Saturday, March 31, 2007

Holy Caramel, Batman!

And not just any caramel.. salted butter caramels!

Salted Caramels

I DID IT!!!!!!

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Helene and her fantastic recipe, for the first time in my life, I conquered the hot sugar jeebies!

Salted Caramels

You might notice that mine are not chocolate like hers were.. and there's a reason for that. I honestly didn't think it would work for me and I sure as hell didn't want to waste good chocolate! Well, I proved myself wrong. I'm stunned, quite frankly. ha!

Click on the link to her recipe and get out your sugar, your good butter, your carton of heavy cream and that little stash of fleur de sel that you keep for your Korova cookies and whip yourself up a batch.. they are heavenly. =)

Caramel Caramel
Salted Caramel

I know my purchase of a good candy thermometer made all the difference this time. No trying to figure out the temperature by judging the color or trying to decipher if that lil smoodge of brown stuff you just dropped into the water is forming a ball or are those lil threads?? I got mine at Target for like $15.00 - quite reasonable and well worth the cash. Dudes! I got caramels! MUAHAHAAAA!

Salted Caramels
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36 comments:

  1. Rachel3/31/2007 6:32 PM

    They look fabulous!

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  2. Anonymous3/31/2007 6:48 PM

    They look delicious, Lis! Next time, go with the chocolate as well... they´ll be like Korova cookies in candy form, yum!

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  3. MyKitchenInHalfCups3/31/2007 6:59 PM

    MUAHAHAAAA!
    Make sure they're under lock and key or I maybe could swipe a few of those little wee things. I know I see several with my name all over them.
    MUAHAHAAAA!
    You really did do it. Just goes to show you what the right tool for the job can do - and it doesn't have to cost the moon. Excellent!!

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  4. Jenny3/31/2007 8:32 PM

    They look great! (Any chance you can send me your conversion of Helene's recipe, so I too can try again?)
    Good choice on the thermometer.

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  5. Unknown3/31/2007 9:33 PM

    I SO need to get a candy thermometer.

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  6. Helene4/01/2007 12:47 AM

    I am going to poat the adaptation of your recipe and link it back to this post.

    I am so glad they turned out good for you!

    Now on to those parfaits in sugar cages...

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  7. Helene4/01/2007 12:51 AM

    Done: I have posted the measurements with a link back to your blog.

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  8. Helene4/01/2007 12:52 AM

    somebody tell me to go to bed now...sorry...I am just so proud of you...!

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  9. Ilva4/01/2007 2:09 AM

    Incredible! They look so good!! Professional goddammit!

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  10. Peabody4/01/2007 4:02 AM

    Welcome to the world of hot sugar.

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  11. Anonymous4/01/2007 4:57 AM

    Good work hon! I've been meaning to give these a try as well, just haven't made it down to the chinese grocery to get some corn syrup! I hope mine turn out as well as yours!

    Oh - and we have exactly the same sugar thermometer!

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  12. Freya4/01/2007 5:21 AM

    Dreamy!! A thermometer is the way to go, I agree! I love the combination of the caramels with salt.

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  13. Gattina Cheung4/01/2007 6:41 AM

    Lis, you rock!!!!!! Even if all my teeth knocked off, I still got to bite these devils!
    Seriously, I want to try Helene's recipe. I used to make caramel (for deco, not candy), it was success when boiled my syrup in a stainless steel pot. But after I replaced it with a non-stick pot, I kept failing (boiling syrup crystalized). Don't know what's wrong, I'll get a new pot and see if the pot's the reason.

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  14. Lis4/01/2007 9:02 AM

    Rachel - THANK YOU! hehe

    Marce - I will.. ohhh ohh but I will. :D

    Tanna - lol yeah we had a couple for dessert last night.. I am storing them in the fridge so they get a lil hard, but as soon as you pop them in your mouth they start melting.. holy crap are they good. :D

    Jenny - Sent. =)

    Claire - you won't be sorry.. even if you don't make candy a lot, for the price (if you can find one like I did) you just can't go wrong.

