Recipe Weekend: Himalania Himalayan Pink Sea Salt Soft Caramels

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this product, free of charge, from Vitacost, via their Blogger review Program, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.
Ah Summer..... The kids are bored, you're worn out, and looking for things to keep them occupied... How about candy making?
It may seem like an off idea, but  a) you get to eat what you make and b) due to the nature of making candy, the kids will be BUSY for awhile and c) they can share what they make- helping with their Summer service program!
The light has dawned, yes???

I was recently sent some of the Himalania Himalyan Pink Salt from Vitacost to review and while brain storming with Mom over some dessert ideas to pair it with, I thought of a recent post I had read about soft caramels, made with honey, not corn syrup and topped with salt, and thought 'Light Bulb'! But first let me tell you about the salt.

Coming from the foothills of the Himalayas, this fine pink salt was formed 200 million years ago, deep within the Himalayan mountains, and to this day the fossil marine salt has kept all of its precious purity. Unrefined, 100% natural, without any additives, Himalania Pink Salt is naturally rich in elements and minerals (like copper, magnesium and potassium), with strong nutritional and health properties, that produce its incomparable speckled-pink color, and give it it's rich flavor, that enhances any food or dish it is added to. I am a recent convert to sea salt, but let me tell you-this stuff wins top honor, and is my new salt of choice! Check it out:

Yummy looking right?
Ok, ok, I know you're stuck on CARAMELS, and want THAT recipe, right?
Off we go- I was looking for a recipe that didn't have all the calories and additives from corn syrup, and had heard you could make soft caramels with honey. So I found a super looking recipe on Two-Tarts blog, that was just what I was looking for! I didn't have any homemade vanilla, but I did home some high quality vanilla, with just enough left to make the recipe. AHA!
So I printed out the recipe and after VBS Monday, Miss Grace and I headed to the store for some heavy cream. After an in store discussion on why is it 'heavy' and how come we couldn't use regular milk, we got home and pulled all out ingredients from the pantry (aha- Math teaching moment as I used a half cup measuring cup so Miss Grace would have to add to get the right amount of sugar!). Then we got down to business! As we are below sea level, we used the alternative directions, and got our caramel to 244 degrees, before pulling it. I did take pictures of the cooking steps, but apparently when Miss Grace was using my phone she 'accidently erased' them (argh), so I'm afraid I only have after shots! 
Here's the recipe:

Vanilla Caramels with Sea Salt

(makes one batch)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups sugar

1/2 cup honey (you can also use agave instead)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

4 oz salted butter, room temperature

sea salt – your choice of fine or coarse

candy thermometer 

Directions:

1. It's a good idea to test your thermometer's accuracy before using it to make candy, by placing it in plain boiling water. At sea level, it should read 212° F. If it reads above or below this number, make the necessary adjustments when cooking your candy syrup.

No candy thermometer? It's ok- you can use this method, which will probably excite the kids more: have a bowl of ice water by the stove, and every few minutes drop in a little of the caramel,  until it comes out the consistency you want (firm enough to wrap and soft enough to chew preferred by most people). You can check out a video HERE to see how it is done. 

2. Line a jelly roll pan, or other flat low lipped container, with parchment paper (shiny side up).

Note: our NEW box of Parchment Paper was awol, so I grabbed the "non-stick" foil. Right- bad idea- we had to peel it off...SIGH...course Miss Grace was happy- she got to scrape the remnants off of it and eat them!)

3. Combine sugar, honey, and vanilla extract together in a large non-reactive pot (you need a pot that can handle double the liquid, as it will bubble up).. Turn on the heat and let the sugar and honey melt and cook until caramelized (it will slowly become a deep, dark brown color (ours never got deep dark in color, I think because we used a very light honey)

4. While the sugar is cooking, bring the cream to a simmer in a separate pot..

5. When the sugar reaches the color you like, whisk in the butter in small knobs, until well mixed, then add the warmed cream, whisk until smooth.

6. Let this mixture cook until the temperature reaches 260F, if you live at high altitude (5,000 ft)), if you live at or below sea level, then cook to lower temperature of 244F. 

7. Pour the hot caramel onto your prepared pan. 

Note: if the caramel is too hard for your liking, you CAN: re-melt it slowly over medium/low heat, and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of additional cream. Stir until fully incorporated, then allow to set up again - the chew will be much softer.

8. Let cool about ten minutes, and then sprinkle with Himalayan pink salt. 

Note: we had the proverbial 'making candy in the South during the Summer is not a good idea' issue unfortunately. It did NOT want to set up while setting on the table. It got halfway and then stopped. Mom thumped me on back of head with a 'duh' and said go put it in the freezer. So we did for 3 hours and it was good enough to cut and roll, though they are very soft, so have to be kept in fridge).

9. Continue to let it come to room temperature, and then cut into small squares, roll, and wrap in packets of parchment or waxed paper. As you can see Miss Grace has a lot of fun with that!

The yumminess in wrapping:

And yes, there IS a fine art to wrapping caramels properly, it has to do with angles and such. For us it was a matter of Miss Grace not squeezing too hard, as these are on the soft side. But they don't look half bad, and the taste?
OH MY- seriously- I could eat the WHOLE pan. You will NOT believe how the Himalayan pink salt makes such a HUGE flavor boost! Seriously, this is the ONLY way I will make caramels from now on- the alternating sweet and salt flavors are like fireworks of happiness in your mouth! Miss Grace would have eaten every one she rolled if I let her! And that's saying something for a 6 year old to let the sweet/salt combo! 
I hope you take some time this Summer and make these with your kids- it's a great way to teach them how to make candy from scratch, and to share some quality time together!

Vitacost has the Himalania Himalayan Pink Salt in 3 versions: an elegant glass jar with stainless steel lid (fine, coarse or rock), in a glass jar with a grater, or as above, the shaker container (fine), so you can get your preference. Trust me when I say once you start using this salt, you will NOT want to go back to regular table salt!
They are also having a special this week- use code VITA6172 and get $10 off your $50 order, AND as always, FREE shipping for any order over $49. Seriously when you see ALL the great products Vitacost has, it will be easy to use that code and meet ALL your Summer needs!