Sea Salt Caramel Recipe

'Salt caramel ' is nothing but an older concept that has been newly-updated. The hot 'salt caramel' movement has taken root now. The sizzling salt caramels, the chewy caramels accented with sea salt, bars of chocolate with sprinkled sea salt are all very popular. Chocolate-covered caramels with a dusting of salt are loved by all, children and elderly. Some dark chocolate sea salt caramels are slightly salty, some are significantly salty, but all are delicious. A pinch of salt enhances the sweetness in mouth-watering sea salt caramels and makes these desserts more yummy.

Sea Salt

Who must have first thought of chocolate and salt as a logical pair? Yes, it is one of nature's great flavor combinations. Salt arouses the taste buds and accentuates the chocolate's flavor. It does the same with caramel. This added interplay of flavors makes sea salt caramels impossible to put down. The most commonly used salts in salt caramels are gray salt, smoked salt and flower of the salt. Flower of the salt has very delicate, earthy or somewhat floral flavor while gray salt has a sharper bolder flavor. Gray salt is unrefined sea salt, gathered by wooden rakes, allowing no metal to touch the salt. When salt is naturally smoked over wood fires, you get the smoked salt which has a smokehouse flavor and a different color that creates an attractive garnish.

Caramel

When you caramelized sugar, butter and milk or cream, you get caramel. In some products, corn syrup is also added. Caramel can be of firm texture or it can be chewy, soft or buttery. The important characteristic of sea salt is that it doesn't melt into the caramel, so you get fine grains of salt that add texture and crunch. Depending upon the proportion of salt and the type of salt, there are the subtle, the salty and everything in-between. In most of the varieties, you can enjoy quite a tasty punch in a very small piece - generally about one-inch square and half an inch high.

Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Recipe

Ingredients:
For about 65 candies, take,

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1¾ cups sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 10½ oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate. (If you love dark chocolate, you can use it)
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• A little bit of vegetable oil for greasing
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into tbsp. pieces
• 2 tsp. flaky sea salt
• Parchment papers and a candy thermometer will also be needed

Procedure:

• Take an 8 inch straight sided square metal baking pan.
• Spread the parchment paper on the bottom and sides of the baking pan.
• Put cream in a 1 to 1½ quart heavy saucepan and bring it just to a boil over moderately high heat.
• Reduce the flame and add chocolate.
• Leave the mixture for one minute, then stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Remove from heat and keep it aside.
• Take a 5 to 6 quart heavy pot, put sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in it.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Keep the pot uncovered and let the mixture boil for about 10 minutes.
• Do not stir but gently swirl the pan occasionally, until sugar is deep golden.
• Now, tilting the pan, slowly add to it the chocolate mixture. Be careful because the mixture will bubble and steam vigorously.
• Let the mixture boil for about 15 minutes over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until 255°F on thermometer.
• Add butter now, stir the mixture so that it is completely melted and immediately pour the mixture into lined baking pan. Leave the caramel clinging to bottom or side of saucepan.
• After 10 minutes, evenly sprinkle the sea salt.
• Let it cool completely, for about 2 hours.
• When cooled, carefully invert caramel onto a clean, dry cutting board and remove parchment.
• Turn upside down. Lightly apply some oil on the blade of a large heavy knife and cut into 1-inch squares.

Sea Salt Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
For a 1½ cup serving,

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. light corn syrup
• ¼ cup water
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1½ tsp. crushed 'gray sea salt'

Procedure:

• Take a medium saucepan.
• Put the sugar, water and corn syrup in it and bring it to a boil.
• If there are any crystals on the side of the pan, push them down using a wet pastry brush.
• Let the mixture boil for about 5-6 minutes over high heat until a deep amber caramel forms.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Carefully whisk in the cream, butter and salt.
• Let the caramel cool down to room temperature.
• This salted caramel sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks and you are supposed to rewarm it before serving.

On internet, if you search for caramel with sea salt, you will get numerous recipes. Soft buttery caramels enrobed in dark chocolate topped with an eclectic selection of sea salts exhibit how well salt and sweet play together.