Creamy Chocolate Caramels Recipes

Steps:

• Grease bottom and sides of 8- or 9-inch square glass baking dish with butter. Spread nuts in pan. Heat remaining ingredients to boiling in heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Cook over medium heat about 35 minutes, stirring frequently, to 245°F on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into cup of very cold water forms a firm ball that holds its shape until pressed. Immediately spread over nuts in pan. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Cut candy into 1-inch squares. Wrap individually in waxed paper or plastic wrap. (Use metallic plastic wrap for a candy shop finish.) Store wrapped candies in airtight container.

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, stir the sugar and corn syrup together until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, without stirring, until it turns a very light caramel color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and very slowly pour the cream into the hot sugar (be careful-it will bubble up) and stir to combine. Return the mixture to medium-low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer inserted in the pot reads 238 degrees F, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and butter until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 8-by-8 inch square baking dish. Allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours) before cutting into 1-inch squares.
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.
• From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make at Home, by Jacques Torres.

Steps:

• Spray bottom and sides of a 9 by 11-inch baking pan with vegetable oil or rub with 1 tablespoon butter. In a small heavy saucepan, combine cream, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Set aside to warm later.
• In a large, heavy saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar, water, and salt. Over high heat, cook until sugar is dissolved, about 6 to 8 minutes, brushing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals. Stop stirring, insert candy thermometer, reduce heat to medium and let come to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until temperature reaches 250 degrees F (hard-ball stage), about 45 to 60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place cream and milk mixture over low heat and stir until warm. Do not boil.
• When sugar reaches 250 degrees F, stir in the warm cream and the pieces of butter. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thermometer reaches 244 degrees (firm ball stage), 45 to 60 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Immediately pour into prepared pan without scraping pot. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours without moving. This is the most difficult part, as you will want to eat it!
• To cut into candies, coat a cutting board or marble slab generously with vegetable oil spray. Unmold caramel by turning upside down onto oiled surface. Cut into 1-inch by 1 1/2-inch pieces with a very sharp, heavy knife. Wrap with precut waxed paper squares, twisting ends to seal. If you don't wrap them, the caramel pieces will stick together.

Steps:

• Spray a large loaf pan or 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• Stir white sugar, 3/4 cup cream, corn syrup, butter, vinegar, and salt together in a heavy pot; bring to a boil. Stir in remaining cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until caramel is 244 degrees F (117 degrees C), or until a small amount of caramel dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool briefly.
• Stir walnuts and vanilla extract into caramel; pour caramel into prepared baking dish. Cool completely, at least 1 hour. Turn baking dish over onto a flat work surface to remove cooled caramel from dish; cut caramel into serving pieces.

Steps:

• Microwave caramels and half-and-half in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min.; stir. Continue microwaving until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 20 sec.
• Add chocolate; stir until completely melted.

Steps:

• Butter two 8x8-inch or three 5x8-inch pans.
• In a large heavy pot (I use a dutch oven size pot), mix together sugar, milk, vanilla, and butter; stir to mix.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Then let boil for 2 minutes, not stirring.
• NOTE: You need to move quickly during the next couple of steps so have the marshmallows and chocolate squares cut up and cut open the bags of chocolate chips.
• Turn off heat but leave pot on the burner.
• Add marshmallows, quickly stirring until melted.
• Add each chocolate separately in the order listed in the recipe, quickly stirring until melted.
• Pour into prepared pans.
• Let cool.
• Fudge tastes better each day --- if it lasts!

Steps:

• Butter a 9x13 inch dish.
• In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1 cup cream and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring often, then stir in remaining 1 cup cream. Heat, without stirring, to 242 degrees F (116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and pour into prepared dish. Refrigerate.
• When cool, return candies to room temperature then cut into 1 inch squares and wrap in waxed paper.

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to boil on low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture is thickened and reaches 246°F when tested with a candy thermometer, stirring constantly.
• Pour into lightly buttered 8x4-inch loaf pan. (Do not scrape mixture from bottom of saucepan.) Let stand until set. Score candy into 48 squares with large sharp knife. Invert candy onto cool surface; turn over so marked side is up.
• Cut candy into squares. Wrap each caramel in waxed paper. Let stand in cool place overnight to set. Store at room temperature.

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. square pan with foil; grease the foil with 1 teaspoon butter and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the sugars, salt and remaining butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in corn syrup; return to a boil. Remove from the heat; slowly stir in milk. , Cook and stir over medium-low heat until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Cool. Using foil, lift candy out of pan; cut into 1-in. squares. Wrap individually in waxed paper.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan.
• Add sugar and salt.
• Blend in corn syrup and milk, stirring constantly.
• Cook and stir over medium heat to 245 degrees on candy thermometer.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Pour into greased 9 inch square pan.
• Cool thoroughly.
• Cut into small squares and wrap in waxed paper.

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a double thickness of paper towels. Have it and four 6-to-8-ounce ramekins at hand. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sugar and sprinkle the remaining sugar over the bottom of a small skillet or saucepan, preferably nonstick, and put the pan over medium-high heat. When you see the sugar start to melt around the edges, begin stirring it in small circles, making your way around the edges and then going deeper into the center of the pan, until all the sugar is melted, blended, bubbling and, most important, a medium amber color; stay with the caramel, because the color changes in seconds. You can check the color by dropping a bit on a white plate. As soon as it's the right color, pull the pan from the heat and, being very, very careful (caramel is ferociously hot and sticky), divide it among the ramekins. Hold the ramekins by their tops and swirl to coat the bottoms with caramel. You'll never get the caramel perfectly even, and that will never matter. Place the ramekins in the roasting pan.
• Put the milk and the reserved 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot milk over it. Let stand for about 5 minutes to melt.
• Meanwhile, put the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk them for about 1 minute; they'll pale a bit. Using a heatproof spatula, stir the chocolate and milk together until smooth. Then, stirring the eggs without stopping, gradually pour the hot chocolate milk over the eggs and stir until blended. You'll have bubbles on top of the creme, don't worry: You're going to turn the custards over and no one will ever see the bottoms.
• Divide the custard among the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully slide the pan into the oven.
• Bake the custards for 35 to 45 minutes, or until they are firm around the edges and just jiggly in the center. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully place the ramekins on a cooling rack. Leave the ramekins at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then transfer them to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 4 hours, or until they are thoroughly cold, before serving. (You can make these 1 day ahead; cover and keep refrigerated.)
• When you're ready to serve, run a table knife around the edges of the ramekins, then turn the custards over onto small plates with raised rims. You might have to shake the ramekins a little or tap them gently against the plate to cajole the custards to come out, but fear not -- they won't stick.