2011 Cooking Club Week 39: Caramel Squares

LadyMayBelle · 16-10-2011 10:47am

Have been drooling over these all week, and stumbled upon baking club just this morning..will be giving them a shot today..only downside is that the boy doesn't like them or eat any rubbish, so I'll end up eating them all, I can't bring them to work cos they need to be kosher, and my neighbours are diabetics!! mwaaah!! I am dying to make them!!

Q: Do you really need the golden syrup? I don't have any and don't want to buy a tub just for two spoonfuls..?

IHeartChemistry · 16-10-2011 12:01pm

Made em last night and used Galaxy Cookie Crumble on top just for an extra crunch! May I just say they turned out AMAZING

Sooooooooo nommy! Housemates loved em as well! Great recipe Faith! Gonna make em again next weekend! First time making caramel as well and it turned out pretty good after I followed instructions :pac:

Faith · 16-10-2011 12:18pm

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

Q: Do you really need the golden syrup? I don't have any and don't want to buy a tub just for two spoonfuls..?

Yeah, you really do. It stops sugar crystals forming in the caramel afaik. It doesn't go off quickly though, so a tin would last for ages.

Sparks · 16-10-2011 12:23pm

Finally got a photo or two.
From batch #2, which used the dark brown sugar for the caramel and had one half done with milk chocolate topping (I like a lot of topping, sue me

) and the other with white chocolate (G&B's white chocolate):

Sparks · 16-10-2011 12:23pm

Faith wrote: »

Yeah, you really do. It stops sugar crystals forming in the caramel afaik. It doesn't go off quickly though, so a tin would last for ages.

Or get a squeezy tube and there's even less mess than a tin...

LadyMayBelle · 16-10-2011 12:46pm

Squeezy tube? Excellent, thanks everyone! Will get baking

Faith · 16-10-2011 12:47pm

They look fantastic, Sparks! Did you double the caramel recipe?

Sparks · 16-10-2011 1:22pm

Faith wrote: »

They look fantastic, Sparks! Did you double the caramel recipe?

Not for that batch, no - just used fewer tins

First batch was double your recipe into two 14x24cm tins and an 18x18 tin; the batch in the photos used your recipe's amounts into one 14x24 for the milk chocolate and the 18x18 for the white chocolate.

Sparks · 16-10-2011 1:25pm

I am wondering though - what would these be like if you used an actual caramel (ie. sugar + water taken to 350F and add dairy) recipe? Would the caramel be too tough?

Sparks · 18-10-2011 1:06am

...and that's batch #3 in the freezer

Getting great milage out of this one Faith!

Mellor · 18-10-2011 6:43am

Well the only way to know is to give it a go Sparks.

I haven't done much with boiling sugar since one diasterous attempt as a kid. But I have some vague idea of various stages, ball, soft, hard, crack as you go hotter. And as you for go hotter they get harder. 350F sounds very hot and its hard.

I think this needs a soft rich mix. So the OP looks pretty spot on to me. (although I can't indulge right now

)

Faith · 18-10-2011 6:36pm

Mellor is spot on. 350 would be the max that a sugar syrup should be taken to, and it would become solid when cooled - you would use it for something like peanut brittle at that temperature, or makes candies like Wether's Original.

Apanachi · 20-10-2011 8:59am

Stumbled across this thread while searching for the word "diabetes"...

my daughter has been recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and loves caramel squares, which due to the high amounts of sugar cause a slight problem, I am trying to modify my recipe (which is more or less the same as the one mentioned here and tastes fantastic by the way) to suit someone with diabetes better by reducing the sugar. I have the sugar in the pastry sorted, I have found a decent replacement for that, but what I need to know is, does anyone have a clue if it's possible to make a sugar reduced (but still tasty) caramel?

BaZmO* · 20-10-2011 9:50am

Just thinking there, are these like Toffee Pops? If they are, well then I'll be making them post-haste!

Just need to get my hands on the narcotics that they put in Toffee Pops!

Sparks · 20-10-2011 7:59pm

Faith wrote: »

Mellor is spot on. 350 would be the max that a sugar syrup should be taken to, and it would become solid when cooled - you would use it for something like peanut brittle at that temperature, or makes candies like Wether's Original.

Have just realised that my deep-fry thermometer is also a candy thermometer, so I'll have a go at this this weekend

dvpower · 21-10-2011 12:56am

Sparks wrote: »

Have just realised that my deep-fry thermometer is also a candy thermometer, so I'll have a go at this this weekend

I'd love to do these with a stringy/chewy toffee caramel - is it just a matter of boiling the life out of the caramel?

