Chocolate Caramel Chews Recipes

Steps:

• Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with foil and grease the foil with butter; set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup and chocolate to a boil over medium heat; stir until smooth. Add 1/2 cup cream; cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Add another 1/2 cup cream; return mixture to 234° (soft-ball stage). Add the remaining cream; cook to 245° (firm-ball stage)., Immediately pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Let stand until firm, about 5 hours or overnight. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Discard foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares using a buttered knife. Wrap individually in waxed paper; twist ends.

Steps:

• In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Cook for 2 minutes at that temperature. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
• Meanwhile, butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. When the caramel is ready, pour into the buttered pan. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Remove from the pan and cut into squares using scissors. Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper or cellophane.

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, stir the sugar and corn syrup together until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, without stirring, until it turns a very light caramel color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and very slowly pour the cream into the hot sugar (be careful-it will bubble up) and stir to combine. Return the mixture to medium-low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer inserted in the pot reads 238 degrees F, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and butter until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 8-by-8 inch square baking dish. Allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours) before cutting into 1-inch squares.
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.
• From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make at Home, by Jacques Torres.

Steps:

• Line a 8 by 8-inch square microwave safe dish with plastic wrap allowing the wrap to come over the sides. Spray the prepared dish with cooking spray.
• Spray a medium size, microwave safe bowl with cooking spray. To the prepared bowl, add the caramel candies, peanuts, white chocolate and 1/2 cup of the coconut. Give it a stir to combine. set the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds on HIGH. Place the bowl in the microwave and cook 1 minute. Stop the microwave, stir the mixture, return to microwave to cook 30 seconds longer. Remove the mixture and stir. Scrape it into the prepared square pan. Flatten the mixture with a rubber spatula evenly. Cover the top of the candy with remaining coconut, using the rubber spatula to press it in slightly. If the mixture is too firm on top for the coconut to stick, place the mixture back in the microwave for 10 seconds, then resume pressing the coconut into the candy.
• Allow the candies to cool completely. Remove the entire block, using the plastic wrap to help you pull it out. Using a sharp knife, cut candy into small, 1-inch squares.

Steps:

• Grease an 8 x 8 inch square pan.
• In a heavy 4 quart saucepan melt butter over medium heat; add brown sugar, corn syrup and milk. Stirring constantly, heat to 242 to 248 degrees F (116 to 120 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour into prepared pan.
• When caramel has cooled and set, cut into 1 inch squares. Chill in refrigerator until firm.
• Melt chocolate with 1 tablespoon butter in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth.
• Dip caramel squares in chocolate and place on wax paper to cool.

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with foil; grease the foil with 1 tablespoon butter. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining butter. Add the brown sugar, milk and corn syrup. Cook and stir until candy thermometer reads 250° (hard-ball stage). , Pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool completely before cutting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Cookie Base: In a heavy, medium saucepan over low heat, warm chocolate and butter, stirring often, just until melted and smooth. Do not heat mixture any more than necessary. Remove from heat. Add brown sugar and salt; beat by hand until smooth. Stir in vanilla and eggs. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on rack 1 hour.
• Caramel Topping: In a heavy, medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except vanilla. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 230°F on a candy thermometer or forms a 2-inch wide thread when dropped from a spoon (should take about 25 minutes). Immediately remove from heat; stir in vanilla and nuts. Spread hot caramel evenly over cookie base. Let stand until cool.
• Chocolate Glaze: In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and cream. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Drizzle over caramel in a lacy pattern. Or pour melted chocolate into a pastry bag and pipe over caramel.
• Let chocolate set before cutting into 54 (about 1x2-inch) bars, cutting 9 strips one way and 6 strips the other way. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days or freeze for longer storage.