Caramels are something I’ve always wanted to make, but kept putting off. The idea of them seemed really difficult and time consuming. But after seeing lots of delicious caramel recipes lately, I was convinced that I needed to try them.
So this morning, I researched lots of recipes, and got to work in the kitchen. Most recipes call for a little butter, some cream, sugar and corn syrup. I decided to start with the most flavorful butter I know, brown butter.
I slowly browned my butter in a small pot, and then added some dark sweet goodness – dark corn syrup and dark brown sugar. Instead of adding cream though, I used sweetened condensed milk. Then I finished the candy with a good quality vanilla and poured it into a pan to cool.
After they were completely cooled, I unmolded them and used the sharpest knife I have, a New West Fusionwood 2.0 Chef Knife. This is a new knife to my kitchen, I’ve had a top of the line German knife for years, but after so much talk about New West knives, I had to see what all the fuss was about.
When I first opened up my new New West knife, I was immediately impressed with it’s beauty. The handle is just gorgeous. Then I immediately started testing it out. For a huge chef’s knife, it is extremely well-balance and feels wonderful in my hand. It actually feels lighter because of the way it’s balanced than my other German knife, even though my German has a shorter blade. It’s also really sharp. I keep my knife honed at all times, and it never has problems slicing the most ripe tomato. But I tell you the steel of this knife is actually sharper and hones better than my German blade.
You can read more about the science behind the Fusion 2.0 knife line here. You can also learn all about their new new powderized steel and why it’s so superior.
For a chance to win a Four Piece Knife set, head over to New West’s Facebook page.
Yield: Serves 4
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Add butter to a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until it browns and smells nutty. Remove from heat and add brown sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well and place back over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until candy thermometer reaches 248°.
Pour mixture into a 8 x 8 baking dish that has been lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with nonstick spray. Let cool completely before cutting.
I received the knife in the photos for review purposes. All opinions 100% mine.
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