I interrupt this {seemingly normal} blog post to bring you a message.
Check it: It’s me. In my kitchen. Lookin’ like a fool…with my pants on the ground.
Kidding! My pants are totes on in this video. Nothing weird going on over here. Well, that I can’t say for sure. Is making fleur de sel caramels and forcing your boyfriend to film it weird? Maybe.
I’m slightly intoxicated in the second half of this video. Is that weird? Psssh. That’s def not weird. I had to wait three whole hours for that caramel to set! What else is a girl to do? There was champagne to be had, people!
Here’s the deal: A while back, I said I was bringing video to 20something cupcakes. I’m all about keeping my word, and I did; I made this fabulous meal, Daniel was taping it, and in the midst of it all, a bottle of wine fell from the top of my fridge, causing a jagged piece of glass to ricochet off the floor so hard that it cut my wrist…like, bad. Like, I had to go to the emergency room because my wrist grew a golf ball bad. Like, a year later, it’s still hard for me to hold a plank on that wrist bad.
This is a true story, y’all. I can’t make this stuff up!
Maybe it was a sign. Maybe I just had too many bottles of wine piled on top of my fridge. Either way, a couple of months went by and I started a new job that I got super-busy with. So I’ve been really busy working, right – like it’s *totally* normal to get to work at 7am and leave at 8pm – and then somewhere along the way, I had an epiphany. I realized that even though I love my job, I was losing sight of other things that I love. Things like this blog. This blog provides a creative outlet that just can’t be touched.
And so, I made myself a promise that I would stop working so damned much (can I get an amen!?) and get back to the other things in my life that make me happy – things that I’m fully in control of, things that really allow me to grow. I’m a person who always likes to be pushing myself. When it comes to this blog, and myself, and my own pursuit of happiness, nothing can stand in my way.
This {right here} is my world, I’m in charge – and I’ve recently made the decision to take it back into my own hands.
I can hardly think of a better way to do so than these fleur de sel caramels. Part of my goal is to show you, if you’re even the least bit unsure – or at the very least looking for some entertainment, which I hope to provide you – that what I’m doing is easy! And fun. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.
You can burn this caramel, as long as you don’t take it too seriously. Part of being a good cook is being fearless. No fear equals confidence, which will end in success. I’ve never been afraid of burning caramel, and it’s never happened. Coincidence?
Just take me in this silly video, for instance – it’s not perfect. At all. My caramel gets stuck to the board, I flub a measurement, and the video quality leaves, well, much to be desired (feel free to send complaints directly to my videographer on that, hehe)…but guess what? My caramel comes out fan-tastic. And the video? Well, it’s a start 
These caramels are heavenly – the perfect combination of rich, creamy, salty, and sweet. Fleur de sel is a French sea salt that you should be able to find at Whole Foods or any specialty store – it has a better, milder flavor than regular sea salt so it’s worth the splurge. I just love the idea of serving these with your after-dinner coffee or cocktails – so much more elegant and special than, like, cookies. Not that I have anything against cookies.
The best part? These caramels don’t get stuck in your teeth for a second. Nothing but melt-in-your-mouth salty-sweet ecstacy. How’s that for a holiday gift idea?
Fleur de Sel Caramels
Adapted from Ina Garten
- Vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Line an 8-inch-square baking dish with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with oil.
In a deep saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don’t stir – just swirl the pan.
In the meantime, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.
When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful – it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.
Very carefully (it’s hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.
{A note on the temperature: As you can see in the video, at first I thought that maybe I could have left the caramel in the fridge for a little longer, but I then realized this is the way they’re supposed to be – in fact, this is likely is what makes them so melt-in-your-mouth soft rather than chewy or overly sticky}
When the caramel is cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Brush a knife with flavorless oil such as corn oil to make the cutting easier. Cut the square in half. Starting with a long side, roll the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch-long log. Trim the ends and cut into 8 pieces. Repeat with the other half. If you like, you can cut again into smaller pieces. Sprinkle with additional fleur de sel.
