Caramels seem to be one of those foods, like brownies and chocolate chip cookies, that are simultaneously classic yet also the subjects of much contention and woe in the kitchen. With caramel candies, no one seems to agree on what temperature to cook the caramel to so it achieves the ideal texture. I guess the problem is that “ideal” is just too dang subjective to really let anyone have the final word. It makes sense, of course: not everyone has jaws of steel, and some people might actually enjoy the feeling of candy that doubles as molar glue.

Although I mentioned this when I made caramels a few months ago, it bears repeating that I find 250°F to be the best temperature to achieve my own favorite texture, which I feel strikes a good balance between mildly chewy but not too sticky. If this is not right for you, here are a couple of suggestions: Those who like more pillowy caramels might be happier at 246°F, which is quite soft indeed and will likely need refrigeration to keep its shape. For something more firm, going up to 255°F should serve you well. Be wary of higher temperatures, though, as it’s easy to slip into a dangerous territory where the sugar turns rogue, merrily taking vengeance on dental work before finally reaching a nice snappy brittle.

This batch is flavored with fleur de sel, a wonderful and classic combination. A nice coarse sea salt would also be fine to use. I do like my salted caramels to be fairly salty, hence the sprinkled tops in addition to salt inside, but this is completely optional. You could also leave out the inside salt and just dust the tops, if you like the look of the coarse flakes and want a more subtle saltiness. I didn’t include a recipe last time, so here is a good one that is easy and rich with both cream and butter.

Fleur de Sel Caramels
Adapted from Gourmet, October 2004

1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fleur de sel or coarse sea salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment. Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a simmer in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside. Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy 4 quart saucepan on medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Continue to boil without stirring until mixture is a golden amber color.

Slowly stir in the cream mixture (it will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel reaches 250°F, about 5-10 minutes. Pour carefully into parchment-lined pan and cool for 4 hours or overnight.

With a heavy, lightly oiled knife, cut caramels into 1-inch pieces. If desired, lightly sprinkle a few flakes of salt on top of the squares. Wrap each piece in a square of wax paper, twisting the ends. Makes about 80 caramels.

Posted by the cookworm on Thursday, December 20th, 2007 at 4:57 pm.