You remember something like a homemade caramel. It's soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth. It might have a story weaved within, or carry a chain of memories that can't be disconnected.
The wait is hard to forget, too. Waiting for a freshly crafted caramel to cool is tortuous after you've had a whiff of its buttery, warm smells.
I don't have my own caramel recipe, but cookbook author Sandy Arevalo has pages of them. Tastes like blackberry and ginger, French toast with bacon and strawberry cheesecake outfit Arevalo's book Artisan Caramels (Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, 2014).
The Illinois resident shared her recipe for apple pie caramels, included in the cookbook, with CL. If it doesn't feel like fall to you yet, it will once these apple and spice flavors hit your taste buds.
Apple Pie Caramels
Makes one jelly roll pan
Ingredients
Butter-cookie crust:
1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks, lightly whisked
2 cups flour
Caramel:
4 cups heavy cream
4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup boiled apple cider
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon boiled cider
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a jelly roll pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, and, using a clean, dry paper towel, wipe the excess off. Make sure you cover the sides and bottom of the pan; this will help prevent the caramels from sticking.
Trim a piece of parchment paper so it covers the bottoms of the pan but has about 2-inch overhang over the handles.
Add the sugar and salt to the melted butter and stir. Add in the egg yolks and stir until combined, then add the flour and stir until fully incorporated.
Spread your dough into your prepared jelly roll pan. Press down, making sure the layer is even; otherwise, the thinner areas will cook faster and have an increased chance of burning.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes, or until the edges look golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Bring the first five caramel ingredients to a boil, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and stir in the last five ingredients quickly. Pour the caramel over the prepared crust and let cool completely (about 8 hours).
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2014.