Stephanie’s Red Velvet Caramels

Featuring Fante’s Red Velvet Natural Flavor Blend, with its rich chocolate flavor and deep red color. This water soluble flavor can be used for wonderful results in baking, beverages or ice cream.

Stephanie’s Red Velvet Caramels

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp Fante’s Red Velvet Extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbl water
Finishing salt to taste

You’ll need 2 pots, silicone spatula, candy thermometer, brownie or cake pan, parchment paper.

-In a deep, thick-bottomed pot (I recommend Rose’s Caramel Pot), mix together the water, sugar, and corn syrup until evenly combined, and then put over medium-low heat. The mixture will slowly melt, boil, and then begin to turn golden brown. DO NOT STIR WHILE HEATING–you will cause the sugar to crystallize, and ruin the batch. Instead, occasionally swirl the pot slowly, holding it by the handle and rotating your wrist gently.

-In another pot, bring the cream, butter, and salt to a simmer, stirring frequently. Once it reaches a simmer, turn off the heat, but leave it on the burner.

-When the sugar has turned a rich golden brown, turn off the heat, and then slowly pour in the cream mixture, stirring constantly with the silicone spatula. Warning: It will bubble and froth quite high, so wear long sleeves and/or an oven mitt to be safe.

-Once the caramelized sugar and cream mixture are combined, turn the burner back on to a medium-low to medium heat. Clip the candy thermometer in place, making sure that it is not touching the bottom of the pot. Stir every few minutes with the silicone spatula until the caramel hits 248 degrees, then remove from heat, stir in the Red Velvet and vanilla extracts (note: it will froth a bit again), and pour into a brownie or cake pan lined with parchment paper, on a trivet.

-Let cool at room temperature for six hours, or overnight. Sprinkle the top lightly with a high-quality finishing salt (Kosher, Himalayan, Fleur de Sel, etc). Remove parchment paper and caramel from pan, and then cut into strips, and then bite-sized pieces. Wrap individual pieces in parchment paper. Refrigeration or an air-tight container will help to extend the shelf life, but they will get hard with time, so consume within two to three weeks for optimal experience.

Notes:

- Here are some of Fante’s tools that I used:
#9918 CDN Digital Candy Thermometer
#15076 Chefn SwitchIt Dual Ended Slim Spreader
#6595 Rose Levy Beranbaum’s 1 qt Stainless Steel & Non-Stick Caramel Pot

- If you don’t have Rose’s Caramel Pot, and your pot is tall, 1 quart will suffice, however if it is a low, wide pot, I’d go for 1 ½-2 quarts to be safe, to keep the froth in.

- Heating the blade of your knife in hot water or pass it through the flames of a gas burner a few times makes cutting the caramel easier.

- Also, you can use Lyle’s Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup, or any inverted sugar syrup, or even honey or agave nectar–but you’ll need to watch more carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn, since they will already be golden and the caramelization will be harder to track visually.

- Putting crushed nuts in the bottom of the pan before pouring the caramel adds extra flavor and crunch, and you can also consider coating the caramel bites with Cream Cheese Icing-flavored white chocolate for a truly extravagant red velvet candy!

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