I opted to separate the sugar/syrup with the rest of the ingredients to get a deeper caramel flavor. Also , I discovered (through the work of a friend) that you need to use LESS earth balance than say if you were to use smart balance because earth balance has a slightly higher fat content. I've altered the original recipe to say so, but I thought I'd point it out here. It still makes a good 60-80 caramels. Plenty to go around! Especially with Valentine's Day coming around. I wrapped some of mine in cute heart cellophane and put it in a monkey gift bag.
Ingredients:
2 cups (16 oz) coconut milk
2 cups sugar
4/5 cup margarine (I like earth balance). Note: if you're going to use smart balance use 1 full cup.
tsp of salt (only if using unsalted margarine)
1 cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Fleur de Sel for sprinkling.
1. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment and grease the parchment with some nonstick spray, oil, or margarine.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat combine the sugar and corn syrup. Using a candy thermometer, monitor the temperature of the sugar and corn syrup. Cook the sugars just until 310 F.
3. While the sugar is caramelizing, heat the coconut milk, margarine, and optional salt until the margarine is completely melted.
4. When the sugar has reached 310, add the coconut milk and margarine. Stir like crazy to combine the sugar and milk/margarine.
5. Bring to a boil and then to 245 degrees (soft ball state). This may take a while. Stir frequently.
6. Pour into parchment lined pan and sprinkle with fleur de sel (make sure to get the edges and corners!).
7. Allow to set overnight and then cut into chunks using kitchen sheers or a good knife. If it's particularly hard to cut, you can heat up the knife edge over the flame of a gas stove. That will help you get a cleaner cut as well. Wrap in wax paper or cellophane and enjoy!
16 comments:
Hey- thanks for the post and the recipe! Wondering your method for wrapping the candies so they look nice and neat? Great job
Hi Emily,
I think the best way is just the old fashioned wax paper squares and twist. Wrapping them individually like tiny little gifts (with tape) is kind of annoying and time consuming. Plus, you have to get the type of cellophane that doesn't stick to caramels which involves going to a speciality shop.
I suggest getting a roll of wax paper, cutting it into squares yourself (much cheaper than buying pre-cut) and then putting a few in a cute bag/box to make the packaging look nice. Something like this works well:
http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Brownie-Stripe-Treat-Bag/dp/B001PKUXTW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1294269089&sr=1-2.
Any suggestions for attempting this without a candy thermometer?
Hmm. For stage 1 (sugar/corn syrup stage) you want the caramel to be quite golden, swirling (but not stirring) often. the second you see any wisps of smoke, cut the heat, add the margarine/coconut milk and put it back on the burner.
For phase 2 the best method is the cold water test. Basically, drop a spoonful of the caramel mixture into (very) cold water. At first, it will just dissolve into the water. As the temperature of the mixture rises, it will hold its shape. Note: it will spend a lot of time at 212F boiling out the excess water so you have to go beyond that point to get the mixture to hold up in the water. When it gets to the consistency you want in the cold water (you might need to let it cool in there a second), cut the heat and pour into the mold.
This is only a rough guide. But it should work OK. Candy thermometers are pretty cheap though (usually less than $10 for a half decent one) so it might just be worth the investment.
Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.
Is it white or brown sugar?
just plain old white granulated sugar (evaporated cane juice) is what I use.
i tried this recipe and my caramels were super oily on top. any idea what i did wrong?
try switching brands of coconut milk. I find that choakoh works best. Also, are you using earth balance or some other margarine? They all have different proportions of fat/liquid. I've never had a batch separate into an oily layer when using those brands.
I've never seen or heard of that brand. Is it available in supermarkets? Around me Goya is the most common brand, followed by taste of Thai.
I've never used Goya or Taste of Thai. I suspect the key is the right ratio of fat in the Coconut Milk. Choakoh is a Thai coconut milk. Easily attainable on Amazon (and I've seen it on both coasts - Bay Area as well as NYC Area -- so it should be available nationally).
