Lavender Sea Salt Caramels

By Dunjab

If you want to turn regular caramels into Lavender Sea Salt Caramels, you have three options to do this:
1. Sprinkle Lavender Sea Salt (you can order it here: http://store.pelindabalavender.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1831) or make your own by putting culinary lavendar and sea salt into your own grinder) on your caramels.
2. Sprinle Lavender blossoms on top of your caramels and put sea salt (1-2 teaspoons) into the actual Sugar/Syrup mixture
3. Infuse the cream with Lavender (heat the cream - don't put the chocolate in yet - and put 2 teaspoons of lavender into the cream), take it off the stove put a lid on and let it steep for 10 minutes, then strain, then continue with the below steps.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 10 1/2 oz. fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao, if marked), finely chopped*
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons flaky sea salt, such as Maldon*
• vegetable oil for greasing

Details

Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 45mins

Preparation

Step 1

Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided 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 remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
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. Carefully pour in chocolate mixture (syrup will bubble and steam vigorously—stand back). Continue to boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 255° 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 pan). Let caramel stand for 10 minutes, then sprinkle evenly with sea salt. Cool completely in pan on 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.