Caramels from Miette Bakery

I like to think I travel vicariously through the things I bake.

New York, D.C., L.A, New Orleans, Honolulu, and an infinite number of places outside the United States are on my travel-to list, except I'm a poor college student and the timing isn't right and that's the way things are at the moment. But one day, I shall conquer the world and learn how to say hello (and where's the bathroom) in every language.

I like to check out cookbooks by famous bakeries and get a feel for what might be out there. Granted I can't use their locally sourced ingredients native to their specific terrain, nor can I remake a dessert with a master chef's expertise, but I like to try anyway. It's fun to imagine that one day, I can visit these places and compare the sweets I had made with the "real thing," so to speak.

Recently I had the chance to check out the lovely bakebook by Miette bakery. Miette is hailed as "the most charming pastry shop" in San Francisco. True to this wide acclaim, the book's pages are filled with pictures and recipes of the most darling cakes, macarons, and other irresistible treats.

Unfortunately, most of Miette's cakes are on a smaller, 6-inch scale. (I use 9-inch cake pans.) However, seeing as how I'm big on caramels these days, I decided to give the Miette version a try.

The Miette caramels are decidedly simpler to maneuver, and one recipe yields plenty of caramels. In my personal opinion, I like my first caramel recipe a tad better. Just a tad bit. Some of my friends and family have tried both caramels, and opinions are varied. But there's no denying people go crazy over homemade caramels, period.

Amazing caramels. Amazing recipe. Miette bakery, you're on my places to visit in California!

The transformation of caramel.

The insanely acute among you will have noticed the plate next to the pot. That's there for me to test the caramel. Near the end of cooking time (around 245 degrees), I periodically drop a bit of caramel on this plate or in a glass of cold water. If the caramel sets nicely, then it's done.

A little tricky, but not impossible.

Another way to gauge the "doneness" of your caramels is how the batch stirs. The batch, near the beginning, will be thin and watery, but it thickens up considerably near the end.

As you get used to making caramels, you begin to get a feel for how your caramel cooks.

Then you take ridiculous food photography that'll make you cringe three years later.


Fleur de Sel Caramels
*makes 64 one-inch square caramels, or more, depending on how you cut it*

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 1 /4 cups light brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsps unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 3 Tbsps water
• 1/4 cup fleur de sel, for sprinkling (I usually just omit the salt)

Directions:

1. Butter (or spray with cooking spray) the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper long enough to extend over two opposite sides by about 3 inches, to use later as handled, if needed.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients (except the fleur de sel). Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Place over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 245 degrees F, about 30-40 minutes.
3. When the caramel reaches the correct temperature, remove it from the heat and pour into the buttered pan, scraping out any caramel that's clinging to the sides of the pan. Be careful because the caramel is very hot. Let the caramel cool for 15 minutes and sprinkle with fleur de sel, if using. Let the caramel cool to room temperature. 
4. To remove the caramel from the pan, loosen the sides by running the tip of a knife around the edges. Lift the caramel out using the parchment paper "handles." If it resists, warm the bottom of the pan briefly with a kitchen torch or over a stove burner. Turn the caramel out onto waxed paper on a cutting board. Measure 1-inch intervals along the sides, and then cut the caramel into 1-inch squares. Peel the caramel squares from the parchment paper. 
5. Wrap each caramel in a square of waxed paper or candy cellophane and twist both ends. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days. 

From Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop