October is the month of Caramel, thanks to the National Confectioners Association, and The Secret Chocolatier has what you need. Caramel can vary in texture: soft, tacky, runny, buttery, crunchy, or crackly. You can caramelize sugar or dairy/milk, but not both simultaneously due to the risk of burning one. I caramelize sugar to create a syrup for our café's caramel lattes, while Chef Bill caramelizes dairy for milk caramels, which we wrap in dark chocolate with sea salt or in milk chocolate for a soft, chewy experience.

Caramels

Our caramels are made in small batches and are soft and creamy, selling out weekly. Try these delicious options:

• Sea Salt Caramel
• Milk Chocolate Caramel

Crunchy Caramel – Butter Toffee!

Awarded six times in 2014, our butter toffee is crunchy but doesn’t stick to your teeth. Whether you prefer it sweet or with a dark salt fix, we have you covered:

• Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Butter Toffee
• White Chocolate Honey Toffee

Caramel Sauces

Our caramel sauce can stand alone or be layered in cakes and white chocolate buttercream. It’s sinfully scrumptious and perfect for any occasion:

• Ultimate Caramel Sauce
• Caramel Cream Cake

Enjoy Caramel Month

October is known for its candy, but make sure to choose quality caramel to keep your belly happy.

Simple Salted Caramel Syrup Recipe

In our café, we serve a caramel latte using Chef Bill’s ultimate caramel sauce and a near-burned caramel syrup. The combination stands up well in milk-based espresso drinks. Here’s a simple recipe to try:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar (any type of real sugar, not substitutes)
• 1/4 cup of water (use about 20% of your sugar volume for saturation)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional, adds aromatic flavor)
• 1 cup of water (set aside for thinning the syrup)
• 1 tsp sea salt (optional for contrast)

Instructions:

1. Prepare your ingredients and set aside the extra cup of water.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until fully combined. Once combined, stop stirring and turn the heat to high.
3. As the water evaporates, bubbles will get larger and slow down. Watch carefully as the syrup begins to caramelize and turn amber. Use your eyes and sense of smell to monitor the caramelization.
4. Once the desired color and aroma are reached, remove the pan from heat to control the carryover cooking.
5. Add salt, if desired.
6. Carefully add the set-aside water in small doses to the caramel mass, swirling with a whisk or spatula to combine and cool. Continue until your syrup reaches the desired consistency.
7. After achieving the preferred consistency, add vanilla extract. Let the syrup cool completely before transferring it to a storage container.

Storing Caramel Syrup

Store your caramel syrup at room temperature in a squeeze bottle for easy access. Cleanup is simple—just soak your pots and tools in hot water to dissolve the sugar.

Enjoy!