Apple Cider Caramels

 aka: the best thing I made this Christmas

2 cups (454g) heavy cream

1 cup (312g) light corn syrup

2 cups (397g) granulated sugar

6 tablespoons (85g) butter, salted or unsalted

1/2 cup (170g) boiled cider

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice*

*No Apple Pie Spice? Substitute 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or allspice

Instructions

• Lightly grease an 8" x 8" baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on opposite sides.
• Combine the cream, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and boiled cider in a 4-quart, heavy-bottom, deep saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce to medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 248°F on a candy thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on your particular stove. 
• Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the salt and spice.
• Pour the hot mixture into the prepared pan. Let it stand for 12 to 18 hours at room temperature before cutting into 1" squares.

NOTES:

• This recipe is excellent.
• These are the wrappers I used.
• Thanks King Arthur!

Boiled Cider

 How to make homemade boiled cider

SHORT VERSION: 

• A gallon of fresh cider will reduce down to about 2 cups. Since the cider takes up to 6 hours to boil down, I'd recommend starting with at least a gallon to make it more worth your time. 
• Select a large, sturdy pot designed for long-term stovetop cooking, such as a cast iron pot or Dutch oven. For a gallon of cider, I use a pot that holds at least 5 quarts. 
• Bring the cider to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 to 6 hours, giving a couple of quick stirs twice every hour. Starting around hour five, stir more frequently — every 15 minutes or so. 
• Note that cook time will vary depending on your stove and which pot you choose. In testing, the boiled cider I made in a metal pot took five hours; in a cast iron pot, six.

DETAILED VERSION (Thanks for all the photos, King Arthur!)

Why make homemade boiled cider?

these life-changing caramels

Dark Chocolate Buttercrunch

1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional; for enhanced flavor
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda, optional (see "tips," below)
2 cups diced pecans or slivered almonds, toasted
2 2/3 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped; or chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large, deep saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the salt, sugar, espresso powder, water, and corn syrup, and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil gently over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches hard-crack stage (300°F on an instant-read or candy thermometer). The syrup will bubble without seeming to change much for awhile, but be patient; all of a sudden it will darken, and at that point you need to take its temperature and see if it's ready. (If you don't have a thermometer, test a dollop in ice water; it should immediately harden to a brittleness sufficient that you'll be able to snap it in two, without any bending or softness). This whole process should take about 10 to 12 minutes. Pay attention; too long on the heat, and the syrup will burn.
• While the sugar mixture is gently bubbling, spread half of the nuts, in a fairly closely packed, even single layer, on a lightly greased baking sheet (a half sheet pan works well here). If you're unfamiliar with making buttercrunch, it may be easier to use a 9" x 13" pan lined with greased foil or parchment. Top the nuts in the pan with half the chocolate.
• When the syrup is ready, stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda; it'll foam up, so be careful. Pour the syrup quickly and evenly over the nuts and chocolate. Immediately top with the remaining chocolate, then the remaining nuts.
• Wait several minutes, then gently, using the back of a spatula, press down on the chocolate-nut layer to spread the chocolate around evenly.
• While the candy is still slightly warm, use a spatula to loosen it from the baking sheet. When cool, break it into uneven chunks.
• Store cooled candy tightly wrapped; it'll stay fresh for a couple of weeks at room temperature. Freeze for longer storage.

NOTES:

• I used toasted almonds (and some TJ's almond meal I happened to have) to make it Jonah-friendly
• I followed some other directions on their English Toffee post and put the chocolate chips on the bottom and sprinkled the nuts on the top.  I wouldn't do it that way again - the chips didn't quite melt and lots of the almonds just fell off the top.
• Espresso powder = instant coffee (at least it was close enough to work and that's what I had on hand)
• The baking soda step is an option, but it really does give it a better texture.  Teeny bubbles make it easier to eat.

