Creating Delicious: Honey-Butter Caramels

I have a recipe that I adore for sea-salt caramels. I have a friend who loves them more than anything and I wanted to make her a batch during a particularly trying week in her life. As I pulled out all of the ingredients, I realized that I did not have the 4 cups of heavy cream it called for... FOUR cups! I had forgotten it was that much. So, true to form, I began to shoot from the hip until I had a caramel that I actually liked much better. Happy Accident :)

Tips and Tricks:
This recipe is a delightful, chewy caramel. I top it with grey sea salt, but you can use kosher. I do not recommend table salt in this instance. Be patient and watch the caramel carefully. It will take a bit of time to get it to the right temperature, but when the thermometer begins to climb, it can do so quickly. Stir often and use a larger pot than you think you will need because it climbs the pan as it boils. If you are using a gas stove, be sure to keep the flame UNDER the pot or you can burn the sides. If you are using a ceramic stove top, watch that it does not boil over, or you can pit the stove's surface.

Honey-Butter Caramels

1 1/2 cups of butter (note: you will need another 1/2 cup to be added later)
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 1/4 cups of brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup of honey
1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

melted chocolate
sea salt

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (or one sheet if you are not dipping any in chocolate). Place one of them in the fridge to cool. Place the 1 1/2 cups of butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, and heavy cream in a large, heavy bottom sauce pan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil and stir often until the caramel reaches 248 degrees.

I should have used a bigger pot!

Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1/2 cup of butter, salt, and vanilla. Stir until well blended and then pour the caramel onto the parchment lined cookie sheet (not the cold one). Allow the caramel to cool completely. Remove the caramel by lifting the parchment off of the pan and cut the caramel into squares.