Chocolate Caramels Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What not to do when making caramel? ›

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough. Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test.

Heat until the syrup reaches 240 to 245 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower the temperature, the softer the resulting caramels will be.

Homemade caramel typically lasts about 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigerating homemade caramel can extend its shelf life to about a month, and freezing it can further prolong its usability up to a year. However, the texture may change slightly upon thawing.

Overheating the mixture

Follow the recipe carefully, and never melt your caramel on your stove's highest setting—it will cause the caramel to scorch and taste burnt. Once it gets a burnt or bitter flavor, it can't be saved. Luckily, sugar is inexpensive, so you can always start over!

Once the sugar has all dissolved and turned brown, we add butter. The heat of the caramel will melt the butter and create even more wonderful flavors.

In general the paper sold for home use is too light weight, the grain of the paper isn't made to withstand twisting (it tears), and the wax coating is too light to prevent the moisture from the candy from seaping into the paper and weakening it thus causing it to tear and stick.

For the "dry" caramel method, you simply heat the sugar in an empty pan until melted and caramelized. It's quick and direct, but the risk is that some parts of the sugar melt faster than others, and can burn before the rest had made it even to light amber.

Wet caramel is made by combining sugar and a liquid and cooking them together, while dry caramel is made from just sugar, heated in a dry pan until it liquefies and browns.

Caramel is, simply, burned sugar. We want to let it melt, darken to an amber color and take on a deep and bittersweet flavor. The best, most flavorful caramel starts with this step. You can caramelize sugar two ways— with the dry method or wet method.

Can you leave homemade caramel at room temp? ›

Homemade Caramel Sauce can be kept at room temperature for 3 days or for a longer shelf life, in the refrigerator for up to three weeks or frozen for up to three months (see below).

Make Ahead and Storing Instructions: homemade caramels will keep well in the fridge, covered or wrapped, for several weeks. Take them out to come to room temperature for them to be soft and chewy.

The caramel sauce will harden slightly because of the introduction of a colder temperature, but storing it in a proper container in the fridge will keep it fresh and ready to use for 2 to 3 weeks. Simply warm the caramel sauce in the microwave to make it smooth again.

Then, as soon as the mixture comes to a boil, it should not be stirred, as the agitation can cause crystallization. “It's best to start a wet caramel over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat to medium for caramelization,” says Mel. “As the water evaporates, the sugar eventually caramelizes.”

Always wear protective clothing such as an apron and long oven gloves too avoid burn injury during caramel preparation. If you want to be extra cautious, keep an antiseptic burn cream and a bowl of ice water around so that you may quickly plunge your hand in it if there is an accident.

Do not stir, but instead swirl and shake the pan to distribute the caramelized sugar in and around the unmelted sugar and to promote even browning. Watch it carefully to make sure it doesn't burn. The caramel is done when it's a deep amber color and all sugar lumps have dissolved.

You're Not Watching the Pot and the Syrup Got Too Dark

If you're not careful, the sugar can burn and take on a bitter, unpleasant taste. If you're nervous, another good thing to have on hand is a candy thermometer. You're looking for a temperature of 340 degrees.