Recipes: Caramels

Makes 12 to 18 tartlets.

Note: Adapted from Nick Malgieri's "Pastry." He suggests almonds as an alternative to the cashews and finishing each tart with a pinch of fleur de sel. For the tartlets, use a flaky buttery dough or French-style cookie dough; store-bought rolled crusts worked well, too. You'll need enough dough for a 9-inch double-crust pie.

Filling:

• 2 tbsp. water

• 2/3 c. sugar

• 1 tbsp. honey

• 1/3 c. heavy whipping cream

• 12 fully baked 2 1/2-in. tartlet crusts

Topping:

• 3 oz. dark chocolate (60 percent cocoa solids), melted, cooled

• 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup

For the filling: Combine 2 tablespoons water and sugar in a medium saucepan; stir to mix. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until syrup turns a deep amber caramel color.

Meanwhile, stir honey into cream in a small saucepan; heat to a slight simmer over low heat. Cover; set aside.

When sugar mixture is ready, remove pan from heat and begin pouring in hot cream-honey mixture a little at a time to avoid caramel boiling over. Stir until caramel is smooth, returning pan to heat for a few seconds if caramel hardens. Stir in cashews. Divide filling among baked tartlet crusts, using about 1 tablespoon for each and filling within 1/4 inch of the top.

For the topping: Place chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; pour over chocolate. Whisk smooth. Spoon topping onto each tartlet, smoothing surface. Cool tarts to room temperature.

Nutrition information per serving:

Carbohydrates18 gSaturated fat5 g

Protein2 gCholesterol15 mgDietary fiber1 g

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Note: In this recipe adapted from Martha Holmberg's "Modern Sauces," fresh ginger delivers spicy heat and citrus notes. The author suggests serving the sauce with apple desserts.

• 1 c. heavy whipping cream

• 1 c. sugar

• 1/4 c. water

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium, heavy saucepan; heat to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just until sugar is moistened. Let mixture boil without stirring, but with an occasional swirl of the pan, until it is a deep amber and smells like caramel, 9 to 11 minutes. Caramel will be very hot. Remove saucepan from heat. Carefully add a little ginger-infused cream; caramel will bubble up furiously.

Return pan to low heat. Whisk in remaining cream a little at a time to avoid bubbling over, then whisk in butter and salt. Continue whisking another minute until sauce is very smooth. Remove pan from heat; let sauce cool in pan. It will thicken as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories76Fat5 gSodium14 mg

Carbohydrates9 gSaturated fat3 gProtein0 gCholesterol16 mgDietary fiber0 g

Note: A candy thermometer is the most accurate way to test the temperature of cooking sugar syrup. Experienced cooks will find this reasonably accurate. For these soft caramels, a second method can help determine the exact point when the proper texture is reached. At 240 degrees, begin using the spoon to remove small samples of syrup from the saucepan and immerse in ice water. After several seconds, remove sample from ice water; squeeze between your thumb and forefinger to evaluate consistency. Caramel is properly cooked when the cooled piece is firm but not hard. Undercooked caramel will not hold its shape, and overcooked caramels will be too hard to bite. The caramels are best plain, dipped in melted chocolate or sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt. Adapted from "Chocolates and Confections at Home With the Culinary Institute of America."

• 1/2 c. water

• 2 c. sugar

• 1 vanilla bean, pod split lengthwise and seeds scraped

• 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

• 1 tsp. salt

Directions

Butter well a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Combine 1/2 cup water, sugar, vanilla bean pod and seeds, condensed milk, corn syrup and butter in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan. Heat to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. Continue stirring while cooking, lowering heat to medium-high or medium, to keep mixture at a gentle boil, until mixture reaches 245 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove saucepan from heat; stir in salt. Pour into prepared pan; use a fork to remove vanilla bean pod. Cool completely at room temperature, at least 2 hours. Remove sheet of caramels from pan. If caramel sticks, use an offset spatula to loosen from the pan. Cut into desired size pieces; we cut them about 1 by 1 1/2 inches. Wrap individually in cellophane or waxed paper if they won't be consumed in a day or two.

Calories70Fat2 gSodium43 mg

Carbohydrates12 gSaturated fat2 g