I go into these cycles where I troll the food blogs, Facebook pages and many other places looking for new recipes. Then, it seems to be a bit much for me and I kind of take a break for a bit. Not that I haven't been cooking, but just falling back on the old favorites. Then I happen to come across a recipe that gets me a little excited. As simple as this one is, it did just that.
I guess it's the combination of the Fall season, new apple varieties appearing in the grocery store, my friend PJ's search for caramel apples at the store and my need to use that last bit of boiled cider before it expires that got me inspired.
Once I got a few ingredients from the store that I didn't already have, I was ready to go. It's not a hard recipe at all, but there are a few items that you really should have before starting. First thing, a nonstick saucepan. When dealing with really sticky items which we all know caramel to be, a nonstick pan is a headache preventer. I love my Pampered Chef Executive 3 quart saucepan for this type of work. Not only does it have nonstick on the inside, the outside has a nonstick coating! So easy to wash! It also has flared rims that make pouring very easy so you don't have to worry about getting some of that scorching hot caramel on you. Secondly, a candy thermometer. You can be right at the point you think you need to be and within seconds it can turn ugly! With the candy thermometer, you can be precise on when you need to remove it from heat. I ordered mine at King Arthur Flour, but I'm sure you can find one at most cooking stores. Lastly, a nonstick mat. You don't have to have one for this, but it sure makes it easy to handle the caramels. If you do use one, use a silicone knife so you don't cut your mat into shreds. So let's get on to the recipe!
Challenge Dairy's Apple Caramels
Ingredients:
· 1/2 cup (1
stick) Danish Creamery Butter
· 1 3/4 cups sugar
· 1/4 cup light corn syrup
· 1/4 tsp. salt
· 1 1/3 cup (14 oz. can) sweetened condensed
milk
· 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz.) frozen apple juice concentrate,
thawed
Directions:
Prepare a 9" square pan by lining it
with parchment and spraying with nonstick spray.
In a heavy nonstick 2-3 quart saucepan, melt
butter over medium heat. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Cook over medium heat stirring frequently to
prevent scorching.
When mixture reaches 248ยบ (firm ball stage),
remove from heat. Pour mixture into
prepared pan. Allow to completely cool.
Run a thin knife around edges. Turn candy onto a cutting board sprayed with
nonstick spray.
Cut into 1" pieces. You can wrap each piece with plastic wrap,
waxed paper or cellophane. Store in
airtight container.
Servings: 130+ pieces
The recipe calls for Challenge Dairy's Danish Creamery Butter. I couldn't find any at the store, so I used their European Style Butter. Typically, European Style Butter means it is slightly higher in fat than the butter here in the U.S. giving a richer, creamier texture. Perfect for caramels I thought.
The other item I changed out was the frozen apple juice concentrate. I used Wood's Cider Mill Boiled Cider that I get from King Arthur Flour. They boil down the cider until it becomes a thick, pourable syrup that has a rich, tart apple flavor. I have been hoarding it for my apple pies, but had just enough left for this recipe! When I see a recipe on KAF's site that calls for the boiled cider, they usually note that you can used apple juice concentrate in place of the boiled cider using the same amount, so I used 3/4 cup of the boiled cider here.
While you are cooking up the ingredients, stay close. The ingredients really start to boil and you'll want to keep stirring to prevent scorching. Watch that candy thermometer closely so when it gets to 248 degrees, turn off the flame right away. In preparing my pan, I sprayed it with nonstick spray, put a parchment square on the bottom of the pan and then sprayed that lightly with nonstick spray. I did not want to have to scrape that puppy out of that pan!
The recipe calls for you to cut the pieces into 3/4" pieces, which is about 144 pieces. To me that's too small and too many to wrap so I would recommend 1-1 1/4" pieces. It also said to wrap them in aluminum foil or waxed paper. That's a lot of foil and the waxed paper didn't seem like it would stay closed over the candy very well, so I used plastic wrap. I developed a system, but I think you would all fall asleep reading about it so I'm just going to trust that you all are smart enough to figure out your own system.
I have to say, they have a nice apple flavor, but not overwhelming. Thinking of the salted caramel craze that's going on, I did sprinkle a few with Maldon sea salt. Where it would normally enhance food's flavor, I found that it greatly diminished the apple flavor of the caramels. Maybe with a regular recipe it would be a good idea, but I don't recommend it for this one. I am definitely going to add this recipe to my Christmas Gift Basket rotation! Enjoy!