SOURCE:  https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/dark-chocolate-buttercrunch-recipe

https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2018/12/10/tips-for-making-english-toffee/?fbclid=IwAR3w8efre0PX8BRyI4xvIVkxnK5vb0LuyyNIqNnwfvavJ9iW5T3K24AKfJ0

(Somebody's) Mom's Caramels

8 teaspoons (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter
4 cups (1 quart) half & half
2 cups (1 pint, 16 fluid ounces) light corn syrup*
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups light brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
*See "tips," below.
coarse flake sea salt for topping, optional; for salty caramels

INSTRUCTIONS

• Butter two 8" x 8" or 10 1/2" x 6 1/2" pans. Measure the vanilla into a small container, and set it aside for later.
• Cut the butter into 1" chunks, to help it melt faster. Combine the cut-up butter, half & half, corn syrup, sugars, and salt in a heavy-bottom, 5- to 6-quart saucepan.
• Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until everything has melted, stirring constantly. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
• Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 248°F, or until a small amount dropped in cold water forms a firm ball. As the mixture boils it will become thicker and thicker and the frothy bubbles will give way to a more blurpy bubble that resembles thick lava. This happens gradually, but you'll notice it around 230°F and higher. This is when you really have to pay attention and watch the temperature carefully, as it tends to move more quickly from 230°F up. The whole process will take about 2 hours.
• Remove the pan from the heat, and carefully stir in the vanilla; the mixture will bubble and boil.
• Quickly pour the caramel into the prepared pans. Don't add any residue from the pot into the pans; instead, scrape it into a separate container. Baker's treat!
• Wait 30 minutes, then sprinkle with coarse-flake sea salt, if desired.
• Cover the candy securely, and refrigerate.
• Remove the candy from the pan by loosening its edges with a knife or offset spatula, and banging the pan on a cutting board until the slab releases from the pan. Allow the candy to warm up a bit if it's hard, or it'll shatter when you bang the pan.
• Cut the caramels into squares, and wrap in waxed paper. Store in the refrigerator for longest shelf life. Wrapped caramels can also be frozen.
• Yield: about 10 dozen 1" caramels.

NOTES:

• Delicious, but was quite a commitment, time-wise (see the photo).  I basically watched two episodes of something on Netflix (thanks, iPad) while stirring endlessly.
• Consider making a half batch next time.  Today is December 30 and even after 2 family parties and a couple weeks of munching, I have a bunch still around
• I poured a full batch into my oversized cake pan (roasting pan) sprayed with pam.
• Flaked sea salt is perfect for this application.
• I ordered these: http://www.clearcellobags.com/catalog/item/6501521/6344450.htm.  Well, actually it was the amazon equivalent, but Donna S sent me this cheaper link.  1000 should be enough for several years.

SOURCE: King Arthur Flour

Peanut Brittle

Aka:

THE BEST NUT BRITTLE YOU’LL EVER MAKE: EASY, DELICIOUS, AND DONE IN UNDER 30 MINUTES.

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups salted peanuts

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1) Spray a wooden spoon (or other heat-proof stirring implement) with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.

2) Mix together the sugar and corn syrup in a large microwave-safe bowl and stir until well combined; the mixture will be stiff and hard to stir. Be sure to use a large enough bowl; the sugar/corn syrup should fill it no more than 1/4 to 1/3 full.

3) Microwave the sugar mixture uncovered on high power for 5 minutes; it will bubble vigorously.

4) Add the peanuts and butter, and stir well to combine. Speed is key! The cooler the mixture becomes the harder it will be to stir.

5) Replace the bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 2 to 4 minutes, until the mixture turns a nice medium-brown caramel color. Start watching carefully around the 2-minute mark, and remove when the caramel color is achieved.

6) Add the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will bubble furiously upon the addition of these ingredients — this is what gives the candy its hallmark airy texture. (This is also why you need to use a large bowl.) Stir quickly to combine. The finished mixture will look creamy and caramelized.

7) Working quickly, pour the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet and spread it as evenly as possible. If you end up with an uneven spread, don't worry — the candy should still set up nicely, even in the thicker areas.

8) Once the brittle has set and cooled (30 to 60 minutes), break it into pieces.

Yield: about 3 dozen pieces.

