Party Favors & Flowers

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I've been wanting to post for awhile but things have been crazy at Quail Pottery.  Matt & I got married this fall.  We wanted a low-key celebration so we eloped to Maine and had a fun party afterwards on the water in Long Island.  The day of the party the weather was like a tsunami. But just about the time the guest arrived the rain and wind stopped & we had an amazingly calm night on the water.  The sunset was a show stopper.  I made favors for everyone that I filled with caramels.  And I made the vases for all the tables that my amazingly talented friend Jim of James Gerard Florals filled with the most insanely beautiful fall flowers.  

I tried a lot of different recipes for the caramels.  The first batch was so salty (because I didn't use unsalted butter & I put more on top) that we had to throw it out.  We ate a few test batches after that.  I finally settled on this Martha Stewart recipe because it was the perfect texture - soft and chewy.

Classic Salted Caramel Candies

  • Vegetable oil, for baking sheet 
  • 2 cups heavy cream 
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar 
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 
  • 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup 
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt + some for the top
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Lightly brush bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with oil. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides; lightly brush parchment with oil.

Bring cream, sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until caramel reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes.

Immediately remove caramel from heat, and stir in salt and vanilla. Pour caramel onto baking sheet, and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.  Add salt to the top (not too much) after it sets up a bit.

Lifting by parchment overhang, transfer caramel to a large cutting board. Cut into 3/4-by-1 1/4-inch pieces; wrap each piece in waxed paper or cellophane.