Creamy Chocolate Caramels Recipes

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS RECIPE

Steps:

• Line a 9 x 13 inch quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Butter the pan first so that the parchment paper sticks to the pan - this is optional, but will give you smoother edges to your caramels. Dissolve the coffee in the vanilla extract and set aside.
• Place all the ingredients, except for the coffee granules and vanilla extract, in a large pot.
• Heat over medium high heat, while stirring (with a whisk or spatula) occasionally, until all the ingredients melt to form a smooth liquid.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, and lower the heat to medium. Continue to cook the caramel chocolate base, while stirring frequently to make sure the caramel doesn't burn at the bottom.
• Cook until the mixture reaches a temperature between 242 - 245°F. Then immediately whisk in the vanilla and coffee mixture.
• Remove the pot from the heat, and pour the mixture into the prepared quarter sheet pan. Please be careful as the sugar mixture is EXTREMELY HOT at this stage. Do NOT get it on your hands, or be tempted to lick / taste it!
• Allow the caramel to cool slightly. While the surface is still soft, sprinkle extra sea salt flakes (like maldon) on top.
• The caramel should cool completely to room temperature. Wrap the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it hardens. I like to keep the caramel in the fridge overnight.
• Once chilled, remove from the fridge and then the pan. If the butter on the tray is making it hard to remove the parchment paper, keep the tray on a kitchen towel soaked in warm water. This will help release the parchment paper.
• Keep the caramel slab on a cutting board, and allow it to soften a little (to room temperature).
• Using a long, sharp, dry, clean knife (not a serrated knife), cut the caramel into pieces. The pieces can be whatever size you like. Wipe the knife clean between cuts, so that you get nice clean cuts. I prefer to cut the caramels into 0.75 x 1.5 inch pieces, or 1 x 1 inch squares.

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil; butter foil in pan. Set aside.
• Combine all ingredients except vanilla in heavy 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 7-12 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, 22-25 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 245°F or small amount of mixture dropped into ice water forms a firm but pliable ball. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
• Immediately pour hot caramel mixture into prepared pan. Cool 20 minutes. Score into 1-inch squares with tip of knife while mixture is still warm but has set on surface. Cool completely. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours for easier cutting.
• Remove candy from pan using foil; cut candy into squares. Wrap each square in waxed paper.

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with foil and grease the foil with butter; set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup and chocolate to a boil over medium heat; stir until smooth. Add 1/2 cup cream; cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Add another 1/2 cup cream; return mixture to 234° (soft-ball stage). Add the remaining cream; cook to 245° (firm-ball stage)., Immediately pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Let stand until firm, about 5 hours or overnight. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Discard foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares using a buttered knife. Wrap individually in waxed paper; twist ends.

CREAMY CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• Grease bottom and sides of 8- or 9-inch square glass baking dish with butter. Spread nuts in pan. Heat remaining ingredients to boiling in heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Cook over medium heat about 35 minutes, stirring frequently, to 245°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water forms a firm ball that holds its shape until pressed. Immediately spread over nuts in pan. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Cut candy into 1-inch squares. Wrap individually in waxed paper or plastic wrap. (Use metallic plastic wrap for a candy shop finish.) Store wrapped candies in airtight container.

CREAMY CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line an 8-in. square pan with foil; grease the foil with 1 teaspoon butter and set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and remaining butter; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil slowly for 4 minutes without stirring., Remove from the heat; stir in milk. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage), stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla., Pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Discard foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares. Wrap individually in waxed paper; twist ends.

CHOCOLATE COVERED CARAMELS

Steps:

• Grease an 8 x 8 inch square pan.
• In a heavy 4 quart saucepan melt butter over medium heat; add brown sugar, corn syrup and milk. Stirring constantly, heat to 242 to 248 degrees F (116 to 120 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour into prepared pan.
• When caramel has cooled and set, cut into 1 inch squares. Chill in refrigerator until firm.
• Melt chocolate with 1 tablespoon butter in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth.
• Dip caramel squares in chocolate and place on wax paper to cool.

SOFT CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, stir the sugar and corn syrup together until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, without stirring, until it turns a very light caramel color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and very slowly pour the cream into the hot sugar (be careful-it will bubble up) and stir to combine. Return the mixture to medium-low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer inserted in the pot reads 238 degrees F, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and butter until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 8-by-8 inch square baking dish. Allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours) before cutting into 1-inch squares.
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.
• From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make at Home, by Jacques Torres.

CHOCOLATE CREME CARAMEL

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a double thickness of paper towels. Have it and four 6-to-8-ounce ramekins at hand. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sugar and sprinkle the remaining sugar over the bottom of a small skillet or saucepan, preferably nonstick, and put the pan over medium-high heat. When you see the sugar start to melt around the edges, begin stirring it in small circles, making your way around the edges and then going deeper into the center of the pan, until all the sugar is melted, blended, bubbling and, most important, a medium amber color; stay with the caramel, because the color changes in seconds. You can check the color by dropping a bit on a white plate. As soon as it's the right color, pull the pan from the heat and, being very, very careful (caramel is ferociously hot and sticky), divide it among the ramekins. Hold the ramekins by their tops and swirl to coat the bottoms with caramel. You'll never get the caramel perfectly even, and that will never matter. Place the ramekins in the roasting pan.
• Put the milk and the reserved 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot milk over it. Let stand for about 5 minutes to melt.
• Meanwhile, put the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk them for about 1 minute; they'll pale a bit. Using a heatproof spatula, stir the chocolate and milk together until smooth. Then, stirring the eggs without stopping, gradually pour the hot chocolate milk over the eggs and stir until blended. You'll have bubbles on top of the creme, don't worry: You're going to turn the custards over and no one will ever see the bottoms.
• Divide the custard among the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully slide the pan into the oven.
• Bake the custards for 35 to 45 minutes, or until they are firm around the edges and just jiggly in the center. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully place the ramekins on a cooling rack. Leave the ramekins at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then transfer them to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 4 hours, or until they are thoroughly cold, before serving. (You can make these 1 day ahead; cover and keep refrigerated.)
• When you're ready to serve, run a table knife around the edges of the ramekins, then turn the custards over onto small plates with raised rims. You might have to shake the ramekins a little or tap them gently against the plate to cajole the custards to come out, but fear not -- they won't stick.

CREAMY CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with foil; grease foil with 1 teaspoon butter. Place chocolate chips, remaining butter and marshmallow creme in bowl of a stand mixer., In a large heavy saucepan, combine sugar and milk. Bring to a rapid boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 8 minutes. Slowly add sugar mixture to chocolate mixture, beating on medium speed until fudge begins to hold its shape, 3-5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. If desired, stir in walnuts. Spread into prepared pan. Refrigerate, covered, until firm, 1-2 hours., Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Remove foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Layer between waxed paper in an airtight container; refrigerate. , Freeze option: Freeze fudge in freezer containers, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, thaw in refrigerator before serving.