Apple Cider Caramels
- 4 cups (945 ml) apple cider
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
- 8 tablespoons (115 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 grams) packed light brown sugar
- â…“ cup (80 ml) heavy cream
- Neutral oil for the knife
Instructions:
The apple cider is boiled and boiled and boiled until it’s a slip of its original volume, leaving only a syrupy apple impact. The syrup is then expanded into a cinnamon-scented buttery caramel with hidden crunches of salt.
- Boil the apple cider in a 3-to-4-quart saucepan over high heat until it is reduced to a dark, thick syrup, between ⅓ and ½ cup in volume. This takes about 35 to 40 minutes on my stove. Stir occasionally.
- Meanwhile, get your other ingredients in order, because you won’t have time to spare once the candy is cooking. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch straight-sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment. Set it aside. Stir the cinnamon and flaky salt together in a small dish.
- Once you are finished reducing the apple cider, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter, sugars, and heavy cream. Return the pot to medium-high heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side, and let it boil until the thermometer reads 252 (not 225, okay?) degrees, only about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it. (Don’t have a candy or deep-fry thermometer? Have a bowl of very cold water ready, and cook the caramel until a tiny spoonful dropped into the water becomes firm, chewy, and able to be plied into a ball.)
- Immediately remove caramel from heat, add the cinnamon-salt mixture, and give the caramel several stirs to distribute it evenly. Pour caramel into the prepared pan. Let it sit until cool and firm—about 2 hours, though it goes faster in the fridge. Once caramel is firm, use your parchment paper sling to transfer the block to a cutting board. Use a well-oiled knife, oiling it after each cut (trust me!), to cut the caramel into 1-by-1-inch squares. Wrap each one in a 4-inch square of waxed paper, twisting the sides to close. Caramels will be somewhat on the soft side at room temperature, and chewy/firm from the fridge.