2011 Cooking Club Week 39: Caramel Squares

Faith

Great, so glad they worked out for you!

ibarelycare

Forgot to take pics of these last week, but made them again for a party I'm going to tonight. Just creamed the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon this time and turned out way better

Fart

ibarelycare wrote: »

Forgot to take pics of these last week, but made them again for a party I'm going to tonight. Just creamed the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon this time and turned out way better

Om nom nom nom nom!

Those look incredible!

nozzferrahhtoo

A post on the main cooking forum reminded me of these today so I have just set about making them. The biscuit and caramel is in the fridge cooling now. Choc will go on later.

As the butter melted however I laid out the can of mild, the Golden Syrup and the Sugar. I went to the fridge and got the tin opener. Clicked it on to the side of the can, turned the knob until I was the whole way around and popped off the lid and....

.... realized I had just can openered my Lyles Golden Syrup and not the condensed milk. Good move me. Can not close it now. Guess will have to ooze it out into one of our collections of old jam jars. Either that or just stay up all night making batch after batch of Squares!

My caramel came out a really light color this time. No idea why. I was sure I used the same Brown sugar but perhaps I did not and I used a much lighter color of it. Seemed to taste ok before I poured it on and fridged it so fingers crossed.

TheHopeful

I'm going to give these a whirl over the weekend, just wondering is there much difference between making the caramel or just using the ready made stuff?

nozzferrahhtoo

Never used the ready made myself. Making your own really is easy though. It really is a case of sticking the heat on medium and turfing everything in together and stiring for 10 to 15 minutes.

Faith

TheHopeful wrote: »

I'm going to give these a whirl over the weekend, just wondering is there much difference between making the caramel or just using the ready made stuff?

I actually used the ready made stuff for a raspoffee pie recently, and it was lovely. That being said, I think the caramel in my recipe is much nicer, and it works much better in caramel squares than the ready made stuff. It's richer and smoother, IMO. Plus, you don't get to lick the saucepan with the ready made stuff

ASJ112

Around how many ml was the tin of condensed milk Faith ?

Dizzyblonde

ASJ112 wrote: »

Around how many ml was the tin of condensed milk Faith ?

I use the Aldi one and it's 397g - I think they're a standard size.

Faith

Yep, they should be a standard size, around 400ml like Dizzyblonde says.

I made these myself for Father's Day. Topped them with white chocolate buttons, but they were completely lost on my dad! Nevertheless, he managed to eat most of them before the rest of us could get near

pwurple

Made these last night... the local supermarket only had that ready made caramel stuff and was out of condensed milk. Gave it a shot anyway. The bought caramel is way too runny. It just squidges out the sides. Boo.

Base was excellent though! For the chocolate, I mixed a bar of bournville with some 30% chocolate from a chocolate shop and the chocolate was also awesome. Had that cadburies tang... but didn't have to torture myself trying to melt a bar of dairymilk without it turning to dust.

Extremely squidgey squares for all today.

Faith

Glad you liked them, pwurple! Good to know about the ready made caramel too .

ilovetorun

I made these over the weekend and WOW!!! They were delicious, seriously they were so good. I made the caramel from condensed milk and I found it easy enough to make, all you have to do is ensure the butter is fully melted, then add you condensed milk and sugar, stirring all the time (I think it took a good 10/15 mins on a lowish heat for the sugar to melt) I'll make these again for sure. Thanks Faith:)

pwurple

Made these last night properly for some visitors coming for a few days.
Awesome. Just totally yummo. Addition of a small bit of salt to the caramel like people have suggested is really nice too.

Used a hot knife to cut them into teeny tiny squares rather than big wodges, like little cocktail millionaire squares! That was defo the hardest bit.

ibarelycare

The last two times I've made these, the caramel has turned out a little paler and more of a fudge-like texture. They're still tasty but just don't hold together as well. I'm making the caramel the exact same way. I thought maybe I didn't leave it to cook long enough the time before last, so when I made them again at the weekend I had the caramel on for more than 15 minutes, and stirred the whole time, sugar was definitely all dissolved. Any ideas? Would the hob not being hot enough affect it? I'm so worried about it burning that I only put it up to 3, and I only see the odd bubble in it, so maybe that's the reason.

Faith

ibarelycare wrote: »

The last two times I've made these, the caramel has turned out a little paler and more of a fudge-like texture. They're still tasty but just don't hold together as well. I'm making the caramel the exact same way. I thought maybe I didn't leave it to cook long enough the time before last, so when I made them again at the weekend I had the caramel on for more than 15 minutes, and stirred the whole time, sugar was definitely all dissolved. Any ideas? Would the hob not being hot enough affect it? I'm so worried about it burning that I only put it up to 3, and I only see the odd bubble in it, so maybe that's the reason.

