On the ninth Day of Sugar, my true love gave to me . .
Licorice Caramels
My 12 Days of Sugar is sadly coming to an end and I don’t know if I’m relieved or sad. There are so many more things I wanted to share, but they will just have to wait until next year.
Do any of you remember years ago the licorice caramels made by Callard & Bowser? My family absolutely loved them. We ate them all the time. I can still remember what the packaging and wrappers looked like. You can imagine how sad my family was when the day came that the company stopped making them. I’m sure there were many tears shed.
I don’t remember how long we had to go without them, but thankfully my grandma came to our rescue and started making her own licorice caramels. May I just say these licorice caramels rock! They are insanely good and I can’t get enough of them. I know there are many black licorice haters out there, my husband used to be one of them, he now thinks black licorice rocks and he absolutely loves these. So may I suggest that before you start judging, you really should try one.
I can’t even put into words how delicious these are. The licorice flavor is not overpowering, I promise. They are just so, so, sooo good! These are simple to make and will leave you wondering how in the world you’ve ever got through life without them.
Recipe Source: My sweet Grandma Saley
Licorice Caramels
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 1/2 cups corn syrup
- 1 can ((14 oz) sweetened condensed milk)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 teaspoon anise oil
- 1 teaspoon black food coloring gel/paste
Instructions
- Lightly butter an 8X8 or 9X9-inch pan and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan (about 4 quart size), combine the sugar, butter, condensed milk, corn syrup, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. Continue stirring gently while the mixture boils and cooks, until the caramels reach a firm softball stage (if using a candy thermometer that is between 235-244 degrees F, or you can do the cold water test like I do by dropping a small amount of the hot caramel into cold water. If the cooled piece of caramel is firm but not hard, the caramel is properly cooked.)
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the anise oil, and the black paste. Pour the caramels into the prepared pan and allow to cool completely to room temperature, at least 2 hours.
- When cool, cut the caramels into pieces using a large knife or bench scraper. Wrap each caramel in a piece of wax paper, twisting the ends to secure.
Notes
I always prefer to use the cold water method over a candy thermometer. If you choose this way, just make sure the mixture forms a very firm ball in the cold water. If by some chance you undercook them, and they are a little on the soft side, just store them in the fridge and take them out 15 or 20 minutes before cutting and serving them. I’d much rather undercook them and have them be a little on the softer side, than overcook them and not be able to bite through them without busting a tooth.
- Category: Candy/Teats
I love this recipe! It is true to the memories of generations past. Christmas is the perfect time to make this back licorice and remember the wonder women who taught us how to cook.
Remember the night we went to my Grandma’s house to make these Camille? Such great memories!
Could you provide the name (or link) of the black paste you use…I’m searching for it on the internet and not quite sure which is the correct paste to use for this purpose.
Hi Emily! It’s black food coloring gel/paste. Here is a link for it.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wilton-Icing-Color-Black-1oz/24107662
Hi Jodi!
I have had this recipe in my bookmarks for a few months and was going to send it to my mom for her birthday, but the weather was too hot. She is coming to visit, so I just made it for Christmas, and it turned out great! They are so delicious that I am having a hard time wrapping them and not eating them. Ha! Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Oh I’m so glad you finally made them. These are so addicting! My family grew up eating these . . . we love them! Happy holidays!
I kept trying to print but 1st a McDonald’s ad cobered3 and the 2nd time what looked like maybe a Wayfair ax. Any hints how I can get a good copy?
Hi Genevieve! If you click on the print button at the top of the recipe card, you should be able to print a clean/good copy of the recipe. If any ads print out with the recipe, it should only be a small ad at the very bottom of the page. Try it that way and if you can’t get it to work, let me know.
Try using activated charcoal insted of food coloring
Hey Jodi,
I am making these in the middle of summer because, pregnancy craving. Lol
So good.
★★★★★
I love it Nicolette!!
What brand of anise oil do you use? Alot of the reviews on Amazon are awful: I don’t know what to buy.
Thank you