Orange Walnut Caramels: Caramels made with reduced fresh orange juice, butter, sugar, and cream and folded in walnuts. A different caramel that will please an orange lover. 
While I’m very much in the Christmas spirit I’m not in the Christmas present spirit.
That includes giving and getting.
I’m stumped on what to get my husband…so is he.
Same for me.
Technically I could use a phone upgrade but I don’t NEED it.
The phone still works.
I would love a 8-quart Kitchen Aid but I don’t need it.
What I need is someone to pay off the dogs veterinary credit card. 🙂
But that won’t be happening. 😛
We don’t really wanna buy things just to buy things but Christmas does get a little anti-climatic with nothing to open.
So I’m sure we will figure it out.
If Santa can fit a kitchen remodel down the chimney that would be great. Ha!
On to these caramels.
I love apple cider caramels and wondered could I make them but using orange juice instead.
Turns out you can. 😀
I added the walnuts and think they add something nice to the caramels.
Also considered dipping them in chocolate which would be tasty as well.
So pull out your candy thermometers and make these caramels.
Orange Walnut Caramels
Ingredients
- 2 cups orange juice
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 8 TBSP butter (cubed)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat and boil it until it is reduced to 1/3 cup. This should take approximately 35-45 minutes.
- While the orange juice is reducing, place the butter and cream in another saucepan and heat to boiling.
- As soon as it boils, remove it from the heat and cover and set aside for now.
- Once the orange juice is reduced to 1/3 cup, remove it from the heat.
- Whisk it into the cream mixture.
- In a medium-large saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, corn syrup, and water over medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar dissolves and insert a candy thermometer.
- Cook the candy until it is a medium brown color and registers about 330-340 degrees on the thermometer.
- Watch it carefully toward the end, as sugar burns very quickly at high temperature.
- Once the sugar is the proper color and temperature slowly and carefully whisk the cream into the sugar, standing back a good distance because the candy will steam and splatter.
- Whisk until all of the cream mixture is added.
- At this point, the candy’s temperature will have dropped quite a bit. Continue to cook it until it reaches 250 degrees.
- Once at 250, remove it from the heat, fold in the walnuts, and pour it into the prepared pan.
- Allow the caramels to sit at room temperature until cool.
- Once they are no longer warm, they can be refrigerated to speed the setting process.
- Once set, remove them from the pan using the foil as handles.
- Peel the foil from the backs of the caramels and cut into small squares.
- Wrap the squares in waxed paper to prevent them from sticking.
- Wrapped caramels can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- They are best served at room temperature.
- At this point, the candy’s temperature will have dropped quite a bit. Continue to cook it until it reaches 250 degrees. Once at 250, remove it from the heat and pour it into the prepared pan.
- Allow the caramels to sit at room temperature until cool. Once they are no longer warm, they can be refrigerated to speed the setting process. Once set, remove them from the pan using the foil as handles. Peel the foil from the backs of the caramels and cut into small squares. Wrap the squares in waxed paper to prevent them from sticking. Wrapped apple cider caramels can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. They are best served at room temperature.
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