Creamy Rich Chocolate Caramels With Salt Recipe 455

Steps:

• Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
• Combine white sugar, 1/2 cup cream, light corn syrup, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup cream. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 242 degrees (117 degrees C), or until a small amount of the caramel mixture forms a firm yet pliable ball when dropped in cold water. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract.
• Pour caramel mixture into baking pan. Allow to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove baking pan from the fridge and allow caramel mixture to warm up slightly, about 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Combine dark and semisweet chocolate chips with shortening in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each melting, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Cut caramel into 1-inch squares. Dip caramel squares in melted chocolate, shaking off excess. Place on lined baking sheet; sprinkle with sea salt. Chill until hardened, about 1 hour.

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:

• Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment.
• Bring cream just to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, then reduce heat to low and add chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat.
• Bring sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, without stirring but gently swirling pan occasionally, until sugar is deep golden, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and carefully pour in chocolate mixture (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Continue to boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 255°F on thermometer, about 15 minutes. Add butter, stirring until completely melted, then immediately pour into lined baking pan (do not scrape any caramel clinging to bottom or side of saucepan). Let caramel stand 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours.
• Carefully invert caramel onto a clean, dry cutting board, then peel off parchment. Turn caramel salt side up. Lightly oil blade of a large heavy knife and cut into 1-inch squares.

Steps:

• Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with foil and grease the foil with butter; set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup and chocolate to a boil over medium heat; stir until smooth. Add 1/2 cup cream; cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Add another 1/2 cup cream; return mixture to 234° (soft-ball stage). Add the remaining cream; cook to 245° (firm-ball stage)., Immediately pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Let stand until firm, about 5 hours or overnight. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Discard foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares using a buttered knife. Wrap individually in waxed paper; twist ends.

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.