apple cider caramels;
Soft and sweet caramels with an intense sweet apple cider flavor and a sprinkle of cinnamon and salt make these apple cider caramels addictive! Cover them with chocolate for a sweet chocolate treat
Oven Temp: -
Servings: 36
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Ingredients
- 4 cups apple cider
- 8 Tbsp butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- nonstick spray
- flaked salt like maldon (optional, for topping)
- 2 cups chocolate coating (milk chocolate recommended)
Instructions
- Prepare your pan. For thicker caramels I like to use a 9"x5" loaf pan, but if you prefer thinner caramels, use a 8"x8" pan. Spray the pan lightly with cooking spray, and then press a piece of parchment paper into the pan's corners (the spray should help it stick). Spray the parchment paper again on top with cooking spray.
- Reduce the apple cider. Add 4 cups of apple cider to a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer roughly 45-60 minutes or until it has reduced to roughly ½ cup of concentrated syrup. It may still be runny or start to thicken, but if you taste it (be careful it's hot!) it should pack a punch of apple flavor. Anywhere from ⅓ cup - ½ cup is fine.
- Gather ingredients. While the cider is reducing, prepare the remaining ingredients. In a medium bowl, add ½ cup light brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar. Cut 1 stick of butter into ~8 Tbsp and add to the sugar bowl. Set aside. Measure out ⅓ cup heavy cream and set aside.In a separate, small bowl, add together ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp cinnamon and set aside
- Add to the cider concentrate. Once cider has reduced, remove from the heat and add the sugars and butter. Return to high heat and allow to melt, stirring occasionally. Once the butter is melted and the mixture is homogenous, add in the heavy cream and stir to combine.
- Allow to cook. Allow the mixture to cook on medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 252°F. It's best to stir with a candy thermometer to test the temperatures across the entire pot. If no candy thermometer is available you can cook for roughly 8-10 minutes and drop some caramel into an ice bath. It should firm up and be able to be rolled into a ball. Use thermometer for more exact results.
- Mix in cinnamon. Once the mixture reaches 255°F (252°F if you like softer caramels), immediately remove from the heat. Add in the cinnamon-salt mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Try to break up any clumps.
- Pour into pan. Quickly pour into your parchment-lined pan. Allow to cool for at least 2-3 hours or ideally overnight.
- (Optional) Top with flaky salt & cut. If desired, top with flaky salt. Top the chocolate before it's set, or top the caramels directly. If salting the caramels directly, I recommend sprinkling your flaky salt ~30 minutes after pouring into the pan. If done too soon, the salt will melt a little or become translucent and harder to see. Use the back of your hand to check the radiating heat; the best time is when you can barely feel warmth.
- Cut to desired size. Once the caramels come to room temperature I will usually transfer to the fridge to make them easier to cut with a knife. Slice with a knife to your desired shape and size--if they are sticking to the knife, try wiping the blade with a bit of oil. At this point you can wrap the caramels in wax or parchment paper, and they'll keep in the fridge for several weeks. Or continue on to dip in chocolate.
- (Optional) Coat with chocolate. I recommend refrigerating and freezing your caramels prior to chocolate dipping. Melt the chocolate coating in the microwave according to instructions. I usually microwave mine in 20-30 second increments and stop when the majority is melted, stirring to melt the remaining few lumps. With a fork or dipping tool, dip each caramel in coating, and tap to even out the chocolate. Use a knife or another tool to push onto a piece of parchment or wax paper and allow to set.
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