Sweet and salty - a special treat for the palate that we have all enjoyed since early childhood. Chocolate pretzels, peanut butter and nut chocolate lentils are just a few examples of this special combination.
I just can't resist this creamy, sweet little sin with the perfectly balanced fine, salty finish. Does the thought make your mouth water? Then you know I'm talking about salty cream fudge. Most recipes use high fructose corn syrup. However, I try to avoid such artificial and processed sugars in my diet. Many of you know how much I love the natural taste of real honey , especially as a beekeeper. I've been looking for a recipe for caramel with honey for a long time and have also tried to develop and modify a few recipes over the years. While sea salt caramels are nothing new, I really wanted to find a variant with my favorite ingredient , honey .
Although it took a few tries and a lot of fine tuning, it was totally worth it!
No surprise: butter + sugar = incredibly delicious!
What you should definitely consider when cooking caramel!
Before you get started with the recipe and get all the ingredients and tools you need ready, there are a few things you should definitely keep in mind. Please do not skip this paragraph!
What you should really take to heart: Use a good quality pot!
A few years ago I had an accident while making caramel. The pot I used broke (or rather exploded) during the process. Very high temperatures are required to make caramel and the cheap pot just couldn't withstand that heat. The sandwich base exploded from the pot and the hot caramel literally flew around my ears. I was really lucky that there was a tall cabinet hanging over the stove, which had shielded much of the boiling caramel from my face. Nevertheless, I got some bad burns on my hands during this action, which of course I wouldn't wish on anyone!
So please take this advice seriously: get a good quality caramel pot!
Pay particular attention to the following things:
- The bottom and side walls should be firmly connected to each other without voids. In the pot itself, the transition between the bottom and the side walls should be rounded.
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For ideal heat distribution, the bottom of the pan should be as thick as possible and ideally have an enclosed aluminum core.
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A good pot also needs secure handles that do not get hot when cooking.
If you've never made candy or caramel yourself before, I recommend having a good quality saucepan and a thermometer handy to determine the exact temperature.
The recipe for your own honey sea salt caramels
All you actually need for the perfect honey sea salt caramel recipe are just five ingredients:
Ingredients:
170 grams of honey
300 grams of sugar
115 grams of butter
240 ml whipped cream
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Tools:
wax or parchment paper
Baking spray or oil
candy thermometer
High quality pot
casserole dish (approx. 22 x 33 cm)
Preparation:
The first step is to weigh all the ingredients and place them next to your stove. Line the casserole dish with the wax or parchment paper. It's important to let the paper hang a little more than two sides to make it easier to get the caramels out after they've cooled. Additionally, spray the paper with baking release spray or brush it with a little neutral oil and set it aside.
Then mix the sugar and honey in a large saucepan. In addition to its suitability for high temperatures, the pot should be large enough, as the caramel will bubble as it cooks. Stir the sugar-honey mixture steadily over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Let this simmer for about 5-6 minutes. After this time the mass will take on a nice dark caramel colour. Meanwhile, keep stirring and keep an eye on it, as sugar burns very quickly.
Now reduce the heat to the lowest level and stir in the butter. It will bubble, so be careful. Once the butter is fully incorporated, stir in the whipped cream as well. Increase the heat back to medium and bring the caramel to a boil again. Put the thermometer in and let it cook until it reaches 244°C.
After reaching 244°C, turn off the stove and pour the caramel into the prepared casserole dish. Let cool for about 20 minutes, then sprinkle with sea salt. If you like it less salty, you can of course use less salt at this point. Let the caramel cool at room temperature for about 2 hours before cutting into squares with a sharp knife. Wrap the caramels in small pieces of wax paper to keep them from sticking together.