In principle, the brand shouldn't make a difference -- as long as the total amount in grams of "fat" in the coconut milk = the total amount used in the prescribed amount of Choakoh here. The reason being the water boils off anyway, so the only thing that matters is the total fat grams used.
The total amount of fat grams from 2 cups of Choakoh coconut milk = 84 grams of fat. So using an equivalent amount of another brand (enough to get the total to 84 grams of FAT) should work.
Also, please note that the 4/5 cup "margarine" is really 4/5 cup of "earth balance". Just like coconut milk, not all margarines are created equal (different fat/moisture content). In fact, if you use an equivalent amount of smart balance (not vegan) you won't get the ratio right because smart balance actually has less fat per cup than earth balance.
4/5 cup of earth balance (original) contains 140 grams of FAT (not total grams). So if you switch the margarine you'll need to figure out what the appropriate amount of margarine to get that much fat is.
Lastly, are you using a candy thermometer? Making sure the ingredients get well mixed as well as to the right temperature will make a big difference.
What about the Corn Syrup? I tend to use the standard clear colored Karo syrup but have also played around a bit with things like Golden Syrup. The Karo syrup gives the most easily reproducible result.
Any ideas on what/if I could substitute for the corn syrup? Trying to avoid that particular item, otherwise, these look FABULOUS!
I've had some success with Lyle's Golden Syrup. But you could also use brown rice syrup,maple syrup, or agave, but I don't have experience with it, and it gets pricey fast. You can probably use honey -- if that's your thing, but again, I don't have experience with it. I find that because Lyle's syrup is thicker I end up having to "pull" the caramel earlier (before it reaches such a high temperature) -- especially in the initial stage before you add the liquid. After adding the liquid, start using the ice water test after your caramel has passed the 212F mark, drop some of your caramel as it's heating up at various times in ice water (To rapidly cool it) when it reaches your desired consistency, pull it from the heat. It takes some trial and error but you can get it work. The point is to get another sugar that isn't pure sucrose (cane/beet sugar) in the mix to prevent crystallization. So any sugar-y syrup should work as long as it's not mostly sucrose. (In fact, this makes maple syrup a BAD choice for this kind of task because it is mostly sucrose).
PS, While I generally avoid high fructose corn syrup, it's usually not so hard to find non-high fructose corn syrup to use for confections (regular corn syrup). Regular corn syrup is mostly glucose (HFCS is mostly fructose) and is mostly used in making candies (such as caramels). It is also less processed. It's your call, of course, what you use to break up crystallization, but it might take a bit of experimentation.
I've never tried making caramels with Earth Balance, but I need to look into it since I can't find the Willow Run margarine very often. Do you use the unflavored or the buttery sticks? I'm looking forward to trying your recipe out. I've been using Rich's whip for years. Thank you for posting.
Actually, I use the kind that comes in tubs.
http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/#/products/original/
That's the photo of it. If the sticks are the "original" kind then it should be fine.
I am looking forward to making these for a new vegan friend, and if they work out well I will teach them in my cooking class, giving you full props. Instead of the Earth Balance, can I use coconut oil? I do realize that the buttery edge will be lost, but I'm just not much of a fan.
Hi, so again, I think it's all about ratios. If you switch to coconut oil you'll need to make sure you're adding the same amount of "fat". From what I posted earlier:
Also, please note that the 4/5 cup "margarine" is really 4/5 cup of "earth balance". Just like coconut milk, not all margarines are created equal (different fat/moisture content). In fact, if you use an equivalent amount of smart balance (not vegan) you won't get the ratio right because smart balance actually has less fat per cup than earth balance.
4/5 cup of earth balance (original) contains 140 grams of FAT (not total grams). So if you switch it to coconut oil you'll need to figure out what the appropriate amount of coconut oil is to get that much fat. I believe most coconut oils are 100% fat so you can just use 140 grams of coconut oil. 1 cup is 218 grams so 140 grams of coconut oil = ~0.64 cups (2/3 cup) of coconut oil. I'd try that first and see if it works ok. Let me know if it works.
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