November---National Caramel Month

Once again I go to foodreference.com for inspiration. Foodreference.com is one website among many I use to feed my trivia addiction. We all have our quirks. One of mine is liking trivia, another is liking recipes. When I get the chance to link those two together?---so much the better. Yesterday, I discovered the website randomhistory.com. I can't wait to visit that one.

I can link up the trivia of November being National Caramel Month with any of my recipes which have caramel in them. Yay!

CARAMEL-MARSHMALLOW APPLES

1 (14-oz) pkg caramels
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 tbsp watere
5 or 6 small apples

Line a baking sheet with buttered wax paper; set aside. Combine caramels, marshmallws and water in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until caramels melt. Cool slightly while preparing apples. Rinse and thoroughly dry apples. Insert flat sticks in stem ends of apples. Dip each apple in caramel mixture, coating apples. Remove excess caramel mixture by scraping apple botoms across rim of saucepan. Place on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Makes 5 or 6 apples.

CARAMEL-NUT APPLES: Roll coated apples in chopped nuts before refrigerating.

CARAMEL-CHOCOLATE APPLES: Drizzle melted milk chocolate over coated apples before refrigerating.

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OVEN CARAMEL POPCORN

4 quarts popped popcorn
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine popcorn and salt in large heat-proof bowl; set aside. Combine corn syrup, butter and sugar in heavy, medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil. Continue boiling for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Immediately pour sugar mixture over popcorn, stirring until completely coated. Spread popcorn on 1 large baking pan. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool. Makes about 4 quarts.

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CHOCOLATE-NUT SQUARES

1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 tbsp shortening
1 (14 oz) pkg caramels
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp milk
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Line 8 inch square pan with buttered foil; set aside. Melt both chips with shortening in heavy, small saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly. Spoon half of the chocolate mixture into prepared pan, spreading evenly over bottom and 1/4 inch up sides of pan. Refrigerate until firm. Meanwhile, combine caramels, butter and milk in heavy, medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture is smooth, stir in pecans. Cool to lukewarm. Spread caramel mixture evenly over chocolate in pan. Remelt remaining chocolate mixture over very low heat, stirring constantly; spread over caramel layer. Refrigerate until almost firm. Cut in squares. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 2 pounds.

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EASY TURTLE FUDGE

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 (12-oz) pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp salt
30 caramels, unwrapped
1 tbsp water
40 pecan halves

Grease an 11x7 inch pan; set aside. Chop bittersweet chocolate into uniform pieces; set aside. Melt chips in heavy, medium saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove frm heat as soon as chocolate is melted; stir in bittersweet chocolate until melted. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and salt until smooth. Spread evenly in prepared pan with narrow metal spatula; cover with foil. Refrigerate until firm.

Cut fudge into 40 squares by cutting 5 sections lengthwise and 8 sections crosswise with long thin-bladed knife. Transfer to baking sheet lined with waxed paper, placing squares 1/2 inch apart. Place caramels and water in heavy small saucepan. Heat over low heat until melted, stirring frequently. Drizzle or dip fudge pieces with caramel mixture. Top each piece with 1 pecan half. Store candies in an airtight container in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 40 candies.

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CLASSIC CARAMELS

2 cups sugar
2 cups light corn syrup
1 cup half and half
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Line 8 inch square pan with heavy-duty foil, pressing foil into corners to cover completely and leaving 1 inch overhang on sides. Lightly butter the foil. Combine sugar, syrup, half and half, butter and salt in deep, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Wash down sugar crystals with pastry brush if necessary. Attach candy thermometer to side of the pan, making sure bulb is submerged in sugar mixture but not touching bottom of pan. Continue boiling about 25 minutes or until sugar mixture reaches firm-ball stage (244 to 246 degrees) on candy thermometer, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and very gradually stir in cream.

Return to medium heat and cook about 15 minutes or until mixture reaches 248 degrees on candy thermometer, stirring frequently. Remove f rom heat; stir in vanilla. Immediately pour into prepared pan. (Do not scrape saucepan.) Cool at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours until firm or cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight. (Candy will be harder to cut if cooled overnight.)

Remove from pan by lifting caramels using foil handles. Place on cutting board; peel off foil. Cut into 1 inch wide strips with long thin-bladed knife. Cut each strip into 1-inch squares with buttered knife or kitchen shears. Wrap caramels individually in small squares of plastic wrap. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks. Makes 64 caramels--about 2 1/2 pounds.

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS: Add 1 (4 oz) bar chopped sweet dark chocolate to sugar mixture after it comes to a boil. Proceed as directed.