Sweet and salty nostalgia

If asked to identify one memory as the "best" from the week Ben and I spent in France with our friends Alyce and Dave in 2009, I don't think I could do it. The trip was wonderful with incredible company, countryside and cuisine and too many happy recollections to choose just one.  But if you culled down the pool of memory candidates to the best culinary moment that's easy.  Two words - chocolate oyster (huitre in French, perhaps the only word I've retained from that entire adventure).  And not just any chocolate oyster, a dark-chocolate dream of a confection, shaped like the craggy, rough hewn oysters that line the sea beds of the English Channel and filled with mouth-watering salty caramel. This caramel is a Brittany tradition and stands out among the top five things I've eaten in life - ever!

That's why when I stumbled onto a recipe for Fleur de Sel Caramel in December's Food Network magazine, my heart skipped a happy beat.  And the confluence of events was amazing.  No more than a day after I found the recipe, Ben's mom stopped in for a visit, bringing with her several generous house warming gifts including, as tradition would dictate, several varieties of salt, including Fleur de Sel.  Destiny had spoken and off I went to make these delicious treats.  In the end, as I expected, they weren't as delectable as our French favorite, but still a very buttery, salty treat that equated enough to the real thing to make me smile at the memories of times well spent with friends.  Reminiscing aside, these are great to make around the Christmas holidays.  I gave several boxes as gifts and still had enough left over (I made a triple batch) to share a few on Christmas Eve.

The recipe is not complicated but does require a candy thermometer which not everyone has lying around. Unfortunately, there is no substitute, if you want to make these you'll have to break down and buy one. Most grocery stores sell inexpensive combo candy/frying thermometers for around $6. Happy carameling!

Ingredients

Vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 water
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then brush the paper lightly with oil, allowing the paper to drape over 2 sides.

In a deep saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until the caramel is a warm golden brown color. Don't stir - just swirl the pan to mix. Watch carefully, as it will burn quickly at the end.

In the meantime, bring the cream, butter, and 1 teaspoon fleur de sel to a simmer in a small pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat, set aside and keep warm.

When the caramelized sugar is the right color (deep golden brown), slowly add the cream mixture to the caramel - it will boil up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer. Very carefully (it's hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm (at least three hours, overnight if time allows).

When the caramels are cool, use the parchment paper to pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Starting at 1 end, roll the caramel up tightly until you've rolled up half of the sheet. Cut the sheet across and then roll the second half tightly. You will have 2 (1 by 8-inch) logs. Sprinkle both logs lightly with fleur de sel, cut each log in 16 pieces. Cut wax paper in 6 by 4 1/2-inch squares and wrap each caramel in a paper, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator or at room temperature.