soft caramels

By á-4880

Preparation

Step 1

Cook and stir constantly. (CONSTANTLY) cook in heavy pan until it reaches 240 degrees.
Take off stove and add...
for licorice caramel: 3/4 t anise oil and 3/4 t black food coloring
for cinnamon caramel: 1t cinnamon oil 3/4 t red food coloring (make sure it is no taste)

pour into a 9x13 buttered pan. cool completely before cutting.

TIPS:
Make sure you stir caramels with either a wooden spoon or a spatula that can stand high temps. like papered chef.


Try not to splash on the sides because when you are stirring don't scrape the sides back in there, scrape only the bottom of the pan. If you bring the sugar crystals from the sides of the pan back into your candy it will sugar it and be all crunchy instead of smooth when it is all done.

Put your candy thermometer into the candy after it has boiled for a bit and started to change colors don't drag it around because scraping the metal to metal together can also sugar your candy. ALSO once you put the thermometer in you have to keep it in until it is done, don't take it out and put it back in unless you clean it.

Keep the heat on a med heat and if you start seeing little brown specks in your candy take it off the heat mediately and turn it down. that is the candy scorching.

Rolling the candy:
I have used both wax and parchment paper. either works. Wax paper is nice when you have the three different caramels because you see the caramels through the paper, whereas the parchment paper is white and caramels are only slightly visible.

I cut a bunch of 3-4 inch strips from the paper roll, then cut the strips into thirds.