    Helene - hehee you crack me up! I almost called you after I poured the caramel into the pan.. I was so excited that the color was right (I still didn't know if they'd set or not).. but I figured my first call to you shouldn't be a squeelie high pitched I DID IT! I DID IT! call.. figured I might scare you. hahaaa!

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  15. breadchick4/01/2007 11:21 AM

    Ok...dental work be damned!! I'm making some caramels now!!! Those look so wonderful I can feel the fillings being pulled out now!

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  16. Brilynn4/01/2007 11:32 AM

    I'm so envious of your amazing abilities! I have a candy thermometer now though, so it's on!

    I should have made caramel April's challenge...

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  17. Caribbean Dreamer4/01/2007 12:46 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  18. Caribbean Dreamer4/01/2007 12:48 PM

    Duh...I deleted my own comment! Anyway, I was trying to say that while I've never made caramels myself, I sure do love them!!! I may have to give them a whirl!

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  19. Monkey Wrangler4/01/2007 5:06 PM

    Ain't it amazing that swwet and salty napalm can become such a thing of beauty?

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  20. Anonymous4/01/2007 8:20 PM

    Those look like some decadent caramels there! Oh and the sweet salty thing is even better! Congrats on your sugar work!

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  21. Anonymous4/02/2007 1:58 AM

    Oh, Lisa!!!

    I want a box full of those on my doorstep now!!! They look AMAZING!

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  22. Patricia Scarpin4/02/2007 8:57 AM

    I have a candy thermometer - I will try this recipe soon, it looks terrific!

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  23. Cheryl4/02/2007 9:30 AM

    Congratulations on conquering the hot sugar jeebies. I too have the same fear.

    These look so good, I've almost broken my hand trying to grab them through the screen.

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  24. Anonymous4/02/2007 10:00 AM

    Hi!
    I love your pictures, your caramels it's so beautiful. Very

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  25. Veron4/02/2007 10:22 AM

    Yum, yum lis. We have the same thermometer and it help me conquer my deep frying as well as caramel fear. I want to try the salted caramel thing especially after seeing this and Helene's pillow cheesecake with salted caramel...
    Ofcourse maybe you can put some in the mail for me...;)

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  26. Anonymous4/02/2007 12:17 PM

    They looks utterly delicious, I've also eyed Helen's salted butter caramels, yours have come out perfectly!

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  27. Anonymous4/02/2007 1:31 PM

    Hi Lisa - oh my, these look so fantastically, wonderfully, deliciously, (and any other tantalizing adverbs)-ly gooood!

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  28. Acme Instant Food4/02/2007 3:21 PM

    I am so very impressed! I ruined an entire afternoon trying to breathe life into a pot of bubbling sugar. I swore that would be the first and final attempt. I'll jus settle for a batch of yours...sent via Fed Ex! :)

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  29. Sara4/02/2007 4:36 PM

    Wow! Way to go!

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  30. Anonymous4/02/2007 4:50 PM

    I noticed the caramels on her blog and now seeing them here... I may be one of the next to venture into caramel making. I just can't stand not having one for myself!

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  31. Callipygia4/02/2007 5:11 PM

    I just got a stash of fleur de sel too & a candy thermometer! and after I had been eyeing the Korova cookies (mine totally bombed). I'd love to make these- didn't see the recipe though.

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  32. Anonymous4/02/2007 11:41 PM

    What a gorgeous site you have and man I can't wait to show up at our pre-Easter get together with that red cake. YUM!

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  33. Elle4/03/2007 12:08 AM

    Lis, you ROCK. These are not just candy, they are perfect. Mmmm.

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  34. Kirsten4/03/2007 1:52 AM

    YAY!!!!!!!! I have never dared to try caramels, but I LOVE homemade ones.

    Maybe now I may dare...they look SO good.

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  35. Lis4/03/2007 7:11 AM

    Awww you guys - thanks! And if I could send ya'll some, I would!
    =)

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  36. jasmine4/03/2007 10:17 PM

    Oh how wonderful...I really musttry making some of my own...

    j

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