I made these for our Christmas treat boxes this year primarily for my hubby and a dear friend who both love chocolate dipped cinnamon bears (all though, I never did get to dipping them in chocolate for the boxes). I made a double batch and seeing how many we had after cutting it up I put them in all the boxes. Much to my shock they were THE HIT. Not even a close call. More than one friend said their kids were fighting over them! I thought they would make a great Valentine’s Day treat as well, and if I wasn’t so busy raising people maybe I’d make a cute card you could print to go with them, you know, something witty like “You’re red hot, valentine!” I don’t know, you can figure that part out. 🙂
In the meantime, make these. Give them to your cute hubby. Or sweet friends. Or eat them yourself. Either way.
CHOCOLATE DIPPED CINNAMON CARAMELS
3/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup corn syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 to 1 tsp (depending how strong you want them) cinnamon oil candy flavor*
1 tsp red food coloring gel, optional
Chocolate or candy melts, to coat, optional
Grease an 8 inch square pan (I actually put mine in a larger pan, this just depends how big you want your pieces to be). Set aside.
In a heavy pot over low heat, combine the butter, salt, corn syrup, sugar, and 1 cup of the cream. Gently stir until the butter is melted.
Raise the heat to medium-low and clip on a thermometer. Stop stirring at this point. Watch the heat, you just want a gentle simmer.
At 236 degrees add the remaining cup of cream and gently stir just barely to mix in. Allow cooking to 245 degrees without stirring.
Remove from the heat and gently stir in the cinnamon and food coloring if using.
Poor into pan without scraping the pot. Cool at room temperature before cutting into pieces.
If desired, dip in melted chocolate or candy melts.
*1 tsp is equal to 1 fluid dram, which is the size of the jar the candy flavoring comes in.
Recipe slightly adapted from Mels Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 to 1 tsp (depending how strong you want them) cinnamon oil candy flavor*
- 1 tsp red food coloring gel, optional
- Chocolate or candy melts, to coat, optional
Instructions
- Grease an 8 inch square pan (I actually put mine in a larger pan, this just depends how big you want your pieces to be). Set aside.
- In a heavy pot over low heat, combine the butter, salt, corn syrup, sugar, and 1 cup of the cream. Gently stir until the butter is melted.
- Raise the heat to medium-low and clip on a thermometer. Stop stirring at this point. Watch the heat, you just want a gentle simmer.
- At 236 degrees add the remaining cup of cream and gently stir just barely to mix in. Allow cooking to 245 degrees without stirring.
- Remove from the heat and gently stir in the cinnamon and food coloring if using.
- Poor into pan without scraping the pot. Cool at room temperature before cutting into pieces.
- If desired, dip in melted chocolate or candy melts.
- *1 tsp is equal to 1 fluid dram, which is the size of the jar the candy flavoring comes in.
