06 December 2011

fleur de sel caramels so easy even i can make them ... really

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Fleur de Sel Caramels

Last spring when I visited Paris with the girls, I was busy seeking out things like vanilla beans and salt while they were making other choices during our shopping frenzies: jewelry, trinkets for kids, candy, Desigual fashion, spices, and so on.

One friend in particular, who shall remain nameless, but who has since moved to an island in the Atlantic, had a good laugh at my quest for Fleur de sel de GuĂ©rande, especially since I mentioned that I wanted it as a gift for my husband. 

"You are bringing Richard salt as a gift ... from Paris?"
"Ahh, but it's not any salt, it's the best salt in the world. French salt from Brittany. It's fleur de sel."
"It's ... salt!?"
I couldn't explain.

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This week I finally treated myself to a candy thermometer, et voila! salted caramels...oh, excuse me... Fleur de Sel Caramels. Easy, peasy, divine goodness, or beginner's luck.

Do you know how many times I can make this recipe for fleur de sel caramels with the amount of salt I bought in Paris? My husband LOVES caramels. French fleur de sel is a perfect gift that keeps on giving, batch after glorious batch! The man is in heaven. Ordinary salt is no substitute, trust me. And, I even have enough to add these caramels to my list of homemade gifts this year.

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I have a little baggie of caramels that I intend to send to this friend in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean this holiday season because I still like her (and miss her) even though she even had a laugh with Richard about my gift weeks after we returned. One bite and the woman will get it, I'm sure. Unfortunately, I bet she won't find any fleur de sel in the Azores. Who's laughing now, girlfriend?
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Here is the recipe I used with step-by-step pictures from our friend Ina Garten.

Divine.


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If you are here looking for corner view, I'll return to it after the holiday season.

14 comments:

  1. they are a work of art. i swear my mouth is watering! :)
    thanks for the recipe!
    x
    p.s. i totally agree. :)

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  2. I love salt and sweet. Food & Wine had a recipe this fall for salted carmel pie. I want to make it, but it is an all day on to a second day process. So I'll have to settle with the new Starbucks Salted Carmel Mocha.

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  3. @ Jane -- I skipped her last bit of instructions and simply cut them into squares. Yum.
    Michelle -- I saw a recipe from a friend for caramel apple pie. I'll find the link to her blog for you!

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  4. I think I might have to steal your ideas for next Christmas. These look amazing!

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  5. Another pretty and delicious homemade gift...you are on quite a roll!

    I had to laugh about your quest for the salt. I was on a similar quest for butter from Brittany during our recent trip Paris.

    I am sure your friend in the Azores will love the caramels and I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't beg you send some of that precious salt her way, too.

    Happy, Yummy Holidays!

    P.S. Now that you have a candy thermometer will you be making pralines, too? I attempt them every December because that's what my Ganny would bake and wrap up for holiday gifts. I loved her pralines. Sadly, no one in the family seems to have her recipe and although I try new recipes each year none of them every really work or maybe I am just not meant to be a candy maker!

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  6. Chocolate? Forget it. I'm totally a caramel person. Funny, I also marked this recipe from Ina. But I saw it on her show. It's really as easy as you say? I had bad luck with caramel in the past.

    Leslie

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  7. Yummy! Way to go! I am sure everyone is going to be thrilled to recieve these as a gift. I know I would!!!!

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  8. Goodness gracious, the Christmas holidays really agree with you! This is ANOTHER amazing homemade treat, Dana.

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  9. You are slaying us with the goodness that is coming out of your kitchen this season! You go girl :)

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  10. hmmm, i think we would make good traveling companions, dana. your friend would probably look askance at my quest for butter the last two times i was in paris. and at the amount of it that i brought back with me! but it was bordier butter. you can eat that stuff with a spoon. siiighhh...ANYWAY, darn you, i printed off this recipe. and am now feeling the urge to make two types of caramel during this christmas season!

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  11. Fabulous idea. You are going great guns on the Christmas gifts, aren't you?

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  12. Thank you all very much...I wish I could send you all a bit of this holiday goodness, too :)

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  13. Oh Dana, I'm in a kind of a trance now and heading to the kitchen. Just imagine me shuffling my feet and muttering, "yummy, yummy, salt, yummy, yummy..." These days, your blog ought to come with a warning!

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  14. dana, i made a double batch of these a few days ago and they are WONDERFUL! i also made a double batch of the apple cider caramels which i had originally been planning to make. um, these are SO much better. a double batch is not enough. more coming. :) thanks for the recipe!!!

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