Homemade Chocolate Covered Caramels

Dave and I enjoyed making these chocolate covered caramels for Valentine’s Day.  He made the caramel, and I dipped them in the chocolate. You know someone loves you when they spend time with you in the kitchen!  Because the recipe makes so much, I brought a few to the St. Anne’s February meeting.  Several people asked for the recipe.  Southern Living girls.  I couldn’t live without it OR my husband.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet from Southern Living, February 2011 issue.

Ingredients

• 1  cup  sugar
• 1  cup  dark corn syrup
• 1  cup  butter
• 1  (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
• 2  tablespoons  shortening
• wax or parchment paper
• candy thermometer

Method

*Butter 8×8 dish before beginning so you can be quick with the pouring later.

1. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat; cook, without stirring, 7 minutes.

2. Stir in condensed milk, and bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 238° to 240° (soft ball stage), about 20 to 25 minutes. (We had to keep moving the thermometer, which attaches to the pot.  The mixture behind it was not getting stirred enough and was turing a darker color.)

3. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Pour into a buttered 8-inch square pan. Let stand at room temperature 8 hours.

4. Invert caramel onto a cutting board.  I ran some hot water over the bottom of my pan because it was a cold day and the caramel wouldn’t come out.  I also started to release it on one side with the scraper.  Cut into 1-inch squares using a bench scraper or knife.  Measure and slightly mark your square 8 x 8 and then cut.  I choose to do 7 x 7 and the candy was a little too large for my liking.

5. Cook chocolate and shortening in a saucepan over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Toss caramels in chocolate mixture, in batches of three.  Use a spoon to cover each with chocolate.  Remove with a fork, tapping the side of the pot and scraping the extra chocolate off the bottom of the fork as you transfer the caramel to wax paper.  Gently transfer off the fork with a push from the spoon.

*Tip: Use a toothpick to separate extra chocolate on the wax paper from the candy to create a clean look.  See the recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls for an example of this method.

6. Chill 1 hour. Let stand at room temperature 30 to 45 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Ideas: Sprinkle with crystallized ginger or coarse sea salt before the chocolate hardens.  If you have any chocolate coating leftover, consider dipping a few marshmallows halfway in to coat.  It’s better than letting the chocolate go to waste!