Salted Butter Caramels

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, bean paste, or powder
• Rounded 1/2 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, preferably fleur de sel
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup, golden syrup such as Lyle's, or rice syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons total, salted butter, cubed, at room temperature

Directions

1. Fit a 9-inch (23 cm) loaf pan with foil, then coat the foil-lined interior with cooking spray.
2. In a small saucepan, warm the cream with 2 tablespoons of the butter, the vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. When it just starts to boil, take it off the heat, put a lid on it, and leave it warm while you make the syrup.
3. Set a candy thermometer in a medium, heavy duty saucepan (4 quarts, 4l). Add the corn syrup, golden, or rice syrup and the sugar, then heat them together, stirring gently so the sugar dissolves evenly. Once everything has melted and the sugar is fully moistened, stir only when needed to prevent hotter spots from forming.
4. Continue cooking the syrup until it registers 310ºF (155ºC). For the most reliable reading, angle the saucepan as needed so the thermometer bulb sits fully in the syrup.
5. Shut off the heat and stir in the warm cream mixture until the caramel looks smooth.
6. Return the pan to the heat and cook the mixture until it reaches 260F (127C).
7. Take the pan off the heat, remove the thermometer, and stir in the butter cubes until they melt and the mixture is smooth again.
8. Scrape the caramel into the prepared loaf pan. After ten minutes, scatter 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt over the surface. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let it cool completely. When firm and cool, use the foil to lift out the caramel, peel the foil away, and cut the caramel with a long, sharp knife into squares or rectangles.