{"id":1018,"date":"2021-09-10T16:26:01","date_gmt":"2021-09-10T21:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/activefit.gmail.net.pk\/?p=1018"},"modified":"2023-06-08T13:33:12","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:33:12","slug":"salted-pumpkin-caramels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/activefit.gmail.net.pk\/?p=1018","title":{"rendered":"Salted Pumpkin Caramels"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of my biggest motives for food blogging is to fulfill these long-built-up desires to make foods I\u2019ve never made before. What I mean is, it, the blog that is, and wanting to keep it reasonably interesting, becomes the impetus to try new things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take marshmallows<\/a> for instance. Oh my gosh, I\u2019ve been wanting to make them for years. Years! But what compelled me to finally go for it was this, my little online space, and wanting to share the results with all of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which leads me to these caramels. Do you know how intimidating candy-making has always seemed to me? What with the scalding, spattering liquid, and the weird chemical properties of sugar that make it do wacky things at high temperatures, and the fact that I didn\u2019t have a candy thermometer, it seemed too daunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I did it. It may have taken two tries, but I did it. (I was really hoping it wouldn\u2019t take three.)<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Salted<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There\u2019s nothing that can quite prepare you for the execution of caramel-making. I mean, I know it\u2019s not as exciting as sky diving, nor as important as, I don\u2019t know, heart surgery or hostage negotiation, but the thrill you get out of it can be just as exhilarating. Should I switch from second-person to first? I don\u2019t think many people would describe caramel-making as exhilarating, haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s stick with second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You start off with a huge vat of disparate ingredients, that you stir, stir, stir. It begins to foam and hiss, jump up and spatter onto the sides of the pot. And all the while, it\u2019s slowly changing color, changing in aroma. Reaching bona fide caramel takes awhile, but you know you\u2019re on to something when you begin to recognize the smell, and when it hits you full in the face, it\u2019s as heavenly as it is familiar. You\u2019ve smelled it before. It\u2019s caramel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s so affirming, the feeling that you\u2019ve created something, like really<\/em> created something, out of scratch, out of the simplest of ingredients. I felt this way the first time I made chocolate chip cookies successfully (we\u2019ve all overbaked them, admit it!), the first time a loaf of yeasted bread came out of the oven with actual air pockets<\/em> in it. Cooking and baking are incredibly positive experiences for me.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Salted<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But before I get too ahead of myself, waxing poetic on the spiritual aspects of caramel-making, I should tell you, I don\u2019t think mine came out quite<\/em> right. They\u2019re a bit too hard, so that you feel like you\u2019re getting a jaw workout chewing on them. But they\u2019re delicious nonetheless, with the taste of the pumpkin really complementing the caramel perfectly. Add to that roasted pumpkin seeds and the final flourish of sea salt, these candies are not cloyingly sweet at all. But they are perfectly suited for the season, or rather, the amalgam of two seasons, because we are at a crossroads right now, are we not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On my first try, the hot sugar and cream mixture wound up turning into toffee, so at least I managed to avoid doing that again. The failure also taught me how important it is to calibrate your candy thermometer, because a couple degrees can make a huge difference. Mine is apparently off by four degrees, meaning it registers the temperature of boiling water as 216 degrees Fahrenheit rather than 212.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do decide to make these\u2014and you should because they\u2019re wonderful\u2014I hope you feel as triumphant as I did, even if it\u2019s your 87th time making caramel. And then give them away as fast as possible, because what\u2019s a person to do with 81 pieces?!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Salted<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"Salted<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

SALTED PUMPKIN CARAMELS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From Food52<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Makes 81 1-inch caramels<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/strong>:<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n