Try these gorgeous cacao nib caramels from Brittany Everett this Holiday season.
By Brittany Everett
Be sure to use a much larger saucepan than you think you need for this recipe – heavy cream makes the caramel bubble up like crazy while boiling. Also make sure you have all you finishing ingredients (both salts, vanilla, cacao nibs) ready to go before the caramel comes to temperature. You have to work quickly at that point.
Holiday Treat – Cacao Nib Caramels
- Total Time: 24 hours 10 minutes
Description
Try these gorgeous cacao nib caramels this Holiday season.
Ingredients
Scale
- Vegetable oil spray, for baking sheet
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2–3 tablespoons cacao nibs, for topping
- flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Lightly spray bottom and sides of a 9×13 rimmed baking sheet (or glass dish) with vegetable oil. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on the long sides. Lightly spray the parchment with oil.
- Bring cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramel reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes.
- Immediately remove caramel from the heat and stir in the kosher salt and vanilla. Pour caramel into the prepared dish and sprinkle evenly with desired amount of cacao nibs and sea salt. Let the caramel stand, uncovered, at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
- Lifting by parchment overhang, transfer caramel to a large cutting board. Cut into pieces (mine were ~1″x1 1/4″). Wrap each piece in wax paper, parchment, or cellophane.
- Yields: ~100-120 caramel candies (depending on how you cut them)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 24 hours
They look incredible! I have to admit that such a long process doesn’t much appeal to me, but the colours and textures are just beautiful.