That happens to me from time to time and I can't figure out why . I think it could be a heat issue alright. Fudge is made at a temperature of 118 degrees, while toffee (much too hard) is made at 140. So I imagine the optimum temperature is about 125-130. Without using a sugar thermometer, it's very hard to gauge this, but I'd say you'd be wanting to see consistent bubbles and not just one or two.

Oh, the one time I did use a sugar thermometer I made a complete balls of it and made almost solid toffee

ibarelycare

Faith wrote: »

That happens to me from time to time and I can't figure out why . I think it could be a heat issue alright. Fudge is made at a temperature of 118 degrees, while toffee (much too hard) is made at 140. So I imagine the optimum temperature is about 125-130. Without using a sugar thermometer, it's very hard to gauge this, but I'd say you'd be wanting to see consistent bubbles and not just one or two.

Oh, the one time I did use a sugar thermometer I made a complete balls of it and made almost solid toffee

Cool well I'll try it a bit hotter next time. I'm not sure why I was so nervous about it the last two times, when I'd made them successfully a few times before that!

emaleth

ibarelycare wrote: »

The last two times I've made these, the caramel has turned out a little paler and more of a fudge-like texture. They're still tasty but just don't hold together as well. I'm making the caramel the exact same way. I thought maybe I didn't leave it to cook long enough the time before last, so when I made them again at the weekend I had the caramel on for more than 15 minutes, and stirred the whole time, sugar was definitely all dissolved. Any ideas? Would the hob not being hot enough affect it? I'm so worried about it burning that I only put it up to 3, and I only see the odd bubble in it, so maybe that's the reason.

It's been humid lately - if there's that bit more water in your sugar that might be doing it. Try it on the higher heat watching like a hawk and that should do it.

Malari

Made these again at the weekend - the extra thick caramel version I meant to add salt to the caramel but was concentrating so hard on not burning it that I totally forgot. Oh well, another time!

Stepping Stone

Made these yesterday. Tried loads of recipes before but finally found the ultimate one. They were a huge hit with everyone. Thanks Faith!

.red.

Decided to try these today while the baby was asleep. My thermostat in the oven seemed to stop working so the base cooked at a much higher temp than it should have and ended up a little thicker than i hoped.
Then the dog barked at the neighbours cat and woke the baby so i ended up having to take the caramel off the hob to get her, then finish it with a chubby 15 month old in my arms.
Not 100% happy with the final outcome but with all that went against me and it being my first attempt, their not too bad.
Must say, they taste pretty good tho so i can only imagine how good a better baked base could make them.
Thanks for the recipe Faith.
EDIT, i dont know how to put a pic up directly so apologies for the attatchment

Billy86

I made these last week and a quick bit of advise about the caramel. If it burns (which it did for me) make sure to stir rapidly with the wooden spoon but also a fork, as this will break up the burned parts into speckles. Also if this happens, DO NOT scrape the bottom of the pan, and try to get the whole thing done as quick as possible - that's where the really nasty burned stuff is (and its stuck quite hard, so if you leave it alone it will stay there). Mine looked a tiny bit funny because of the speckles, but they were gone instantly (first with flatmates, second with workmates).

Hopefully that should help some. But be warned that it makes washing the pot after a complete and utter nightmare.

.red.

Billy86 wrote: »

But be warned that it makes washing the pot after a complete and utter nightmare.

Pop a dishwasher tablet into the pot and half fill it with water. Bring to the boil and slowly simmer for 5 mins.
A quick wipe of the pot should have it gleaming like new.

Billy86

Cheers for that red, you're a star. Got them made again without burning the pan, and in the process realise figured out that if you really want to be poncy you can run a few squares of white chocolate over a cheese grater above it. Went extremely thick with the caramel too, used a double dose of everything in the recipe for it too. God I love caramel!

ibarelycare

*licks screen*



Think I'll make these again this weekend

Stheno

I might have a go at those, the Oh would love them

Faith

Billy86, that's the kind of caramel layer I like to see

MissFlitworth

Made these for work tomorrow and accidentally made Toffee Pops, even though my sugar thermometer was telling me the caramel was still 20 degrees off soft ball stage. However, I have some sort of lurgy and brain is fuzzy and it's very possible I shouldn't have been letting it get that hot and soft ball doesn't equal soft caramel. (Speaking of lurgies - I can't imagine anyone in work is going to want to eat food I've prepared!!)

They make beautiful, salty, buttery toffee pops I have to say

Malari

I made these again a few days ago. All I can say is, if you ever decided to die by way of clogged artery, I can think of no finer way to go by overdosing on these.

Faith

Malari wrote: »

I made these again a few days ago. All I can say is, if you ever decided to die by way of clogged artery, I can think of no finer way to go by overdosing on these.

Thank you! High praise indeed