post-holiday candy chat

I realize that no one is in the mood to make candy right now; you've probably sworn off the stuff for a while. However... I never got around to posting what I made this year and thought it would be fun to open the discussion up to more people. Email me what you like to make every year (along with the recipe of course!!), or something new and fantastic you tried this time (with a picture if you have it) and I will post for all. Or, you can just post it all in the comment section.

I am going to post a different treat every day or so until I get through all the sweets I made. Here is a picture of the box I gave to a few people:

The first recipe I'll share is one I posted last January, and will be one of my staples from now on. It makes so many and seems to be well received.

You should sift the spices over the caramel mixture as you stir at the end. If you dump them in you will end up with pocketfuls of spice and it is not very fun to try to distribute the mix when it is already on the sheetpan- trust me. Also, I find you can cut them a bit smaller than suggested. I think I cut maybe 160 or even 192 from the batch this year and could have even made them a little smaller. I find parchment works best for wrapping. Cellophane falls off; waxed paper sticks too much. Just store them in an airtight container for a few weeks. I gave some of these as gifts in those small organza drawstring bags you can get at craft stores in packages of 8-10. ABout 8-10 caramels inside fit perfectly and and is a nice size treat for a friend.

Gingerbread Caramels


Ingredients:
Makes about 12 1/2 dozen

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
4 cups (2 pints) heavy cream
2 cups light corn syrup
4 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

Coat an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on short sides. Coat parchment.

Bring cream, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and molasses to a boil in a large pot over high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan, and continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 248 degrees (firm-ball stage), about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla, salt, and spices. Immediately pour onto prepared sheet, without scraping pot. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 24 hours without moving.

Coat a large cutting board generously with cooking spray. Pull up parchment to unmold caramel, and invert onto the cutting board. Remove parchment. Cut into 1-by-1 1/4-inch pieces. Wrap each in cellophane or waxed paper. Caramels can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month.