Caramels with Licorice

I love making my own caramels, especially caramels with licorice and coated with dark chocolate! 😋

In this version I added Licorice Powder and super finely chopped almonds  – just to give them some texture – but if you don’t have (or like?!) licorice, this recipe works equally fine without it – so no worries..

I just LOVE licorice and add it in every occasion I find!! 😉

– and finally – you don’t have to coat the caramels with chocolate – they taste just perfect without!!

If you want to make it even more festive – you can wrap them individually in Twisting Wax Paper, and give them out as a cute hostess gift.

 

Caramels with Licorice

Ingredients: (makes about 50 caramels)

1 1/4 cup Sugar

2 tablespoon Butter

2 tablespoon Honey

3 tablespoons Licorice Powder (you can leave this out)

1/2 cup almonds (finely chopped)

half pint heavy whipping cream

12 oz dark chocolate chips for coating

 

Mix everthing together (except the almonds) in a saucepan.
Bring the mass to a boil, but not too vigorously.
Add the finely chopped almonds. (I prefer to chop them by hand)
Boil the mass for about 20 minutes – or until a drop becomes hard when it is dropped into a glass of water.
Line a small mold (5 inches x 5 inches) with cling film and add the mass. Put it in the fridge – at least 4 hours – but preferably overnight.
Cut out and coat with melted, dark chocolate.

Store in the fridge.

The following instruction is the way to coat with chocolate, so it stays nice and glossy and gives a crisp sound when you eat it:

Chop 2/3 of the chocolate and place in a bowl over a water bath.
Heat slowly over low heat until the chocolate is at a temperature of 113 degrees Fahrenheit (use a thermometer!)
Remove the bowl from the heat and cool down the chocolate.
Chop the rest of the chocolate and place in the melted chocolate.
Stir the chocolate until it is cooled to 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat up the chocolate again to 88 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the perfect working temperature.
Make sure the chocolate keeps the temperature while you coat your caramels.

BUT:

You can also just put all the chocolate in a microsafe bowl and give it 10 seconds in the microwave, stir and repeat – until melted.

Enjoy!!!