My weakness in the world of sweet treats is, and has always been, caramels. I’ve rarely met a caramel I didn’t love and I’ve never met one I didn’t like, but I rarely make them myself because, well, they’re a pain in the tush to make… Or at least I thought they were.
But what if I told you that you could create an amazing, luscious, creamy, decadent, mouthwatering caramel in about 6 minutes. What if I also told you that this can be done in what was, until today at least, my least favorite kitchen tool; The microwave oven.
Yep. I made these bad boys in the microwave and I’ll happily do it again without any guilt or shame whatsoever.
These caramels are perfect. They are awe inspiring. The flavor is something between a standard butter caramel and dulce de leche with just a hint of saltiness as a back-note. They are amazing.
But be warned: Whether it’s intentional in the recipe, because of the climate here in Alaska or because I did something wrong, these are the gooiest caramels I have ever seen. As an illustration of that, in the picture below the caramels were frozen and resting on a frozen board under an open window pouring 29 degree air onto the counter and they were still completely flexible.
I’m not saying that’s a bad thing however. It makes this the perfect caramel to use as a dipping sauce or as a coating for apples. Warmed just slightly this recipe makes the a great topping for pies or ice cream. In fact, I moved all of it to a container so that we can use it to coat apple slices later tonight.
I think that I may have had a bit too much corn syrup in the mix, but I’m no confectioner. If any of you can suggest a way to get a slightly firmer caramel, we’d love to hear it!
What are your thoughts? Are you a caramel lover like I am, or are you more into the deeper flavors of chocolate? Do you have a microwave caramel recipe that works a bit better as an individual treat? Let us know in the comments.
Salted Microwave Caramels
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
36 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 59Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 203mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 0g
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
As I said, this particular batch never quite firmed up as much as I would have liked, so I’m going to work on tweaking the amounts until I get one that I can send as a gift. Other than that, my suggestion is GRAB A SPOON!
Links to other recipes like this:
- Microwave Caramel Popcorn, from Barbara Bakes
- Pears with Crackling Caramel Sauce Microwave Recipe, from Joy of Desserts
- The CURSE of the CARAMEL CORN, from the Amateur Gourmet