Apple Cider Caramels From The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

from: caramels.txt

Apple cider as I’m referring to it here,is different from both apple juice and the hard, or
alcoholic, fermented apple cider. It’s a fresh, unfiltered (it has sediment), raw apple juice. —

4 cups (945 ml) apple cider
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, or less of
a finer one
8 tablespoons (115 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut
into chunks
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (110 grams) packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream
Neutral oil for the knife

Boil the apple cider in a 3- to- 4- quart saucepan over high heat until it is reduced to a dark,
thick syrup, between 1/3 and 1/2 cup in volume. This takes about 35 to 40 minutes on my stove. Stir
occasionally. Meanwhile, get your other ingredients in order, because you won't have time to spare
once the candy is cooking.

Line the bottom and sides of an 8- inch straight- sided square metal baking pan with 2 long sheets
of crisscrossed parchment. Set it aside.

Stir the cinnamon and flaky salt together in a small dish. Once you are finished reducing the apple
cider, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter, sugars, and heavy cream. Return the pot to
medium- high heat with a candy thermometer attached to the side, and let it boil until the
thermometer reads 252 degrees, only about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on it. (Don’t have a candy
or deep- fry thermometer? Have a bowl of very cold water ready, and cook the caramel until a tiny
spoonful dropped into the water becomes firm, chewy, and able to be plied into a ball.)

Immediately remove caramel from heat, add the cinnamon-salt mixture, and give the caramel several
stirs to distribute it evenly. Pour caramel into the prepared pan. Let it sit until cool and
firm—about 2 hours, though it goes faster in the fridge. Once caramel is firm, use your parchment
paper sling to transfer the block to a cutting board. Use a well- oiled knife, oiling it after each
cut (trust me!), to cut the caramel into 1-by-1-inch squares. Wrap each one in a 4-inch square of
waxed paper, twisting the sides to close. Caramels will be somewhat on the soft side at room
temperature, and chewy/firm from the fridge. Do ahead: Caramels keep, in an airtight container at
room temperature, for two weeks, but really, good luck with that.

(From David) I don't bother with crossing two sheets of parchment, I make an 8" by 8" liner by
clever folding of a single sheet. I also use a pizza cutter instead of a knife. Last time I forgot
the oil and it worked fine. I tried concentrating 5 cups of cider, I couldn't tell a difference.
Just for fun I computed the calories per piece (assuming 8x8 pieces) at 41.