Sofia Nordgren: Caramel candies

No Christmas without homemade candy, isn’t that true? It’s tasty, of course, but to me, the making of it is probably what means the most. Listening to Christmas music, making a mess in the kitchen and letting the kids help (and taste) along the way. Hopefully, there is snow outside the window, and the home is decorated with all things Christmas. These soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth caramels are on top of my list of delicious Christmas treats. They have the perfect balance between sugar and salt, especially if you sprinkle some flaky sea salt on top. And of course you can add some saffron to make them even more Christmas-y.

INGREDIENTS:

50 g margarine
270 g caster sugar
140 g maple syrup
300 ml whippable plant cream
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp bourbon vanilla powder

FLAVOURING:

To make chocolate caramels, add 3 tbsp cacao
To make saffron caramels, add 1 g saffron

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil and let simmer over medium heat until the batter has reached a temperature of about 125°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop 1/2 tsp of the batter into a glass with cold water. If done, you can turn the batter into a firm ball.
3. Line a pan (about 15×20 cm) with parchment paper.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and let cool for 10-15 minutes, then sprinkle sea salt on top. Let cool completely at room temperature, this takes about 4 hours.
5. Cut caramels with a sharp knife and wrap in paper.
6. Store in room temperature, they will be good for about a week.