Vanilla-Caramel Chews

What is better than a classic vanilla-caramel candy? Something that takes you back to you your childhood? Try this easy caramel candy recipe. Play around with the recipe & add orange extract, or rum to add variety.

Classic Vanilla-Caramel Chews

Ingredients:
1 quart heavy cream
½ cup sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla or 1 vanilla bean

Directions:

Heat cream in a heavy saucepan on medium high until cream comes to a rolling boil. Boil cream, stirring often, until it reduces by half. Then transfer the cream into a heavy skillet, mix in sugar and corn syrup, and bring to a boil again, cooking (and stirring) until the cream and sugar mixture becomes thick and melted caramel-like in texture.

Add vanilla just after turning off the heat, and mix well. Scrape caramel into a buttered pan, and let it cool. Once cool, roll the caramel into a long log, slice it into pieces and wrap the individual pieces in plastic wrap. They can also be stored in the fridge, if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to a month.

**You can also do a variation by adding ½ teaspoon of Orange extract…Mmmmm.

Caramel-Rum Flan

Flan is one of the easiest desserts you can make. Plus, which is such a bonus, it can be made ahead, and placed in the fridge to chill until you're ready to serve. It's delicious the in traditional style, but you can add a few additional key ingredients, and make it the BOMB!

Caramel –Rum Flan

Ingredients:

1 cup and 1/2 cup sugar

6 large eggs

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 13 oz cans evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon dark Rum

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. You will need 6-8 ramekins and a large baking pan to place them inside.  

Pour 1 cup sugar in warm pan over medium heat. Constantly stir sugar until it browns and becomes caramel. Quickly pour approximately 2-3 tablespoons of caramel in each ramekin, tilting it to swirl the caramel around the sides. Reheat caramel if it starts to harden.

In a mixer or with a whisk, blend the eggs together. Mix in the milks then slowly mix in the 1/2 cup of sugar, then the vanilla & rum. Blend smooth after each ingredient is added.

Pour custard into caramel lined ramekins. Place ramekins in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and fill with about 1-2 inches of hot water. Bake for 45 minutes in the water bath and check with a knife just to the side of the center. If knife comes out clean, it's ready.

Remove and let cool. Let each ramekin cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. Invert each ramekin onto a small plate, the caramel sauce will flow over the custard.

Chocolate-Caramel Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Chocolate-Caramel Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

For the cupcakes:

1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups high quality cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup butter-softened to room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup homemade Caramel

½ cup freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Caramel Filling:

**See my recipe for Salted caramel sauce

For the Frosting:

2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature

2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Seeds/pulp of ½ of one vanilla bean

1 tablespoon whole cream-adjust upward to obtain the desired consistency

Directions: For the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl, and then set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, salted caramel, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Using a large scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.

4. With a very small spoon, dig out a circular well in the center of the cupcake. Then fill the center either by piping the cooled salted caramel into the well, or with a teaspoon. Finish by frosting with vanilla frosting.

For the Icing

In a large mixer, combine the sticks of butter, vanilla, and confection sugar gradually. Slowly add cream until you reach the desired consistency.

**Adapted from a Mybakingaddiction recipe