Ooey Gooey Espresso Caramels - Corn Syrup Need Not Apply!

I have always loved homemade caramel. There just isn't anything like the sticky, chewy texture of milky sweetness that is a fresh batch of caramels.  Growing up, the mother of one of my neighborhood friends made the most incredible caramels each Christmas, and a few times I was even lucky enough to help.

Strangely enough, until now, I had never attempted making them on my own. Something about bringing a candy thermometer into the equation instantly made the process sound overwhelming, tedious, and beyond my reach. However, I figured that as I am now a "grown-up married lady," I ought to be able to tackle this and finally put that homemade caramel notch into my belt -- figuratively speaking, of course. Ribbon belts (pretty much the only kind I wear) don't let too kindly to notching. ;-)

In searching for a good recipe, I was amazed to find pretty much all of them called for corn syrup -- an ingredient I completely avoid in the products I buy, and preferred to also avoid in my caramels. I finally stumbled upon a great recipe for espresso caramels using only honey as the sweet, binding ingredient! This was very exciting, as I both love honey and coffee!

I made these a few days ago and they were a huge hit, and very simple on the ingredient list. And...do not fear, using a candy thermometer isn't nearly as intimidating as it sounds! :)

Espresso Caramels

(Makes a couple dozen caramels based on size)

Ingredients

1 cup organic heavy cream (we use fresh raw milk and skim the top for cream)

1 tablespoon espresso powder / finely ground espresso beans (we have a coffee grinder, and I just ground our regular organic cofee beans on the finest esspresso setting)

1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt

1 cup raw honey

*Special equipment: candy thermometer 

                                   parchment paper

Directions

In a medium, thick-bottomed saucepan heat the cream, espresso powder, and salt until tiny bubbles start forming where the milk touches the pan - just before a simmer. 

You can see the tiny bubbles formed around the edge

Stir in the honey. 

Bring the mixture to a boil. 

Now reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 15-20 minutes minutes or until the mixture reaches 260F degrees - hard ball stage. Remove from heat.

Pour mixture into a glass bowl and let cool in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

Spread the (cooled but not set) caramel out on a slab or parchment-lined pan, let it cool completely before cutting into small pieces. 

Wrap & twist in parchment paper.

Keep the caramels in a cool place (or refrigerate) until completely set. Enjoy!