Best Chocolate Caramel Fiddlesticks Recipes

PECAN CARMEL CLUSTERS

Steps:

• Place caramels, butter, and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in pecans.
• Drop caramel pecan mixture by spoonfuls onto parchment paper. Place in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Dip each caramel cluster into chocolate using a fondue fork until coated; place on parchment paper to dry. Chill until firm, if necessary.

CHOCOLATE PECAN CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line a 13x9-in. pan with foil; butter the foil with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with pecans and chocolate chips; set aside. , In a heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reads 248° (firm-ball stage)., Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool completely before cutting.

SALTED CARAMEL & DARK CHOCOLATE FIGS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside., Insert a toothpick into each fig. Make a 1/2-in. cut on the side of each fig. Combine the cheese, honey and vinegar in a small bowl. Transfer to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of bag. Pipe cheese mixture into figs., Melt caramels and water in a microwave; stir until smooth. Dip each fig into caramel; turn to coat. Place on prepared pan; let stand until set., Place almonds in a small shallow bowl. Dip bottom third of each fig into melted chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Dip into almonds and sprinkle with salt. Return to pan; let stand until set.

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with foil and grease the foil with butter; set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup and chocolate to a boil over medium heat; stir until smooth. Add 1/2 cup cream; cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Add another 1/2 cup cream; return mixture to 234° (soft-ball stage). Add the remaining cream; cook to 245° (firm-ball stage)., Immediately pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Let stand until firm, about 5 hours or overnight. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Discard foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares using a buttered knife. Wrap individually in waxed paper; twist ends.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over low heat, melt caramels with 1/4 cup milk; stir until smooth. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in dry cake mix and remaining milk., Spread half of the dough into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes; sprinkle with chocolate chips. , Gently spread caramel mixture over chips. Drop remaining dough by tablespoonfuls over caramel layer. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

SOFT CHOCOLATE CARAMELS

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, stir the sugar and corn syrup together until the sugar is completely moistened. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook, without stirring, until it turns a very light caramel color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and very slowly pour the cream into the hot sugar (be careful-it will bubble up) and stir to combine. Return the mixture to medium-low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer inserted in the pot reads 238 degrees F, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and butter until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 8-by-8 inch square baking dish. Allow to cool completely (at least 2 hours) before cutting into 1-inch squares.
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.
• From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make at Home, by Jacques Torres.

CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL FIDDLESTICKS

Steps:

• Microwave caramels and water in 1-cup glass measuring cup on HIGH 1-1/2 min., stirring after 1 min. Stir until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended.
• Dip pretzels halfway into caramel mixture, tilting cup to evenly coat each pretzel. Scrape off excess caramel. Place on waxed paper-covered tray sprayed with cooking spray. Let stand 15 min. or until set.
• Melt chocolate in 1-cup glass measuring cup in microwave as directed on package. Dip caramel-coated ends of pretzels halfway into chocolate, tilting cup to evenly coat each pretzel. Scrape off excess chocolate. Immediately roll in wafer crumbs. Place on waxed paper-covered tray. Let stand 1 hour or until set.

SALTED CARAMEL COOKIE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Make cookies as directed on pouch. Cool completely, at least 15 minutes.
• In food processor, process half of the cookies to fine crumbs. Remove and set aside; continue to process remaining cookies to fine crumbs. Mix all of cookie crumb mixture in food processor. Add cream cheese. Process until well combined and mixture can be pressed into a ball, 1 to 2 minutes. Shape cookie mixture into 42 (1 1/4-inch) balls; place on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
• In medium bowl, microwave candy coating uncovered on High 60 to 90 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 15-second increments until melted and smooth.
• Remove half of the cookie balls from refrigerator. Using 2 forks, dip and roll chilled cookie balls, one at a time, in coating. Return to lined cookie sheet, and immediately sprinkle top with toffee bits. If coating has cooled too much, reheat. Repeat with second half of cookie balls. Store covered in refrigerator.