Making Salted Caramels
The difference between a grainy mess and a smooth candy lies in how you manage the sugar. Once you start the boil, keep your hands off the spoon to ensure the crystals melt evenly without re-forming into a grit.
Temperature is your only guide
Do not guess the temperature. Use a digital candy thermometer clipped to the side of your pot so it is suspended in the syrup, not touching the bottom.
- Heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan
- Digital candy thermometer
- 8-inch square baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Silicone spatula
What goes in.
- 2 cupsgranulated sugar
- 1/2 cupwater
- 1 1/2 cupsheavy cream, warmed
- 1/4 cupunsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tspflaky sea salt
The wet-sand method
Combine your sugar and water in the pan and stir only until it reaches a consistency like wet sand. Once the boiling begins, stop stirring entirely to prevent crystallization.
The method.
Prep the pan
Line your 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
Dissolve the sugar
In the saucepan, combine sugar and water over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Once bubbling, leave it alone until it turns a deep amber color.
Add the dairy
Slowly pour in the warmed cream. The mixture will bubble violently; keep stirring with your spatula until the foam settles and the temperature reaches 245°F.
Finish and set
Remove from heat, stir in the butter, and pour into the prepared pan. Let it cool for 30 minutes, then sprinkle generously with the flaky sea salt.
Slice
Let the pan sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours. Use the parchment handles to lift the block out and cut with a sharp, lightly oiled knife.
Other turns to take.
Vanilla Bean
Split one vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the heavy cream before warming it.
Dark Chocolate
Stir in two ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate immediately after removing the pan from the heat.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Warm your heavy cream in the microwave for 30 seconds before adding it to the sugar; cold cream can cause the hot sugar to seize.
If you see sugar crystals forming on the sides of the pot, use a wet pastry brush to wash them back down into the syrup.
To test the set without a thermometer, drop a tiny amount into a glass of cold water; it should form a firm ball that you can press between your fingers.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my caramel grainy?
You likely stirred the mixture too much while it was boiling, causing the sugar to recrystallize.
Can I use salted butter instead?
Yes, but reduce the amount of flaky sea salt you add on top at the end to keep the balance.
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