NOTES:

• There are lots of pictures of every step over here at King Arthur Flour.
• Highly recommended!  This reminded me of the peanut brittle Grandpa used to make every Christmas but so much easier in the microwave.
• Mine took about 10 minutes longer in my ancient microwave, but I just kept stirring and checking every minute or two until it was the right color.
• It's worth noting that even though I used a clear glass bowl I had to take it out and look inside the bowl at the color.  It was definitely a different color in the middle of the bowl than on the edges.  Weird eh?  Even so, it would have overcooked had I waited until the outside color were dark enough.
• They aren't kidding when they say it goes fast - be prepared.  I poured this on my room temperature baking sheet and barely got it spread before it set.  Note to self: next time, try warming up the pan a bit.

Marzipan

• 300g almond meal or blanched almonds 
• 150g powdered sugar 
• 2 egg whites 
• 1-2 tsp almond extract 

If using blanched almonds, grind to a very fine texture in blender (in batches) or food processor, just to the point where clumps of it start sticking together. You may need to sift and regrind a portion, depending on how thorough your first grind was. Add remaining ingredients and knead together (if you are using a food processor, you can probably switch to a plastic blade and do it all in there).

 Note: This was very much a case of playing it by ear. Adjust quantities as needed for the taste and texture desired. I keep meaning to get a bottle of Kirsch to have on hand, and would totally have subbed it for the extract here if I did.

Almond Roca

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 pound butter
3 almond hershey bars, chopped

Chop bars and place on cookie sheet.
Melt better, add sugar and stir constantly.
Turn head down to keep boiling until 280 degrees.
Pour over candy bars and quickly spread it around with the back of a spoon.

Store in a dry place.
And you'll probably want a double batch.

Twix Bars

But so much more decadent than that.  Shortbread, vanilla bean caramel, bittersweet chocolate and grey sea salt all combined to make one of the most perfect and praised treats I've ever made.


Now I tweaked this rather significantly from Annie's Eats, most notably by replacing the caramel recipe entirely with a half batch of the caramel that I make at Christmas, after discovering that the original didn't work too well.  


Crust
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter


Caramel
1/2 lb. butter
1 lb. brown sugar
8 oz corn syrup
1 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp rum(optional)
1/2 tbsp vanilla paste
1/2 tsp salt


Chocolate
8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick butter


To make the shortbread layer, preheat the oven to 325° F.  Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.  In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a fork to blend, and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 1-2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.


In a large kettle melt butter, stir in brown sugar, rum and salt. Gradually add corn syrup and milk, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until it reaches firm ball stage(245 to 250). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  Pour over the crust and allow to cool until firm.


Melt the chocolate and butter together, stir until smooth.  Spread over the caramel and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.


Use the parchment to lift the bar out of the pan; cut into 1-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Butter Toffee

16 ounces, weight Butter, Melted

16 ounces, weight Granulated Sugar

3 ounces, fluid Water

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

16 ounces, weight Chopped Topping: Toasted Nuts, Candy Canes, Sea Salt, Etc.

24 ounces, weight Tempered Dark Chocolate For Coating, Melted

Preparation Instructions

• *Necessary Equipment: Candy Thermometer*
• Combine butter, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, until candy thermometer registers 298 degrees.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla until well combined.
• Pour the mixture onto a silicone baking mat or good parchment paper. Use a heatproof rubber spatula or offset spatula to spread quickly before the toffee sets. Spread thin.
• Allow toffee to cool completely. Blot to remove excess oil from the surface. Coat surface with half of the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with topping.
• When chocolate has totally set, carefully flip over (it’s okay if it falls apart a bit) and coat other side with the rest of the chocolate. Sprinkle on topping.
• Allow to set, then break into bite-size pieces.
• Store in an airtight container.

NOTES: I made a 1/2 batch and thought it would spread out on one pan. I thought it was too thick; certainly thicker than what is described in the original post from Pioneer Woman.

It worked well to spread it on parchment.

Chocolate on both sides was delicious! I sprinkled some sea salt on one side.

Chocolate Truffles

7 ounces, fluid Heavy Cream

2 ounces, fluid Corn Syrup

15 ounces, weight Dark Chocolate, Unmelted, Tempered, Chopped

½ ounces, weight Soft Butter

1-½ ounce, fluid Liqueur: Brandy, Kahlua, Schnapps, Chambord, Grand Marnier

2 pounds Dark Chocolate, Melted And Tempered, For Precoating And Dipping

Preparation Instructions

Combine cream and corn syrup and bring to a boil.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about sixty seconds to allow the chocolate to melt.

