Apple cider caramels, made from scratch! This is a small batch recipe, so start here before committing to a large batch of caramels!
One more chewy, sticky sweet square thing; I swear.
Pastry classes at Tante Marie
A few moons ago, I used to drive to the city (the city being San Francisco) and take the occasional pastry class at the Tante Marie. I had read a lot about it and become obsessed with it, and I wanted to experience the magic that is Tante Marie.
It was always a different group of people each Saturday, though this I never understood. Most people do not bake because of all the dishes. But, in cooking school, someone else does the dishes for you. I mean, really--I couldn't get enough of this life!
In my own kitchen, I wash bowls in between prep steps because I have this tiny 1920s house with what must be a black-market miniature dishwasher. At cooking school, there was a polite lady who not only washed your dishes for you, but did it with a smile. She graciously accepted my pile of dirty dishes at the end of each 4-hour cooking session. I loved that lady. I wanted to kiss her every time I handed her 5+ spatulas and sticky bowls that should have been soaked from the get-go.
So, one day in school, I wrapped up my pear frangipane tart early (though, it was a mistake I'll get to in a bit), and I headed over to join a girl making Meyer lemon caramels. One of the many things I loved about Tante Marie was that the teacher of the class shopped at the farmer's market that very morning for ingredients. It didn't get any fresher. She had a heaped pile of Meyer lemons in the bowl, and the scent was downright intoxicating. So, we read the recipe through and thought 'it can't be this easy to make caramels, can it?' Wow. Ok, let's get started. In no time, we poured the molten sugar in a greased glass dish and high-fived each other for our work.
At the end of class, we went around the room (while eating desserts) and talked about what we had made. My teeth were stuck together with caramel when the question was asked: "who didn't peel the pear for this pear tart?' Guilty. I thought the purple skin looked pretty against the yellow frangipan custard? I was wrong, apparently. But, I didn't care because I had caramels.
Apple Cider Caramels
So, while I will stop inundating you with homemade caramels recipes on this site, I will not stop making them behind the scenes. I am in love. The married kind of love, not just infatuation.
When one of you requested that I scale down Smitten Kitchen's apple cider caramels, I jumped at the chance. As expected, Deb's recipe is flawless, though it made too many caramels for a small household. I roughly cut the recipe in half and used my trusty loaf pan.
I wound up with about 20 pieces of caramel. Well, 19 because the dog ate one.
Apple cider caramels have all the things we love about caramels: sweetness, stickiness, and chew, but with the addition of punchy apple. Use the best quality local apple cider you can find, because we boil it down to condense its flavor. When it's stirred into the caramel mixture, the acidity and apple flavor remains, and brings new life to the party.
A little sprinkling of coarse sea salt brings out the nuanced flavors of caramelized sugar and apples, but you can skip it if your'e not a salted caramel person. But if you are, have you seen my small batch caramel sauce?
Tangy sweet and homemade chewy apple cider caramels. Make sure to use a heavy saucepan with a thick bottom; this allows for even heat transfer. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.Apple Cider Caramels
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 68Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 0g
Sues says
These are beautiful! I made Martha Stewart's version last year and they were so delicious. This year I'm obsessed with making apple cider caramel sauce... I've seriously been putting it on everything :)
Cheryl says
Um..... yes.
That is all.
Totally making these today, veganified!
Amanda says
Love the story and would love to have seen the dog eating one of these caramels? One gulp or did the dog try to chew it? Definitely could go for 20 of these!
Christina Lane says
He crawled up onto my photography table and pulled the prettiest caramel out. He brought it under the table to eat, but I caught him just before he glued his mouth shut with sticky caramel. This dog has such a sweet tooth! :)
Jessica | Saucy Pear says
So I'm usually down with small batches, but if you wanted to make a big batch of these and provide leftovers,oh, say, next week, I would totally approve! Until then, I suppose I can try my hand at a batch of caramels too.
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Homemade caramels are my favorite!
Carol at wild goose tea says
Your cooking classes at Tante Marie sound like sooooo much fun. Oh fantasy world where someone else does the dishes----with a smile. At least you get to experience that in a limited way to know that its a great fantasy to envision. The caramels look impressive.
Amanda says
I want this right now!!!
Julia @ Sprinkled With jules says
It was my dream in high school to attend Tante Marie's! I haven't thought about that place in years. I just looked it up and it's closed?! I could cry!! I'm so glad you were able to take classes there. These caramels are beautiful!
Katie @ butterlust says
Being a TX girl, I am unacquainted with Tante Marie's but it sounds like my perfect afternoon! Plus, I can't help but say it with a "fancy" accent which makes it that much more fun.
I'd probably choose these caramels over chocolate. <-- best compliment ever?
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
love love love the small batch!!! these are so beautiful!!! I am seriously trying this!!