Apple Cider Caramels
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: About 100 caramels 1x
Ingredients
Units Scale
- 4 cups apple cider
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I use Penzey's Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt flakes (or coarse grain sea salt)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- Equipment:
- 8x8-inch cake pan
- parchment paper
- candy thermometer
- 3 quart or larger saucepan
- wax paper
- sharp knife
- canola oil
Instructions
- In a 3-quart saucepan, bring apple cider to a boil. Continue boiling until reduced down to just less than 1/2 cup, about 40 minutes. Cdier will be dark, thick, and syrupy. (Tip: Before adding cider to the pan, pour 1/2 cup of water to the pan you'll be using so you have an idea of the liquid level you're looking for.)
- Combine cinnamon and sea salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Line an 8x8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- While cider is reducing, measure out remaining ingredients.
- Once cider has reduced, remove from heat and stir in butter, sugar, brown sugar, and heavy cream. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and return to heat. Heat mixture, stirring frequently until temperature reaches 235°F (soft ball stage). This takes about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add cinnamon and salt mixture, stirring until evenly disbursed.
- Carefully pour caramel mixture into parchment-lined pan. Let sit at room temperature for a few hours until set, or in the refrigerator for an hour until set.
- Once caramel has set, lift up on the parchment paper to remove caramel and place on a cutting board. Lightly oil a very sharp knife and cut caramel into small squares.
- Wrap caramels in wax paper cut into 3-inch squares, and twist ends to seal.
- Store wrapped caramels in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe first appeared on Kitchen Joy™.
Find it online: https://kitchenjoyblog.com/apple-cider-caramels/