Friday, December 21, 2012

Salted Caramels, My Christmas Epiphany

Something occurred to me last week. I realized I could make my own salted caramels. I found a recipe, bought the ingredients, and last Sunday made a batch of something. I'm not sure what name to put to it, but I wouldn't think of tarnishing salted caramel's reputation by calling it that. All I will say is if your knife bounces off the surface of something it is supposed to slide through, it's not a good sign. Jay wanted me to keep it, saying it was like toffee. I pointed out we have a lousy dental plan, and into the garbage it went.

It wasn't until the third batch that I got the result I was looking for. They are soft and chewy and sweet and salty all at once, in a way that makes you want to forgo all other food and eat nothing but salted caramels for the rest of your life. Or at least for a whole day. It was that thought that had me doing some calculations to see exactly how many calories were in a batch. It turns out one pan has 2740 calories, which is probably about how many calories I burn per day. What a dangerous thought! And one I might act on were it not for the fact that I am not the only salted caramel lover in our family.






The food is purchased, the tree is up, and the baking is complete. Tomorrow Karsten and Diana arrive, and the following day Anton gets here.




I am cautiously going to say we are ready for Christmas 2012. In case you are wondering why I feel the need for caution, here are the links to my story about a previous Hammond family Christmas.

http://journeynorthof49.blogspot.ca/2010/12/celebration-failure-part-1.html

http://journeynorthof49.blogspot.ca/2010/12/celebration-failure-part-2.html

http://journeynorthof49.blogspot.ca/2010/12/celebration-failure-part-3.html

http://journeynorthof49.blogspot.ca/2010/12/celebration-failure-part-4.html

http://journeynorthof49.blogspot.ca/2010/12/celebration-failure-part-5.html

http://journeynorthof49.blogspot.ca/2010/12/celebration-failure-complete.html


Merry Christmas!
Posted by at
Labels:

25 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas to you and yours too! Those salted caramels look heavenly. They wouldn't last long around here, for sure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. They are heavenly! And they aren't going to last long here either. We'll be lucky if there are any left by Boxing Day!

      Delete

  2. Oh yum!!! What was the recipe you used for the caramels Kristy? They look delicious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. I used this recipe: http://www.fearlesshomemaker.com/2011/08/salted-caramels/. I added 1/2 tsp. of vanilla, and cooked them to a bit lower temperature than this recipe calls for. Enjoy!

      Delete

    2. Thank you :D Just hoping my teeth are strong enough!

      Delete

  3. That was a smart decision with the first batch--my re-root canal and brand new crown were awfully expensive. Besides, it didn't take you long to achieve perfection.

    Merry Christmas, Kristie! This year your celebration will will come off without a hitch...at least no serious hitches--it wouldn't be Christmas if everything went perfectly. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. A re-root canal? That sounds nasty! And to be honest, I won't complain if this Christmas goes perfectly. :-)

      Delete

  4. Ohh those look awesome!! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family, and hopefully, no disasters! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. You too Sarah! Enjoy your sunshine and warmth while you think of all us "northerners" shivering away!

      Delete

  5. Those caramels look luscious! Tempting...but I'll resist.......

    Have a great Christmas!

    ReplyDelete

  6. Hi Kristie! Your salted caramels look amazing! I had much the same result as your first batch(es) when I tried to make them, and gave up after several attempts. Now I'm inspired try again, thank you. Merry Christmas and Happy 2013!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks Erin! If you try making them again cook them to a bit lower temperature than they recommend. I think most recipes were saying to cook to 250F, which is the firm ball stage. I cooked until just a bit above soft ball on my third batch and that worked!

      Delete

  7. Salted caramels. I may have to add them to my candy repertoire for next year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Yes, once you have a knee you can stand on. They would not be a good choice for this year. :-)

      Delete

  8. Your dental plan comment made me laugh out loud! These look yummy and I'm sure I would love them...but I'm guessing I will never be motivated enough to make them! I hope you have a peaceful, relaxing, drama-free holiday season Kristie! Looking forward to seeing what you get up to in 2013!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. I should have added that even if we had a decent dental plan that I despise going to the dentist and don't want to do anything that might cause an extra trip there. I hope your holiday is also drama-free, and that you are able to start 2013 with that clean slate you would like. :-)

      Delete

  9. Kristie,

    I feel festive looking at your blog, so thank you. Someone suggested that I bake something, but thinking about it, I feel my blood pressure going up. So, for my health reason, I just look at your blog and stay away from baking!?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. I am glad I could help you feel festive, Keiko! Is Christmas celebrated at all in Japan? I know Rebekah has the day off in South Korea, but it doesn't seem to be a major holiday.

      Delete

  10. You look so organised Kirstie, have a wonderful Christmas with your family.
    Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. It is more a matter of survival skills than organizational skills!

      Delete

  11. Salted caramels are one of my all time favorites! I don't think I should attempt to make them, because I don't have enough people in my house to spread those calories out over, but yours look amazing!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Yes, it was good we had lots of people around. They made a serious dent in the salted caramel supply. There are just enough leftover for me to enjoy a few each day for the rest of the holidays. Maybe you could make a batch and give some away to friends and family?

      Delete

  12. Salted caramels aren't something I've ever tasted, sorry to say. They look delicious, however. Shortbread, now that I understand! Hope you have had and continue to have a peaceful, restful and failure-free Christmas this year, and wishing you all the best for 2013!
    Happy New Year!
    liz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thank you Liz! If you ever get a chance to try salted caramels please do - you won't be sorry! Happy New Year to you, too. :-)

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)