Goat Butter Honey Caramels with Sea Salt for Mimi

One of the many things I love and cherish about my mother is her passionate love of delicious things.  Mimi is one of my unofficial recipe scouts; she finds a lot of winners.  This dandy comes from Martha Stewart’s daily show.  My mom was entranced by these caramels and I knew that I had the perfect Mother’s Day gift.

These caramels have got it going on.  The goat butter adds a certain nuance (Goat butter can be found at Whole Foods).  Honey is the predominant flavor, its sweetness gently tempered by the light dusting of sea salt.

In my lifetime, I have met very few homemade caramels that I didn’t like but these caramels are really special.  I love the uniqueness of these caramels, subtly different than traditional caramels.  These are chewy, rich, honeyed nirvana.

Ready for an overnight cool.

Using Marco for his muscle, plus he is always angling to get his picture on the blog (oh the shots I have deleted).

Goat Butter Honey Caramels with Sea Salt from Martha Stewart

1 cup goat milk butter
2 cups pure wildflower honey
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. sea salt, for sprinkling

Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper; set aside.

Melt butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add honey, cream, and sugar; stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil.

Continue boiling, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla; pour into prepared pan. Let cool for 1 hour; sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely, overnight.

Turn caramels out onto a cutting board; remove parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut caramels into 1-inch squares; wrap each in wax paper. Caramels will keep in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 month. Caramels will soften at room temperature or stay firm if kept chilled.

From The Martha Stewart Show, February 2010