Soft Chocolate Caramels
Serves: 3
Ewell Douglas
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
60
Spice
45
Sweetness
55
Sourness
41
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.6
Difficulty
Ingredients:
Directions:
1
At this stage, it is thick and begins to set
2
In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, stir the sugar and corn syrup together until the sugar is completely moistened
3
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, without stirring, until it turns a very light caramel color, about 5 minutes
4
Remove from the heat and very slowly pour the cream into the hot sugar (be careful-it will bubble up) and stir to combine
5
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
6
Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and butter until smooth
7
Pour the mixture into a greased 8-by-8 inch square baking dish
8
Allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours) before cutting into 1-inch squares
9
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)
10
There are a variety of ways to temper
11
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
12
Be very careful not to overheat it
13
(The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip
14
It will retain its shape even when mostly melted
15
White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain
16
) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat
17
Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps
18
Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl
19
As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it
20
A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer
21
Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding
22
In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate
23
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
24
It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk
25
The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering
26
Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface
27
The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F
28
This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature
29
If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached
30
This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess
31
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
32
If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes
33
From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make at Home, by Jacques Torres