You'll Heart this one

They're called Orange Salted Caramels and they are good!

This is a continuation of the fermented honey story.

My beekeeping friend Janice gave a jar to a lady who likes to bake.

This is what she came up with.

This combination of salty and sweet is the perfect treat.  And no taste of fermentation at all.

Thanks go to Meaganne.  Her recipe is below:

Honey Orange Salted Caramels

1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 vanilla beans
3/4 cups salted butter
3/4 cup honey
1 3/4 cups white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt (coarse sea salt is best)
1 orange

Directions:

Prepare your pan by greasing it with butter then lining the bottom with parchment paper.  Do not use wax paper because the caramel will stick.

Place the milk, heavy cream and 1 vanilla bean (split down the center but beans still inside the pod) in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Strain out and discard the vanilla bean pod.  Measure 2 cups of the liquid.

Combine in a deep saucepan 2 cups of above liquid, 1 vanilla bean (use only the stuff inside the pod) butter, honey, sugar, juice/zest from the orange.  Do not combine the vanilla extract and the salt.

Cook over medium heat, stirring.  Use a pastry brush dipped in water and brush down any sugar that has crept up the sides of the pan.  When the mixture reaches a "hard ball temperature" (250) immediately remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared pan and cool completely in the refrigerator until firm.

Once hardened cut into desired portions - use a cookie cutter.  You may need to let the caramel sit at room temperature to cut through it.  Dip the cookie cutter into sugar then drop the cut caramel into a bowl of sugar and toss to coat it.

Original recipe courtesy of:
http://www.cherryteacakes.com/2010/07/lavender-honey-caramel-candy7-cars.html

Many thanks Meaganne for these sweet treats.