Honey-Lavender Caramels
Honey-Lavender Caramels
An amazingly delicious blend of sweet, salty and floral flavours all wrapped up in a soft, chewy treat.
Ingredients:
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1 1/2 cup (375 ml) heavy cream
2 tsp (10 ml) dried lavender buds
3/4 cup (190 ml) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (190 ml) honey
1 3/4 cup (440 ml) sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
Equipment:
9 inch (23 cm) square baking pan or 11 x 7 inch (28 x 18 cm) rectangular pan
4 quart (3.8 L) stock pot (minimum size as caramel mixture will boil up quite high)
medium saucepan
parchment paper
fine mesh sieve
pastry brush
candy thermometer
Procedure:
Grease baking pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
In medium saucepan, combine milk, heavy cream and dried lavender buds. Bring to a boil. Once it reaches boiling point, immediately turn off heat. Steep lavender for 30 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Reserve liquid. Discard lavender buds.
Measure 2 cups (500 ml) of lavender-infused milk mixture. Pour into large stock pot. Add unsalted butter, honey and sugar. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil, stirring frequently. Using a pastry brush, brush down any sugar from the sides of the pot to prevent crystallization.
When the thermometer reaches 240 °F (115.5 °C), known as the soft ball stage, begin stirring constantly until the thermometer reads 248 °F (120 °C) in about 20 minutes. Mixture will have reached the firm ball stage at this temperature.
Immediately remove pot from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt. Pour into prepared baking pan. Place pan in refrigerator until mixture is cooled and firm to the touch. This will take about 2 hours.
Remove pan from refrigerator and invert onto a cutting board. Turn glossy side up. Cut into one inch (2.5 cm) squares. Store in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper.
Caramels will keep for one week in an airtight container.
Makes about 6 dozen caramel squares
Note: Do not double recipe! Make another single batch, or two, if you want to gift some of these delicious caramels to friends and family.
Let’s Talk About the Weather, Shall We?
by Leslie Cox; Thursday, December 11, 2014
Just caught up on my weather data entries since this latest series of horrific rainstorms have been pounding us here in the Comox Valley. Some interesting facts are being revealed.
First some background info. According to my records…last year our total rainfall was 1661 mm (66.4 inches). This is not the official record for Black Creek but my stats do follow pretty much in line.
Looking at this year’s weather readings…this last summer, we only had 115 mm (4.6 inches) of rain in a 78 day period between May 28th and Aug 14th. We are all agreed, I think, this constitutes a drought. Certainly, those of us gardeners who were standing for hours, days on end, with a hose in our hands in an effort to keep our vegetables and ornamental plants hydrated are definitely in agreement on this tough drought period.
Quote of the Week
by Leslie Cox; Sunday, December 7, 2014
Remember this December that love weighs more than gold!
~ Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon
Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cosmopolitan’
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Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus ‘Cosmopolitan’ (mis-KAN-thus sih-NEN-sis var. kon-den-SAY-tus) Family: Poaceae Common name: variegated miscanthus; maiden grass; Japanese silver grass Zone: 5 – 9 Height: 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) Spread: 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) Aspect: full sun; partial shade Soil: fertile; well-draining Water: moderate |
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Description: An evergreen perennial with a vase-like, clump-forming habit. Robust green leaves have creamy white mid-ribs. Long silky, fan-shaped flower tassels appear in the autumn.
RHS Award of Garden Merit 2001; Great Plant Pick 2012
In our Zone 7a garden: This is a grass that John just had to have for his landscape design and I must say it is a stellar performer in our garden for the height it attains. Makes a wonderful screen and a lovely backdrop for some smaller specimens planted at its feet. However, you must be patient. This is definitely a late season grass so here in our garden it never starts poking its leaf blades out of the ground with any vigour until well into June. The first couple of years we had ‘Cosmopolitan’, John was sure he had lost it to winter kill because it was so late to re-appear. Sure enough, it popped up. Exciting news in 2014! We finally got our first inflorescences on our ‘Cosmopolitan’ plants this summer…thanks to the fantastically long stretch of hot, dry weather.
Posted on December 4, 2014
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Lavender Eye Pillow Recipe
by Leslie Cox; Thursday, December 4, 2014
I promised the readers who follow my Duchess of Dirt column in the Comox Valley Record I would post a few recipes using lavender. You will find the first one in “Herbal Recipes” under “In the Garden” menu button. (Quick link here.)
Hope this recipe helps you to de-stress through all the fun leading up to Christmas. It sure helps me!
