Fleur de Sel (Sea Salt) Caramels with Vanilla Bean

 

Sea salt and vanilla beans add an elegant touch to homemade caramel candies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 vanilla bean pod, split and scraped
• 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup Lyle's golden syrup (or light corn syrup)
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly butter parchment.
2. Bring cream, butter, vanilla, vanilla beans, pods, and sea salt to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.
3. Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel.
4. Remove pods and carefully stir cream mixture into the caramel (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 246-248 on thermometer. 246 will give you a softer caramel that will stretch when you bite it but is easily squished or flattened, especially in a warm house. 248 will give you a firmer, still chewy caramel. Pour into baking pan and cool 30 minutes. Sprinkle another pinch or two of salt over the top of the caramel for a nice salty crunch and let sit until completely cooled. Cut into 1-inch pieces (I buttered a pizza cutter), and then wrap each piece in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting 2 ends to close.

Notes

Yields: 64 candies