This post comes to us from Anastasia of Sweet Revolution in San Francisco. Anastasia makes organic salted maple honey caramels for us here at Dean & DeLuca.

I created Sweet Revolution Maple Honey Caramels because I wanted to be able to indulge in a candy without feeling the ill effects of corn syrup or cane sugar. Being fairly allergic to one and awfully allergic to the other fueled my determination to recreate the traditional caramel.

To make my caramels, I use only maple, dairy, honey, sea salt, and vanilla bean. I love to just pop the caramels in my mouth. But, some people are much more creative about how they enjoy them. Over the years, I’ve received many fan e-mails filled with pairing suggestions. Here are a couple:

Caramel Mini Apples:
2 large Granny Smith apples (one apple makes about 8 mini apples)
Melon baller
Lollipop sticks
Chopped nuts, sprinkles, shredded coconut (optional)

Using a melon baller, scoop little balls out of the apples. Push a lollipop stick into each ball. Pat the apple balls dry. Chop 4 or 5 Sweet Revolution caramels and either microwave in a bowl for 10 sec. at a time until melted – or in a tiny saucepan, stir the caramels until they melt to the consistency of honey. Dip and swirl the mini apples in the melted caramel. Cover with chopped nuts, sprinkles, or coconut, if desired. Place on wax paper. Let cool and enjoy.

Caramels in Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream:
Yield: 1 quart

2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until a candy thermometer registers 170 degrees F. (Do not let the mixture boil.) Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean and refrigerate mixture overnight. Next day, take 6 to 8 Sweet Revolution caramels, cut roughly into mini bits. Add the to the vanilla ice cream mixture and freeze mixture in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream maker will produce ice cream with a soft serve consistency. If you prefer firmer ice cream, spoon the mixture into an airtight container and  place in your freezer for at least 1 hour before serving.

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