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Prep time
3 hours
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Cook time
20 minutes
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makes
about 50 caramels
Author Notes
I know it's easy to hate on pumpkin spice lattes, but let's be real—we all secretly love the combo of warm spices with bitter coffee. There’s actually no pumpkin in pumpkin spice. (Whoa!) It’s just the spices traditionally added to pumpkin pie, like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. And even if you aren’t a fan of the drink, it’s humanly impossible to resist these cozy, chewy caramels.
Making caramel doesn't have to be scary. Just keep these pointers in mind. Get the right hardware: Use a heavy-bottomed pot that's high and tight. A wider pot makes it harder for the sugar to melt evenly, with more surface area for unwanted crystallization (aka messed-up caramel). Know when to stir: In the beginning, stir with a fork to dissolve any sugar clumps and to force yourself to make small movements. This will minimize the amount of syrup that gets splashed on the walls of the pot, which could lead to crystallization. Keep it covered: Once the sugar mostly dissolves, put a lid on it! The steam from the syrup will condense on the lid and roll down the walls of the pan, washing away any rogue sugar crystals without the need for a pastry brush or any work on your part.
Treat this recipe as a guide to learn more about caramel. Then go off script! Steep different aromatics in the cream to change up the flavor: sage or thyme, black tea or lavender, bay leaf or ancho chile. Add ½ cup more cream to make a caramel sauce instead. Cook the caramel to 250°F to 255°F for the perfect consistency to coat apples. Try different toppings, like chopped nuts, dried rose petals, or cocoa powder.
Let me know in the comments what caramel flavors you want in your life. Wanna keep it classic? Try my Salted Vanilla Bean Caramel recipe here.
—Sohla El-Waylly
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Pumpkin Spice Latte Caramels
Ingredients
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1 cup
(227 grams) heavy cream, plus more if needed
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1
(2-inch) piece ginger, scrubbed and thinly sliced
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5
whole cloves
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3
(3-inch) cinnamon sticks, split in half lengthwise
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1/2
whole nutmeg, cracked into large pieces
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6 tablespoons
(85 grams) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
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1 1/2 cups
(297 grams) granulated sugar
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1/4 cup
(68 grams) light corn syrup
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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3 tablespoons
freeze-dried instant coffee or espresso granules
Directions
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In a medium saucepan (preferably one with straight sides and a tight-fitting lid), combine the cream, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover and turn off the heat. Let steep in the fridge for at least 8 hours or, preferably, up to 3 days.
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Strain the spiced cream into a measuring cup and top off with more cream if needed to yield 1 cup. Discard the solids. Wash and dry the saucepan.
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Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter and line the bottom and two sides with one long piece of parchment paper, smoothing the parchment flush to the pan.
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In the cleaned saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and ½ cup water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring with a fork, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
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Cover with a lid and cook until just beginning to brown (it’s okay to peek every so often), 6 to 8 minutes.
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Once the mixture is beginning to brown, remove the lid and cook, swirling the pan as needed to cook evenly, until completely golden, like honey, 1 to 2 more minutes.
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Turn off the heat. Carefully pour in the spiced cream and butter (be careful, it will sputter and steam). Return to medium-high heat, clip on a candy thermometer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reads between 245°F and 250°F, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the thermometer, and stir in the salt.
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Pour the caramel into the prepared dish and smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula or spoon. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, until set but still slightly soft and flexible. (This is the best time to add toppings without them sinking in.)
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In a spice grinder, blitz the freeze-dried coffee until fine. Using a fine-mesh strainer, dust the surface of the caramel with coffee powder.
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Run an offset spatula along the edges to loosen the caramel. Use the side parchment overhang to lift the caramel and transfer to a cutting board.
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Using a sharp, greased knife, cut the caramel in half lengthwise. Starting at the long side, roll up each portion into a 13-inch log (not unlike a really long hot dog). Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until cold and firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 weeks in an airtight container.
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Using a sharp knife, cut each log into ½ inch pieces. (If the caramel feels too hard to slice, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften slightly.) Wrap each caramel in parchment or wax paper (or stack in an airtight container with parchment between each layer) and store in the refrigerator or a cool place for up to 1 month.
Sohla El-Waylly is a Food52 Resident, sharing new riffable recipes every month that'll help you get creative in the kitchen. Watch her cook on YouTube in her new series, Off-Script With Sohla. Before she started developing fun recipes for home cooks, she worked as a chef in N.Y.C. and L.A., briefly owning a restaurant in Brooklyn with her husband and fellow chef, Ham El-Waylly. She lives in the East Village with Ham, their two dogs, and cat. Find out what else she's up to on Instagram @sohlae
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