 | I have to apologize. I've been holding out on you. I've had this recipe in my back pocket for weeks now. I've made it at least three times, and I knew it was an absolute winner after the first time. Maybe I just wanted to keep them to myself for a bit longer. Maybe I just didn't want anyone to know how really simple these were so they would keep being super impressed. |
Either way, I'm sharing them now because these are a little bite of both heaven and the fall/winter season. They have layers of flavor, sweet but also tangy, spicy and fresh. Make them. Eat them. Give them. You won't be disappointed (and neither will the recipients).
Apple Cider Caramels
makes about 64 1-inch caramels
smitten kitchen
4 cups apple cider
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp flaky sea salt or a little less of a finer one
8 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into chunks
a little less than 1 1/2 cups cane sugar (or about 1 cup regular sugar and a little less than a 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1/3 cup heavy cream
Boil the apple cider in a good-sized saucepan over high heat for about 35-40 minutes. You want it to reduce down to about a 1/2 cup. Stir it occasionally with a non-stick rubber spatula.
Meanwhile, get the other ingredients in order. Once the cider is ready, things move pretty quickly. Line the bottom and sides of an 8- inch straight- sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment then set aside. Stir the cinnamon and salt together in a small dish.
When the apple cider has reduced down, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter, sugars, and heavy cream. Return the pot to medium- high heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side. Let the mixture boil until the thermometer reads 252 degrees. This will only take about five minutes, so make sure you pay attention to it! If you don't have a candy/fry thermometer, Smitten Kitchen recommends you have a bowl of very cold water ready, and cook the caramel until a tiny spoonful dropped into the water becomes firm, chewy, and able to be plied into a ball. I've personally only ever used the candy thermometer method, so I can't speak to this other way of doing things.
When the mixture reaches 252 degrees, immediately remove the caramel from the heat, add the cinnamon- salt mixture, and give the caramel several stirs to distribute it evenly. I recommend using a rubber whisk, as the cinnamon REALLY doesn't like to distribute, but prefers to clump up in one or two select sections. Pour caramel into the prepared pan. IF the cinnamon is clumpy in the pan, go ahead and break it up quickly with a toothpick, swirling it around to distribute.
Let the caramel cool completely; you can throw it in the fridge to speed things up. Once firm, transfer the block to a cutting board. Using a well-oiled knife, cut the caramel into 1-by-1-inch squares. Wipe the knife with additional oil as needed. Wrap each caramel in a 4-inch square of waxed paper, twisting the sides to close. You can store them in the fridge or at room temperature; they will be soft at room temperature, and a bit more chewy from the fridge. Either way, they'll be awesome!
Apple Cider Caramels
makes about 64 1-inch caramels
smitten kitchen
4 cups apple cider
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp flaky sea salt or a little less of a finer one
8 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into chunks
a little less than 1 1/2 cups cane sugar (or about 1 cup regular sugar and a little less than a 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1/3 cup heavy cream
Boil the apple cider in a good-sized saucepan over high heat for about 35-40 minutes. You want it to reduce down to about a 1/2 cup. Stir it occasionally with a non-stick rubber spatula.
Meanwhile, get the other ingredients in order. Once the cider is ready, things move pretty quickly. Line the bottom and sides of an 8- inch straight- sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment then set aside. Stir the cinnamon and salt together in a small dish.
When the apple cider has reduced down, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter, sugars, and heavy cream. Return the pot to medium- high heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side. Let the mixture boil until the thermometer reads 252 degrees. This will only take about five minutes, so make sure you pay attention to it! If you don't have a candy/fry thermometer, Smitten Kitchen recommends you have a bowl of very cold water ready, and cook the caramel until a tiny spoonful dropped into the water becomes firm, chewy, and able to be plied into a ball. I've personally only ever used the candy thermometer method, so I can't speak to this other way of doing things.
When the mixture reaches 252 degrees, immediately remove the caramel from the heat, add the cinnamon- salt mixture, and give the caramel several stirs to distribute it evenly. I recommend using a rubber whisk, as the cinnamon REALLY doesn't like to distribute, but prefers to clump up in one or two select sections. Pour caramel into the prepared pan. IF the cinnamon is clumpy in the pan, go ahead and break it up quickly with a toothpick, swirling it around to distribute.
Let the caramel cool completely; you can throw it in the fridge to speed things up. Once firm, transfer the block to a cutting board. Using a well-oiled knife, cut the caramel into 1-by-1-inch squares. Wipe the knife with additional oil as needed. Wrap each caramel in a 4-inch square of waxed paper, twisting the sides to close. You can store them in the fridge or at room temperature; they will be soft at room temperature, and a bit more chewy from the fridge. Either way, they'll be awesome!