Hibiscus Caramel Candies
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Sometimes a craving becomes an obsession and I have to set time aside to do something about it. The result is this chewy, slightly tart, appropriately sweet hibiscus caramel candy. This recipe asks you to simply reduce a sweetened hibiscus tea, then add the rest of the caramel ingredients and cook until it reaches a specific temperature. We are going for a firm ball stage in candy-making, which means cooking the caramel until it hits between 240F and 250F on a candy thermometer OR forms a firm, but pliable ball when dropped into a bowl of water.
I modified Deb Perelman’s, aka the brilliant and iconic Smitten Kitchen, recipe for Apple Cider Caramels, a candy I made years ago for Christmas gifts. Those candies are robust with apple cider flavor so I wondered if a hibiscus candy would work in the same way. Adding just a bit of sugar to the tea helps it to reduce down into a syrup, just like in Deb’s recipe.
I think what scares people about caramel is the idea of it boiling over while cooking, leaving a horrible mess on your stove or worse, on yourself. Deb specifies a 3 or 4-quart saucepan in her recipe for good reason; I have a 3 quart which gives enough clearance for the caramel to boil away and do its thing with no worries.
One thing I really love about this candy is how the hibiscus petals become soft while the water reduces down. I don’t discard them — left in, the petals stud the deep burgundy candies like confetti. Craving satisfied.
(If you’d like a visual accompaniment, I made you a Reel.)
Hibiscus Caramel Candies
Yield: about 30 candies, depending on how you slice the caramel
Modified from Smitten Kitchen
4 cups tap or filtered water
¼ cup dried hibiscus petals
225 grams (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar, divided
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, sliced
110 grams (½ cup) dark brown sugar
⅓ cup cold heavy cream
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Grease an 8x8 square baking dish with cooking spray, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, leaving some overhang so you can easily remove the caramel.
Add the water, dried hibiscus flowers and two tablespoons of the granulated sugar to a 4 quart saucepan set over high heat. Bring the water/hibiscus/sugar to a boil, about 3-4 minutes, then lower the heat to medium and cover the saucepan with a lid.
Simmer hibiscus tea until it has reduced to a syrup, about ½ cup in volume, just like in Deb Perelman’s recipe, about 30 minutes. Once it has reduced down, remove from the heat and add in the remaining ingredients. There is no need to strain the flowers.
Return saucepan to medium-high heat and attach a candy thermometer to the side, if you have it. Boil the caramel until it reaches anywhere between 245F and 250F on the thermometer; this is called the firm ball stage. Deb says this only takes 5 minutes, but it took my caramel closer to ten.
If you don’t have a thermometer, follow Deb’s advice and keep a bowl of cold water at the ready. Once the caramel reaches temp, test for doneness by dropping a spoonful into the water. If the caramel forms a firm but still chewy ball, it’s done.
Remove caramel from the heat now and pour it into the prepared baking dish. Transfer caramel to your fridge where it can hang out for at least two hours, or until firm.
Once you’re ready to slice into the caramel, sprinkle with either kosher salt or pink Himalayan salt. Spray a chef’s knife with cooking spray before attempting to slice.
Slice caramel into small squares or rectangles, whichever you like. Wrap caramels in small parchment squares, where, per Deb’s advice, they will keep in an airtight container for two weeks at room temperature.