Chewy Caramel Candies

  1. Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan or dish with parchment or waxed paper, making sure that the paper comes up at least 1 inch on two opposite sides.
  2. The paper should be smooth along the bottom and sidesany wrinkles or creases will imprint in your caramel.
  3. (A pan with sharp corners is best, but if you have only pans or dishes with rounded corners, the edges of the caramel can be trimmed.)
  4. Spray the pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.
  5. Mix the sugar, heavy cream, honey, and corn syrup in a large pot.
  6. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pot (reserve the pod for another use).
  7. Cover the pot and heat the mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  8. (The steam that is produced inside the pot will prevent sugar from sticking to the sides of the pot and thus crystallizing your caramel.
  9. If you remove the lid and see that there is still sugar along the sides of the pot, use a damp pastry brush to wash it off the sides.)
  10. Remove the cover, raise the heat to medium-high, and set a candy thermometer inside the pot.
  11. The caramel will begin to boil vigorously and, as it continues to cook, it will become more golden in color.
  12. (If the bubbles start to rise quickly to the top of the pot, remove the pot from the heat to bring them back down.
  13. You can repeat this two or three times, if necessary, so that the caramel doesnt boil over.
  14. As the caramel reaches a higher temperature, the bubbles will subside.)
  15. Cook the caramel until the temperature on the candy thermometer reads 250 F. (Be patient, but also be watchful as the caramel approaches this temperature.
  16. If its taken off the heat a couple degrees too early, the caramel will be soft or runny.
  17. If it heats too much, it will be hard.)
  18. Add the butter and remove the pot from the heat immediately.
  19. Mix the butter into the caramel with a rubber spatula until combined.
  20. Immediately pour the caramel into the prepared pan.
  21. Allow it to set for at least 1 hour or overnight at room temperature before using.
  22. While the caramel is setting, cut some waxed paper into 3-inch squares (about 60 to 75 pieces).
  23. Once the caramel has set, turn it out onto a cutting board and remove the paper from the bottom.
  24. Using a chefs knife or a pizza cutter, cut the caramel into approximately 1-inch squares and wrap them in the waxed paper squares, twisting the sides to close.
  25. Serve the caramels immediately, or keep them at room temperature for up to 10 days.
  26. To use this caramel as a filling for sandwich cookies, instead of cutting it into squares, use a small round cookie cutter (about 3/4 inch in diameter) to punch out round pieces of caramel (excess trimmings can be reserved and used in making Caramel Sauce, page 186).
  27. Place a piece of caramel between your thumb and forefinger and pinch it to spread and flatten it to the size of a cookie (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick).
  28. Sandwich it between two cookies, gently pressing the cookies together.
  29. (Because the caramel is poured thick in the pan, you will want to use a cutter that is much smaller than the size of the cookie, so that you can thin it out.
  30. Alternatively, if you are planning to use the caramel only for cookie fillings, make a half batch of the caramel and let it set in the same-size pan.
  31. Then use a cutter that is the same size or only slightly smaller than the cookies to cut the caramel; theres no need to pinch it thinner.)

sugar, heavy cream, honey, light corn syrup, vanilla bean, unsalted butter

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chewy-caramel-candies-388111 (may not work)

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