Red Stag Bourbon Caramels
Talk about happy accidents.
These chocolate covered bites of heaven were the result of an –Oh My God I have run myself out of Vanilla and Crap Crap Crap the caramel is done cooking…God Help I need something to flavor it what can I USE Oh Thank the Lord there’s some Red Stag – moment.
Don’t act like you’ve never had one of those moments.
Red Stag is made by the Jim Beam Company…and you know how much I love Beam in my cooking. I picked up this bottle of Red Stag when we visited the Beam Distillery in Kentucky, and luckily, I had enough left to make these caramels. Red Stag is actually a flavored bourbon…it has been infused with Cherry. Perfect for a subtle kick to an otherwise standard caramel candy.
I thought about just wrapping these plain caramels in parchment and calling it a day, but I had a bag of dark chocolate Ghirardelli chips, so I HAD to cover them. Had to.
Thank goodness for that.
They are soft, and sweet, and chocolatey…made even better by a small sprinkle of fleur de sel on the top of each bite. Yum.
These goodies will last a month or more (yeah, right) if kept store in the refrigerator or an airtight container, so don’t feel like you have to eat them all in one sitting.
But go ahead. I’m not looking.
Chocolate Covered Red Stag Caramels
makes around 3 dozen
- 14 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp. Red Stag Bourbon
Chocolate Coating
- 2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 Tablespoon Shortening
- Sea Salt Flakes, for sprinkling
In a heavy bottomed pot, such as enameled cast iron, combine all caramel topping ingredients save for the bourbon. Bring to a boil and stir until sugars are dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Using a candy thermometer, watch for the goal of about 230 degrees. Without a thermometer, watch for a rich caramel color – about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then pour into an 8×8 silicone pan or a regular pan lined with parchment. Refrigerate for several hours. Once chilled, cut into small squares.
To make chocolate coating, melt the chips in the microwave in 30 second increments. After the first 30 seconds, add in the shortening, and reheat another 30 seconds. Be sure to stir after each heating. Coating is ready when the chocolate is smooth and liquid.
Dip the cold caramel squares in the chocolate, and shake a bit with a fork, removing extra chocolate. Place on parchment paper to dry, after a light sprinkle of sea salt.
The BIG DEAL
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Enjoy!