Cut glassine or parchment paper into 4-by-5-inch pieces and wrap each caramel individually, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.
Makes: Between 16 and 32, depending on how small you cut them.
Any ideas for the next how-to video? Anything you’ve been dying to try, or maybe just something that might be entertaining to watch me try? Let me know!
Wow, these do look fantastic. Congrats on the video. It’s always a great thing to add to a blog and the un-fussier, the better, I say. Thanks for always posting such great recipes.
How fun! Love the video—it’s always fun to watch and listen to bloggers when I’m used to just looking at their pictures and reading their posts! I am glad to know that caramel isn’t terribly tricky to make, too.
Cookie and Kate recently posted..Pumpkin Pineapple Cocktail
you are so cute! i miss you love!
Keely Marie recently posted..Dim Sum Party ::: Char Siu Bao + Shumai
Love the video and that recipe looks divine! Great job!
These look amazing – I love salted caramel and there’s fleur de sel in my cabinet screaming to be made into these lovelies. I’m one of the people that are intimidated by caramel (cooking yes, candy making, yikes), but you did make it seem easy!
And I love that you love Ina so much.
Loving your feedback! Thank you!
I’ve been thinking about making fleur de sel caramels for so long! Hopefully I can work up the patience this weekend. What a great video!
Absolutely gorgeous!
Wow. I want to make these with my sister. She can’t eat chocolate anymore, so these would be perfect! And your video was super helpful – definitely reduced the intimidation factor of caramels, which I haven’t made before. On another note, I just found your blog via Foodgawker and have loved reading through various posts. I feel like I’m in the middle of a something like a quarter(ish) life crisis, and it’s so helpful to read about someone who is figuring it all out, too.
Thank you all so much! Glad you’re feeling less intimidated
Allegra – Love, love, love to hear that. Glad you made it over!
Thank you SO much! I, too, have found you via foodgawker. Thank the good lord because without your video- I don’t think I ever would have made caramels again. About a year ago, I tried a few batches and failed miserably. Probably because I didn’t have a visual, or maybe I was just caramelly-challenged. Thus, I have made the perfect caramels thanks to you and I can NOT stop making them!
Nia, this makes me very happy! So glad I was able to help you confront your caramel issue. Yay! xxSAS
Hi there! I know this is a late comment I just had a question. I tried making these yesterday and I overcooked and they had a bit of a burnt aftertaste so I threw them out before trying to form them. I made them again today and they taste amazing however, even after chilling in the fridge for 5 hours they still are too soft. Right when I take it out it will be good for a few minutes, but eventually ends up melting back into a blob. I’m assuming this means I didn’t cook it for long enough. Is there any way for me to put it back in the pot and cook a bit longer or should I just start all over? Also, I love the fact that you made a video to go along with this! It helped tremendously
Hi, Caitie! My guess is that you didn’t cook the caramel for quite long enough. Did you use a candy thermometer to check your temperature? I don’t think you’ll be able to cook it again at this point, though I’ve never tried – I would say you’re better off using this as a topping for ice cream, or apple slices would be good, and then try the caramels again another day.
Hi! Thanks so much for the response. I made them again, and this time they came out perfectly! I had never used a candy thermometer before, and didn’t realize you weren’t supposed to let it touch the bottom of the pan (duh, I know) and so even though it was reading the right temperature, I don’t think it cooked long enough. Problem solved
Thanks again!
Hi! This video is wonderful and makes it look so much more user friendly. I have been wanting to make fleur de sel caramels forever and thought this Christmas I will just do it! I do have a question though…for someone who doesn’t yet know how to “eye ball” when it’s done…how long do you let the sugar mixture boil before you mix the cream mixture in? I know you said until golden brown, but if you have a estimated time frame I would so appreciate it! Thanks so much!