Whisk together, checking to see if all the chocolate is melted. If needed, place briefly over a warm water bath, but do not exceed 94 degrees.

Stir in soft butter. Then stream in the liqueur and mix until homogeneous.

Pour ganache into a large shallow pan. Let it rest at room temperature until slightly firm. Agitate/stir around the ganache with a spatula to break it up a bit.

Scoop truffles onto parchment paper and let sit until firm enough to handle.

Roll into balls and precoat in tempered chocolate. Dip again once the first layer of chocolate is set.

If desired, roll in cocoa powder. Truffles should look beautifully imperfect!

NOTES: Original recipe here.

We made two types - rum (real rum and a little extract) and orange (with orange oil for flavoring). Both were good, but the orange were double good.

Ours never did get firm enough to roll at room temperature. Perhaps we used too much rum :-) Once refrigerated though, they were very firm.

Espresso Hazelnut Toffee

1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. molasses
1-1/2 tsp. espresso powder
6 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

In a saucepan combine butter, sugars, salt, molasses, and espresso powder. Stir occasionally until you reach 250 degrees; then stir constantly until it reaches 300 degrees, remove from the heat and spread on a silicone mat. Score and let cool. Melt the chocolate and spread over the toffee, sprinkle with hazelnuts, let cool and break into pieces.

Fleur de Sel Toffee

8 oz. salted butter
8 oz. sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
Fleur de Sel

Combine butter, sugar, salt, and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it reaches 300 degrees, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour onto a silicone mat or parchment and spread thin, sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel. Score, let cool and break into pieces.

Vanilla Rum Caramels

1 lb. butter
2 lb. brown sugar
16 oz corn syrup
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp vanilla paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup dark rum

In a large kettle melt butter, stir in brown sugar, rum and salt. Gradually add corn syrup and milk, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until it reaches firm ball stage(245 to 250). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into a well buttered jelly roll pan. Let cool until set and then cut into 1 x 3/4 inch pieces and wrap in waxed paper.

Makes ~200 pieces

Farm Journal Fudge

1 cup butter
4-1/2 cups sugar
1 (7oz) jar marshmallow creme
1 (14.5oz) can evaporated milk
12oz milk chocolate
12oz semisweet chocolate
2 cups chopped walnuts

Combine butter, sugar, marshmallow creme and evaporated milk in a small kettle. Bring to a boil over medium to low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Boil steadily over low heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Add chocolate and nuts; stir until chocolate is melted and blended in.

Pour at once into two buttered 9" square pans. When cool and firm cut into pieces.

Makes approximately 5.5 pounds.

Notes:
Generic marshmallow creme does not work well, it must be Kraft!
I use a candy thermometer to make sure the mixture is below 115 degrees so that I don't scorch the chocolate.

Candy Corn

1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup corn syrup

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract(or 1/8tsp Fiori di Sicilia if you want creamsicle flavoured)

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup powdered milk

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

10-40 drops red and yellow food coloring

- Heat white sugar, corn syrup and butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved. Turn heat to high until mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and let bubble (uncovered) for 5 minutes.

- Stir in vanilla extract and remove from heat. Allow to cool until warm to the touch (about 15 minutes).

- In a large bowl sift powdered sugar, powdered milk and salt. Add cooled mixture from sauce pan and stir until it’s too thick. Begin to work with your hands and knead the dough until all of the powdered sugar have been absorbed.

- Divide dough into 3 sections, make a dent in 2 pieces and add 20 drops of yellow food coloring to each. In one of those, add 9 drops of red food coloring to create orange. Mix each until colors are even throughout.

- To make candy corns, eyeball 1/8th of the dough from each piece. Roll each color into long ropes and press together. Cut with a knife and smoosh the seams together. Microwave them in short bursts to keep the dough warm. Allow the candy to cool and air dry.

- Once dry, store in an airtight container.