Chocolate Caramels for Anne Shirley

For the L.M. Montgomery Cooking Challenge, I decided to make Chocolate Caramels: 

But Anne could not eat. In vain she nibbled at the bread and butter and pecked at the crab-apple preserve out of the little scalloped glass dish by her plate. She did not really make any headway at all.

“You’re not eating anything,” said Marilla sharply, eying her as if it were a serious shortcoming. Anne sighed. 

“I can’t. I’m in the depths of despair. Can you eat when you are in the depths of despair?” 

“I’ve never been in the depths of despair, so I can’t say,” responded Marilla. 

“Weren’t you? Well, did you ever try to imagine you were in the depths of despair?” 

“No, I didn’t.” 

 “Then I don’t think you can understand what it’s like. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling indeed. When you try to eat a lump comes right up in your throat and you can’t swallow anything, not even if it was a chocolate caramel. I had one chocolate caramel once two years ago and it was simply delicious. I’ve often dreamed since then that I had a lot of chocolate caramels, but I always wake up just when I’m going to eat them. I do hope you won’t be offended because I can’t eat. Everything is extremely nice, but still I cannot eat.” 

Anne of Green Gables, Chapter III 

Chocolate Caramel Ingredients: 

½ cup (one stick) butter 

¾ cup heavy cream 

¾ cup corn syrup or golden syrup 

1 cup granulated sugar 

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

Combine all ingredients except the Vanilla in a medium-sized pan and stir over medium heat until the mixture reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit (it took me about 20 minutes). Use a candy thermometer (mine is new due to a recent batch of penuche that was delicious but did not harden). Remove from heat and stir for two more minutes before adding the Vanilla. Pour into a well-buttered pan such as an 8 x 8 glass pan. Allow to sit at room temperature for an hour, then refrigerate. 

Don’t refrigerate for too long or they may be hard to cut! I was advised to gently loosen the edges and turn the contents of the pan upside down to cut the caramels into bite-sized pieces to be wrapped in wax paper. The results are delicious – they taste like chewy fudge, which makes sense. 

The left corner is where I sampled it.  I have always meant to make caramels but never got around to it, so this was a fun project, very suitable for Mardi Gras, which is when I made them. My mother always used to make fudge that night before she gave up candy for Lent. I usually give up sarcasm for Lent, or at least try . . . don't laugh!

More L.M. Montgomery-related Posts: 

Further Chronicles of Avonlea – my review 

Marilla of Green Gables – my review 

Top Ten Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe Romantic Moments 

My Visit to Green Gables 

The Bookwanderers by Anna James – my review (Anne Shirley appears in this book)

By the way, the Anne cover at the top was my very first copy, given to me by my mother the summer after sixth grade.