• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Missing Lokness

Easy Everyday Recipes

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • So-Cal Travel Guide
  • Privacy Policy

Apple Cider Caramels

December 17, 2012 By Lokness 3 Comments

666B1963

I am never a fan of caramel. I skipped all caramel candies, and caramel sauce. But when I saw this caramel recipe, I knew that I have to try it! I felt in love with apple cider a year ago when I first tried freshly pressed cider. It was nothing like the apple juice that you buy in supermarket. It was intense and fresh. Now when I see anything apple cider, I kind of go crazy. And these apple cider caramels didn’t disappoint me. The candy was packed with apple flavors, and the sea salt balanced out the sweetness. I am giving out these candies along with some chocolate chip cookies to families and friends for the holidays. I hope everyone will enjoy them.

666B1969

Apple Cider Caramels (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

65 – 75 candies

Required tools:

–   candy thermometer

Ingredients:

–   4 cups apple cider

–   1 cup sugar

–   8 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into ½-inch cubes)

–   ½ golden brown sugar

–   1/3 cup heavy cream

–   1 teaspoon sea salt

–   vegetable oil (for knife)

–   wax paper for wrapping

Directions:

  1. In a 9 x 5-inch metal loaf pan, line the bottom and sides with 2 long sheets of crisscrossed parchment papers. Set aside.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, boil the apple cider until it has reduced to about 1/3 to ½ cup in volume, about 45 – 60 minutes. Stir occasionally. The cider should turn into a dark and thick syrup. The liquid may be foamy close to the end, turn down the heat to medium if necessary.
  3. When the cider is finished reducing, remove from heat. Stir in the sugars, butter and heavy cream with a spatula. Attach the candy thermometer. Return the pot to stove and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture has reached 220˚F, about 5 minutes. Add the sea salt. No need to stir. Cook until the mixture has reached 252˚F. Remove from heat immediately. Pour the caramel into the prepared loaf pan. Stir the caramel to mix well. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the wax paper for wrapping. Cut the wax paper into 4 x 4-inch squares. Cut about 75 squares.
  5. Prepare two big plates with wax paper covering them. Set aside.
  6. When the caramel is set, transfer to a cutting board. Use a well-oiled knife, cut the caramel into 1½ x ½-inch rectangle candies. Oil the knife after each cut if needed. Place the candies on the prepared plates while cutting the others. Make sure the candies do not touch each other. If they stick together, it will be hard to separate.
  7. To wrap the candies, place a candy on a wax paper. Roll up the wax paper around the candy, and twist the sides to close.
  8. For storage, keep the caramels in an airtight container for up to two weeks. For a soft texture, keep them at room temperature. For a chewy firm texture, keep them in the fridge.

Tips:

  1. It may not be easy to find freshly pressed apple cider. I actually used Trader Joe’s Flash Pasteurized Apple Juice. It had a dark brown color. It may not be the pure apple cider, but the flavor was close enough. It can be found in the fridge isle in Trader Joe’s. I think the apple juice that is yellow and clear (in juice isle in supermarket) may not be good enough. The flavor is not the same.
  2. I used a loaf pan, but you can use 8 x 8-inch metal square baking pan. It really depends how you want your candies to look like.
  3. When making the caramels, keep a close eye on the thermometer. Things can change really quickly.
  4. To cut the wax papers, I used a paper trimmer. It was much faster and made perfect edges.

Source: Read

Filed Under: Cook, Dessert/Sweet Tagged With: apple cider, candy, caramel, holiday, sweet

Previous Post: « Fish Tacos
Next Post: Happy Holidays to you! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet says

    December 21, 2012 at 5:30 am

    I’ve only ever tasted shop bought caramels and can only imagine how delicious apple cider ones must be. If only I can get over my fear of boiling sugar!

    Reply
    • Lokness says

      December 21, 2012 at 10:46 am

      I have never tried homemade caramels before this recipe too! The unique flavor from the apple cider makes this caramel different and delicious! I know what you mean about scared of the boiling sugar. I was too at the beginning. I tried to stand way back away from the stove. But when the sugar mixture was only boiled for 5 minutes and it didn’t get too bubbly, I ended my worry. Hope you will get over your fear too, Michelle!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Missing Lokness | Chocolate Cornflake Clusters says:
    June 15, 2015 at 8:40 am

    […] one is something new and different, like simple lemon cookies, espresso-chocolate shortbread, and apple cider caramels. However this year, I don’t think I have time and energy to do 2 […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hello there!

Welcome! I'm Lokness. Currently live in Los Angles. Grew up in Hong Kong. Obsessed with chocolate & ice cream. Cooking is something I love. This is where I share my stories and recipes. Want to know more? Click here.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Never Miss a New Recipe!

Sign up to receive notifications of new posts by email. No spam!

