Soft Salted Caramels (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
3 tablespoons (44ml) water
02 -
1/4 cup (60ml) light corn syrup
03 -
1/2 cup (113g) butter
04 -
1 cup (200g) sugar
05 -
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (36 to 40% butterfat content)
06 -
1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt, like Maldon
# Instructions:
01 -
Grease a 9x5 loaf pan lightly with oil. Cut some parchment to fit, leaving extra overhang at the edges for easy removal. Oil the parchment too, pop it into the pan, and set it aside.
02 -
Slice the butter into 8 chunks and toss them into a microwave-friendly bowl. Add the heavy cream. Warm it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes till the butter's melted and it's hot. Put it aside for now.
03 -
Pour the water and corn syrup into a small pot. Carefully sprinkle the sugar over it, making sure it doesn't hit the walls of the pan. Gently stir to mix, just enough to get everything wet.
04 -
Put the pot on medium heat and let it bubble. Cover it with a lid for 60 seconds to trap steam, then take it off. Clip on a candy thermometer. Cook the sugar till it reaches 320°F (160°C) and gets a light golden hue, which could take 5-10 minutes.
05 -
Slowly drizzle about a sixth of the butter-and-cream mix into the hot sugar while stirring gently. Do the same with the rest, adding little by little and mixing in each batch well.
06 -
Keep cooking the mixture until the caramel heats to 240°F (115°C). This should take another 5 to 10 minutes.
07 -
Pour the caramel into your prepared pan. Wait 20 minutes for it to cool a bit, then sprinkle some flaky salt on top. Let it fully set for 3½ hours or so.
08 -
Take the caramel out of the pan. If it’s still soft, chill it in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. Slice into pieces about 1 inch by ½ inch. Wrap each one in wax paper or plastic wrap.
# Notes:
01 -
Swap corn syrup for golden syrup or honey if needed.
02 -
Want softer caramels? Toss in 2 to 4 extra tablespoons of cream.
03 -
For firmer pieces, cook to 245°F instead of 240°F.
04 -
Avoid doubling this one—it doesn't work well.
05 -
Keep extras in the fridge for two weeks, or freeze them for a month.