-in-your-mouth sea salt caramels.

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons sea salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
sea salt for garnishing

Special Equipment: Candy Thermometer

Directions:
Line the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch baking pan with wax paper. Lightly coat the wax paper with canola oil or cooking spray.    

In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream, butter, and 2 teaspoons of sea salt to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Set aside.

In a heavy-duty saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, continue to cook the mixture until the temperature reaches 248 degrees. Occasionally swirl the saucepan. Do not stir.

When the temperature reaches 248 degrees, slowly and carefully stir in the cream mixture. The mixture will bubble so be careful not to burn yourself. Simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens and turns a golden brown color--between 15 and 25 minutes. Swirl the mixture frequently. Do not let temperature exceed 250 degrees.

When the the mixture reaches the desired color and texture, pour it into your paper-lined pan. Allow the caramel to cool for 2 hours before cutting into pieces. While the caramel is still warm, garnish the top with sea salt, gently pressing the salt into the top. Cut into 1-inch pieces and wrap in wax paper.

Enjoy!

~Eric

2011 Christmas Baking List:
Sea Salt Caramels
Starlight Mint Cake
Mint-Chocolate Truffles
Rocky Road Chocolate Log
Candied Citrus Peels
Easy Rum Balls
Homemade Marshmallows
Christmas Kiss Cookies
Tea Cookies

Other Holiday Cooking Ideas:
Snowflake Tortillas
Gingerbread House Decoration Ideas
Christmas Peep S'mores