Hooray! School's out and I'm Freeeeeeeeeee. Here's the Ultimate Choc Caramel Tart

I haven't tried that yet. My standard caramel recipe is from Sheila in MD

so far, it's always been successful and it's wonderful (and I don't have to use an evil candy thermometer, every time I use one of them things go wrong).

REC: Microwave Nutty Caramels (also caramel for dipping pretzels!)

Nutty Caramels
1 (1 pound) box dark brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup butter
1 teas. vanilla
1/2 to 1 cup pecans, chopped
Combine first four ingredients in two quart microwave safe container. (Lana's note: THIS IS NOT BIG ENOUGH. Use a bigger container if you don't want a mess. Believe me. ) Microwave uncovered on high for five minutes, stirring once. Remove from microwave and with electric mixer, beat well. Return to microwave and cook on high for 10-12 minutes, stirring three times during the cooking period. The mixture is done cooking when 1/4 teaspoon is dropped in cold water and it forms a firm ball or the mixture reaches 248 on a candy thermometer.

Stir in vanilla.

Butter a 13 x 9 pan and sprinkle 1/2 the nuts over the bottom. Pour the caramel mixture over the nuts and sprinkle with remaining nuts. Cool and cut into one inch pieces.

I have dipped pretzels in this and drizzled with chocolate, and these are divine, but the best thing is to let this cool quite a bit, then coat marshmallows in it. If it's too hot, the marshmallows will melt. Sometimes it hardens too much before you can finish, and then we are forced (FORCED! I tell you) to scrape the rest out with a spoon. And eat it, of course.

 
Last time I made marmalade, I decided to be a good girl and use

a thermometer. So I searched for a marmalade temperature on-line, followed the thermometer faithfully even though I felt it wasn't jammy enough yet. I ended up with runny marmalade. In deep indignation I went back to the web site and checked that I'd written the temp down correctly, and suddenly noticed that the writer said that he preferred runny jam. I'm going back to the cold saucer and the wrinkles.

 
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