Salted Butter Caramel Recipes

Steps:

• Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil that extends over the sides. Grease with vegetable oil. In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Add the sugar, corn syrup and honey and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 257 degrees on a candy thermometer, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and, with oven mitts on, stir in the butter, vanilla and 2 teaspoons salt. Pour into the prepared pan and let cool. If you are not coating them in chocolate, let cool slightly and sprinkle with the remaining salt. When completely cool, coat a cutting board and the blade of a large chef's knife with vegetable oil. Invert the caramel onto the cutting board; peel off the foil and invert again. Cut the caramel into 8 1-inch-wide strips; then cut each strip into 1/2-inch pieces.
• To coat with chocolate, melt the chocolate in a double boiler (temper it if you want the coating to have polish; directions can be found at www.baking 911.com). Using a fork to hold the caramel pieces, dip them one at a time into the chocolate and set them on a rack to cool. After dipping 4 caramels, sprinkle each with a little of the remaining sea salt. Transfer to parchment paper to set up and cool.

Steps:

• Place heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a larger saucepan place sugar and corn syrup. When the cream/butter mixture is boiling, add the fleur de sel, stir, then strain into a bowl and set aside. Meanwhile the sugar/corn syrup mixture should be in the early stages of melting and turning to caramel. Gently move the darker, melted parts of the sugar around the pot, so everything cooks to the same consistency. Bring the caramel to an amber color until a thermometer registers 145 degrees C (and up to 160 degrees C), then turn off the heat and add the cream/butter mixture, a little bit at a time (the mixture will bubble up). Turn on the heat and cook to 120 C degrees. Turn off the heat, remove the thermometer and pour the caramel into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• When caramel is cool, remove from the pan. Using a small paring knife go around the edge and flip over onto parchment paper sprayed with non-stick spray. Give it a quick tap and when it comes out remove the parchment paper. Cut into small pieces (about 5 dozen) using a knife or scissors. Place a caramel in the middle of a wrapper, wrap and twist the ends.

Steps:

• Combine the sugar and water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, brush down the sides of the pan with water and boil until caramelized, 5-6 minutes. The sugar will be fragrant and have a deep amber color when it is caramelized.
• Remove the pan from the heat, slowly stir in the cream until smooth and let cool to room temperature.
• Blend together the caramel, butter, salt and vanilla in a medium-size bowl.
• This butter may be formed into a log and refrigerate until firm before slicing and serving.
• How to Form into a Log: Transfer the flavored butter to a sheet of parchment paper, roll tightly into a 1 1/2-inch-thick log (a straight edge is helpful for forming an even log), and twist both ends of the parchment paper to seal. Slip the log into a paper towel tube if you want it to be perfectly round, and refrigerate until firm. To serve, cut slices of flavored butter with a warm knife (simply run hot water over the blade and then wipe it dry).