Faith · 21-10-2011 9:40am

Not exactly, you need it at a higher temperature to produce the different types of confectionary. The higher the temperature, the more the sugar dissolves and it creates a smoother, firmer texture. It's approximately 240F for fudge, 250F for caramel and 285F for toffee. You'd need a thermometer for sure.

Little Alex · 21-10-2011 3:52pm

So I made these again!

I brought them into work and they were very well received.

I'll be making them again next week and will take a photo of them then.

My tip on doing the chocolate would be...

I msyelf like "yielding" chocolate rather than hard. I find that a teaspoonful or two of cream or sour cream added to the melted chocolate - to make a kind of ganache - works great. After the slab is chilled in the fridge for a few hours it is at the right level of firmness to allow it to be cut cleanly. If you want it that way, of course.

Sparks · 21-10-2011 3:59pm

Little Alex wrote: »

After the slab is chilled in the fridge for a few hours it is at the right level of firmness to allow it to be cut cleanly. If you want it that way, of course.

But if you don't cut it, you'd have to eat the entire slab in one.... go.

...

Sir, I like your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter!

fred funk }{ · 23-10-2011 4:26pm

I had a go at this today. I only had a round tin so made use of it. The caramel didn't set as much as I would have thought but it was grand. I also used a bit more chocolate than others but instead of chucking it out I lobed more on top.

Edit: I forgot to mention that were bloody gorgeous!

Sparks · 23-10-2011 6:31pm

Not enough chocolate and only barely enough caramel

sillysocks · 25-10-2011 6:56pm

Mine are in the fridge now and look yum! Just wondering if people normally cut the chocolate before its fully set or is it ok to cut when it's fully set?
Just have visions of trying to cut it and all caramel coming out the edges and none left in the middle!

Faith · 25-10-2011 7:09pm

Leave it in the tin when you cut it

sillysocks · 25-10-2011 9:27pm

Right I'm all done now, came out really well. Thanks Faith!
One question though - do you normally store them in the fridge or not?

I've tried Caramel Squares a few times before and was always a disaster, once the base fell apart when I cut them, another time the chocolate was too oily cause the receipe had butter/oil in it, another time the caramel split so this is the first time they've worked out and tasted nice!

Here's a pic - I made them in two tins because I didn't have one that was the right size but had two that added together to the right size. One's more a loaf tin so the slices from that are more caramel rectangles than squares.

Hubbie doesn't even like caramel squares normally but he still likes them so I'd call that a success

Although I can't wait til my daughter is old enough that I can get her to stand at the caramel for all that time it needs stirring.

angeldelight · 26-10-2011 8:29pm

Haven't been able to take part in the cooking club for ages but made these today. They're amazing! I was terrified when I was making the caramel but it turned out really really well

[Deleted User] · 30-11-2011 5:50pm

Apanachi wrote: »

Stumbled across this thread while searching for the word "diabetes"...

my daughter has been recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and loves caramel squares, which due to the high amounts of sugar cause a slight problem, I am trying to modify my recipe (which is more or less the same as the one mentioned here and tastes fantastic by the way) to suit someone with diabetes better by reducing the sugar. I have the sugar in the pastry sorted, I have found a decent replacement for that, but what I need to know is, does anyone have a clue if it's possible to make a sugar reduced (but still tasty) caramel?

You could be better off just making them as normal, and giving her a smaller portion as a treat.
I use sugar suitable for diabetics sometimes and too much of it gives you a dodgey tummy.

littlehedgehog · 25-01-2012 8:17pm

So. Yeah.
I love you.
The team loves you.

396297_10151219682535604_899715603_23429834_1157062530_n.jpg

I added toasted mixed nuts, and there's white and milk chocolate on top.
AWESOME.

whitewave · 15-02-2012 11:30am

any tips for making the caramel set? I've tried these twice, and it just stays a bit too gooey to cut/eat! I tried leaving it on the heat for longer, and only putting a thin layer over the biscuit, but no luck

littlehedgehog · 19-02-2012 12:51am

What I did was keep low heat, stirring, for bloody ages - I think I was cooking it for about a solid half hour. And every little while, I'd plonk a bit onto a cold plate, and poke it.. then, when it held my finger print, I knew it would set.

ETA - But I know that's the advice the lovely Faith has given.. sorry I've nothing unique to add!

pickarooney · 25-02-2012 7:08pm

I just had to make these so got some golden syrup posted over. They were immense! Everyone that tried them wanted more. I used Milka Alpine Milk for the top and it was well worth the extra euro

2011 Cooking Club Week 39: Caramel Squares

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