Don't be a Square | Dark Chocolate dipped Honey Caramels
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“You had me at…. ‘Honey drenched caramel’ but then you said… ‘Dipped in Dark Chocolate’ & I almost lost my mind.”
We start with browned butter, tempered with cream, add organic brown sugar & honey then finish with a Bourbon Vanilla & Grand Marnier. The lovely butterscotch nuance of this caramel, with a hint of orange to play against the dark chocolate. Finished with a flourish of your choosing; Fleur de Sel, crushed lavender buds or rose petals.
About 30 Caramels
1 cup butter
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups honey (we like to buy locally harvested honey for this recipe we used a combination of Wildflower & Lavender honey from Lavineyard Farms)
1 cup organic brown sugar (packed)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Bourbon Vanilla
1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
Dark Chocolate dip.
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup coconut oil
4-3oz. bars of Bakers bittersweet 66% cacao
Flourish.
Lavender buds (optional but an elegant touch, culinary grade)
Chopped nuts
1.) In a large sauce pot over medium heat, brown the butter (it will foam up, turn a soft golden color & give off a nutty aroma). Add the cream, honey, brown sugar & salt, stir to combine. Insert a candy thermometer & bring mixture to a boil. Turn heat down to a temperature that keeps the caramel at a soft boil. For my gas range, this was low but for electric it might need medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until it reaches 255f, this should take 45-50 minutes. Remove from heat, stir down mixture then add vanilla & Grand Marnier.
2.) Line a 9” square pan with parchment paper, overlapping the sides. Alternately you can use candy molds or I used silicone ice cube trays. Pour hot caramel into prepared pan & cool completely in the fridge. Use the parchment to remove caramel, cut into individual squares.
3.) In a small bowl, add heavy cream, chocolate, broken into individual tablets. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir until fully incorporated & the chocolate has melted. If there is still unmelted chocolate, return to the microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Stir until smooth & dip fruit or caramels. If desired, sprinkle with chopped walnuts, Fleur de Sel, lavender buds (or other edible floral) or shaved chocolate. Chill for 30 minutes to allow chocolate to fully set.
Honey on my Table