Holiday bakers, start your ovens. Your friends are counting on at least a little bag of homemade love, of course they’re really hoping for a giant tin stuffed with your famous shortbread. In my world, nothing feels better than making something the people I love…will love.
But what to make for the gluten-intolerant? The celiac-afflicted certainly get a raw deal all year round, but it must be really tough at Christmas Cookie Time. My solution of late is candy. Specifically, salted caramels that taste like a grown-up childhood memory. Buttery, toasty, sweet, and a bit salty. Try one with a belt of your best Scotch and see if you don’t feel sorry for your 7-year-old self, making do with those Brach’s caramels from the A&P.
Candy-making scares people, but really it’s just a matter of precise temperature monitoring and showing proper respect to sugar’s ability to impart the worst burns of your life. Here’s a silly but informative site about sugar and candy. One piece of specialized equipment is crucial, however: you must have a candy thermometer to make candy. Spend the 10 bucks, store it in a place where the bulb won’t get crushed, and make these delicious caramels for your loved ones.
Salted Caramels
4 T. butter
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 c. sugar
1 t. sea salt
1/2 c. corn syrup
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
+ more sea salt for sprinkling
Generously butter a 9-inch glass baking dish. In a deep, heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients except for the vanilla. Clip your candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook over medium heat and stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Cook to 245F to 248F (the firm-ball stage). No lower, no higher! Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan and cool to room temperature. This is where your silicone oven-mitt comes in handy, too, as any stray caramel drips will wash off easily. When cooled, remove the whole slab from the pan (you may need to cut out a tiny corner piece to achieve this: cook’s bonus) and sprinkle with sea salt. Put the slab on waxed paper and refrigerate until firm enough to cut, about 15 minutes. Using a large, heavy chef’s knife, cut the caramels into 1-inch squares. If the slab is too hard to cut, let it sit out to soften. If it’s too soft, chill it a little longer. Wrap into pieces of waxed paper and store the wrapped candy in a ziplock bag in the fridge. Distribute to the truly worthy.