I recently had an opportunity to attend a demonstration by Michael Ruhlman in Cleveland. He is promoting his new book, The Elements of Cooking, and gave a demonstration at The Viking Store in Legacy Village.
Inspired by Mr. Ruhlman's previous writing in Charcuterie, and to combine two of my favorite things (baking and bacon!), I created Bacon and Black Pepper Caramels to share with Mr. Ruhlman and the other attendees. I thought they turned out pretty well for a first attempt. They were well received by the people sitting around me (or maybe they were just being polite), but I don't know how Mr. Ruhlman liked them. He probably thought I was some kind of weirdo because when I talked to him during the book signing I was flushed and had a giddy smile on my face. Hey, it wasn't my fault. I had taken some meds for a chronic muscle problem so I could sit still for the class, and after I drank the complimentary glass of wine I was, um, well, stoned. It was a very nice buzz. (Please don't try this at home. I'm a professional ;).
Back to the caramels - they needed more pepper (and larger pieces of it; my grinder was acting up and only wanted to do a fine grind) and of course, it's impossible to have too much bacon, so next time I will up the number of crunchy bits. Here's the recipe as I would like to make it next time.
Bacon and Black Pepper Caramels
4 ounces bacon, diced into 3/8 inch squares
4 ounces additional rendered bacon fat
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 pound light brown sugar (or maple sugar!)
8 ounces light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper (measure after grinding peppercorns)
Equipment: Heavy saucepan, wooden spoon or heat resistant spatula, thermometer that will read up to 250 degrees, 9 x 13 pan (glass or metal), parchment (optional)
Butter a 9 x 13 pan or line with baking parchment (don't use waxed paper). Fry bacon pieces in 2-3 quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until nearly crisp. Remove bacon bits to a small dish but leave bacon fat in the saucepan. Add butter and additional fat to the pan to melt. Stir in sugar until fully incorporated. Stir in corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk and pepper. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes, until mixture reaches about 225 degrees. Stir in reserved bacon bits and continue to cook until mixture reached firm ball stage (245 degrees F). Pour mixture into prepared pan but don't scrape the pan (sometimes a little bit will burn on the bottom).
Let caramels cool to room temperature, which will take several hours. Once the caramels have set, turn them out onto a cutting board and cut into 1/2 x 1 inch pieces (or whatever size suits you). Wrap each piece in waxed paper or cellophane squares. The bacon fat makes these puppies want to leak through the waxed paper after a few hours, so don't be alarmed if you see spots on the wrappers.
Caramels will keep for several days unrefrigerated or a few weeks in the fridge. I haven't tried to, but I have heard that you can, freeze them for several months. Like they will last that long.
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