Apple Cider Caramels from King Arthur Baking

It's as though caramel apples and apple pie had offspring that had the flavors of both but in glorious buttery candy form. Tweak the temperature and you've got dessert sauce. Add a sprinkling of Maldon and you are in heaven.

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Course Sweets

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup light corn syrup
2 cups granulated sugar
6 tbsp butter, salted or unsalted
1/2 cup boiled cider RECIPE in notes below
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Apple Pie Spice SUBSTITUTE in notes below

Instructions

TO MAKE SET CARAMELS:
Lightly grease an 8" x 8" baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on opposite sides. Using binder clips to hold the parchment "slings" back helps when you pour.
Combine the cream, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and boiled cider in a 4-quart, heavy-bottom, deep saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce to medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 248°F on a candy thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on your particular stove. Want to make a softer caramel? See "tips," below.
Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the salt and spice.
Pour the hot mixture into the prepared pan. Let it stand for 12 to 18 hours at room temperature before cutting into 1" squares.
To wrap the caramels, use 6" squares of parchment paper. Place one caramel in the center of each square; wrap the opposite edges of the paper around the caramel and twist the exposed edges to close.
TO MAKE CARAMEL SAUCE:
To make apple cider caramel sauce, start by cutting all of the ingredient amounts in half. Boil the mixture to about 226°F to 230°F ("thread" stage on your candy thermometer). The sauce will be a spreadable consistency (like peanut butter) direct from the fridge; softer at room temperature; and will become pourable when you heat it. Store sauce for a few days at room temperature; refrigerate for longer storage. Yield: about 1 3/4 cups sauce.

Notes

BOILED CIDER RECIPE:

1 gallon unpasteurized fresh apple cider

Pour the cider into a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I use a 6 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven without the lid) and bring to a boil uncovered over medium heat.

Once it comes to the boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting that will allow a simmer (bubbles at the edges). Let simmer for five to six hours, stirring every half hour until it reduces down to two cups. The goal is an amber colored liquid that resembles thick maple syrup when drizzled off of a spoon. NOTE: It seems like it won't happen until it does (thank you Yogi Berra). Patience is necessary but you will be rewarded. The first time I made it, I pulled the cider off at 3 cups. While it tasted delicious (how could it not?), two cups is the sweet spot.

APPLE PIE SPICE SUBSTITUTE: If you don't have apple pie spice, you can substitute 1/2 tsp cinnamon mixed with 1/4 tsp ground (dry) ginger and 1/4 tsp allspice.

Keyword apple, apple piec, caramel, caramel sauce