How to Make Soft Caramel

Caramel is very versatile in the bakeshop. It is used as a part of many pastries and confections. Caramels come in a variety of textures. Caramel is made into sauces and poured over ice cream, or added to puddings and cakes. Made into the buttercream, and then added to popcorn. Caramel can also become a layer when making candy bars.

​When cooked to high temperatures, you can make caramel candy with simple ingredients, like sugar, butter, and milk or cream. Most importantly, the candy thermometer is a necessary tool for optimum success. Here is a Soft Caramel Candy recipe that will yield you approximately 3 dozen chewy caramels. Try it out and enjoy it. 

“Be inspired to create masterpieces from
​ ​your own kitchen”.

At first, making caramel can seem a tedious task. But, with the right tools and ingredients, plus a little patience, you can whip up your own batch of caramel candies in to time. With these instructions, I hope to guide you towards that success.

Soft Caramel

Ingredients	Amounts	Ingredients	Amounts
Water                ​	7 ounces	Corn Syrup	15 ounces
Granulated Sugar    ​	18 ounces	Butter​	7 ounces
Vanilla Bean                      ​	1 Bean	Vanilla extract   ​	1 teaspoon
Salt         ​	1 teaspoon	Dark Chocolate	2 ounces
Sweetened Condensed ​Milk	13 ounces	​	​

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Instructions

1. Combine the water, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, scraped vanilla bean and its seed, in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, while stirring constantly.
 
2. Add the glucose syrup and continue cooking over medium heat while stirring constantly.
 
3. When the mixture reaches 243°F, remove from the heat and remove the vanilla bean. Stir in the butter, vanilla and salt.
 
4. Pour the mixture into a 12” x 12” x 1/2” frame, placed on greased parchment paper. Allow to cool to room temperature.
 
5. With a greased knife, cut the caramel into bite sized pieces.

Yields : approximately 3 dozen pieces

Preparation Methods

Your Tools

The following tools are needed to make caramels. These tools required for this recipe are vitally important for the most stress free,  successful outcome.

• Medium Sauce Pan
  
• Candy or Digital Thermometer
  
• Offset Spatula
  
• Silicone Spatula
  
• 8" X 8" Baking Pan
  
• Parchment Paper

Usefulness and Purpose of Tools

You need a medium saucepan to cook the caramel. The candy thermometer helps you to stay in check with the temperature of the sugar syrup as it rises.

The wooden spoon, or a silicone spoon are useful tools to stir the caramel with. The caramel doesn't stick to them, making them very easy to clean.

The Silicone Mat

When the caramel reaches its desired temperature of 242 F, it is very hot. So hot it can burn you. You can pour the hot caramel onto a Silpat, silicone mat. The silicone mat can withstand temperatures up to 500 F.

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The Marble Slab

The marble slab  is another tool you may use when making caramel. The natural coolness of the marble will cook the hot caramel down quickly. On top of the marble lay on a piece of buttered parchment paper. Line the parchment paper with buttered confectionery frames. Buttered confectionery frames are used to hold in the caramel. Giving it an even layer for cutting.
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​Confectionery frames, or candy frames are generally used  by professional chocolatiers to insure uniform thickness in their confections. They then cut the candy into individual pieces with the guitar cutter. You can purchase these items online, but the guitar cutter an by  very expensive.  

BUT, if You Need to Keep it Simple !

A Baking Pan Will Do

If you only have a simple baking pan, or a baking sheet, you can use it to mold your caramel, too. IMPORTANT! 
e sure to line the pan with parchment paper, then heavily grease the paper with butter, to keep the caramel from sticking to the surface of the pan.

Cooling Down

The caramel needs to cool down and set before cutting into it. If you were to cut too early, the caramel may not hold its shape.Once it becomes room temperature, it'll be cool to the touch. Then you can go on ahead and un-mold, or cut out your caramels.

Cutting into Pieces

Cut the caramel once it sets, by then it has become room temperature. Any earlier the candy may not hold its shape because it's too warm. You can use a chef's knife, pastry cutter, or a pizza cutter to cut the caramel. Be sure to grease your tool with butter before cutting.

For the confectioner, this is where the combination of the ​Confectionery frames, or candy frames and the guitar cutter work best together. These tools are what gives you the perfect cut. 

Wrapping the Candies

Once you've cut your caramel into individual pieces, began to wrap them in confectionery wax paper. Confectionery wax paper is made specifically for candy making.

​Candy can be sticky and when exposed to the humidity, naturally found in the air, the hygroscopic nature of sugar makes candy even stickier. 

Confectionery wax paper protects the candy from humidity and prevents the candy from sticking to the paper itself. Once you twist the paper, it will keep closed.

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