Hard Caramels

So. Candy. This is real hard candy, the kind you perhaps wouldn't even think to make at home. It's the sort of candy you want to suck, not try to chew - it's very hard, but softens after a while. The flavor - wonderful.


I was really attempting to re-create a candy from my childhood's christmas markets, but this didn't come very close. Still, very good.

And it's not difficult. Just be careful - don't burn yourself, and watch your teeth as you at them!

(This is a small batch and it *can* be doubled.)

Hard Caramels

150 ml sugar
75 ml cream (full-fat)
75 ml golden syrup (no substitutions, sorry - possibly some very light molasses)
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Mix everything in a heavy saucepan, and boil the mixture until it reaches 150�C exactly. Pour onto an oiled baking sheet or marble slab, and work the sugar until it starts to set. Use an oiled spatula (or two) - pull and fold, pull and fold.

As the candy cools, it'll become firmer, and when it's cool enough to touch, switch to working with your hands. I like to wear gloves, CSI-style, as that somewhat helps with the not-burning-my-fingers.

Pull the candy into a long, thin rope, and cut into individual candies using a pair of oiled scissors.

Recipe in Swedish:
Kolakarameller