Popular Posts

  • Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding (From Scratch) Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding (From Scratch) #magnoliabakery #copycatrecipe #banana #pudding #bananapudding #partyfood #nilawafer #dessert #dessertrecipe | The Missing Lokness Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding (From Scratch)
  • Easy Sushi Bake #sushibake #hawaiianrecipe #imitationcrab #avocado #easyrecipe #furikake #seaweed #dinner #dinnerrecipe #appetizer | The Missing Lokness Easy Sushi Bake
  • Hong Kong Style Borscht Soup #soup #hongkongfood #vegetables #beefbone #borschtsoup | The Missing Lokness Hong Kong Style Borscht Soup
  • Sangchu Geotjeori (Korean Lettuce Salad)
  • Mendocino Farms Curried Couscous with Roasted Cauliflower #sidedish #pastasalad #couscous #curry | The Missing Lokness Mendocino Farms Curried Couscous with Roasted Cauliflower

missinglokness

🍩 Recipe Developer & Food Lover (I cook & eat around the city!) 🐹 Animals Lover 🏠 Los Angeles🌴(From HK 🇭🇰)

Happy 14th! 👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽❤️ This Happy 14th! 👩🏻‍🤝‍👨🏽❤️ This picture was taken early this month in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Growing up, I looked forward to my mom’s mango p Growing up, I looked forward to my mom’s mango pudding every summer. That creamy & soft pudding is loaded w/ tons of fresh mangoes. My version is pretty much the same, but I switch out the mango-flavored gelatin mix for fresh mangoes. It tastes incredible & brings me back to my childhood right away! It was the perfect dessert when I was a kid, and it’s still the most satisfying dessert today! 🥭

// What was your favorite childhood dessert? //

Recipe link in profile ⬆️ #ontheblog #TheMissingLokness

https://www.themissinglokness.com/2022/05/20/loaded-mango-pudding/
Sometimes, something simple is the best. My go-to Sometimes, something simple is the best. My go-to is a cheeseburger w/ extra toasted bun & onion. Bryan likes his double-double w/ onion. The fries were perfectly crispy, and I like to dip them in the spread sauce. Please order me 2 fries next time!😂 How do you like your In-N-Out?
Ice cream time! This Vanilla Blueberry Thyme Swirl Ice cream time! This Vanilla Blueberry Thyme Swirl Ice Cream is creamy, little vanilla-y w/ bits of blueberries & a hint of thyme. That vibrant blueberry swirls also makes the prettiest purple color too! I made this ice cream using my blueberry thyme jam, so it’s very easy.🫐🍨

Recipe link in profile ⬆️ #ontheblog #TheMissingLokness

https://www.themissinglokness.com/2022/04/15/vanilla-blueberry-thyme-swirl-ice-cream/
A perfect bowl of Korean shaved ice for a warm nig A perfect bowl of Korean shaved ice for a warm night. We both got Injeolmi, which is milk flavored ice w/ mochi, roasted soybean powder & condensed milk. It was light, little nutty & not too sweet.🍧

🌟Oakobing
📍37 N Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, CA 91103
Spring time means berries. Let starts w/ Blueberry Spring time means berries. Let starts w/ Blueberry Thyme Jam! Sweet, lemony & earthy. A nice surprising combo, but both blueberry & thyme compliment each other really well. I once served this once w/ a slice of Basque cheesecake, & it was fantastic! The jam is good on all sort of things, like yogurt and charcuterie board. 🫐

Recipe link in profile ⬆️ #ontheblog #TheMissingLokness

https://themissinglokness.com/2022/03/24/small-batch-blueberry-thyme-jam/
When I think of comfort food, this Satay Beef Cell When I think of comfort food, this Satay Beef Cellophane Noodles in Clay Pot (沙嗲牛肉粉絲煲) definitely is up there on the top. One of my favorites to order in Hong Kong! It’s hearty & rich. That tender beef & noodles are coated w/ a savory & slightly sweet satay sauce. Little kick from the chili & the earthiness from the mushroom. Bold flavors! Please just give me a bowl of rice already! Btw, this takes only 30 mins to put together, which makes a great weeknight dish. 

Recipe link in profile ⬆️ #ontheblog #TheMissingLokness

https://themissinglokness.com/2022/03/10/satay-beef-cellophane-noodles-in-clay-pot/
Maude (@mauderestaurant) has reopened & we’re ba Maude (@mauderestaurant) has reopened & we’re back! It closed down during the pandemic & eventually was selling sweet & savory pies for a while. Once we heard Maude was about to reopen, we made reservation. It’s a 9-course tasting menu w/ the focus on California cuisine this time. Everything was incredible. We chose to sit on the chef’s table & watched them plating & cooking. Precision & speed w/ lots of components. We had our many firsts, like cactus, caviar, & black truffle. Our favorites of the night were caviar w/ peas, abalone & bread w/ aged butter. We really love this place & look forward to going back soon!

🌟Maude
📍212 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
❣️Always a multi-course tasting menu & changes often.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · The Missing Lokness · Privacy Policy

 

Loading Comments...