I have been dreaming about caramel for a few months now and caramel apples just have not satisfied the craving. So the other day I made cinnamon caramel squares with smoked sea salt on top. I have made the recipe before many times before and most times they are perfect but sometimes…

I brought the cream, sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla bean up to 242F, then poured in more cream mixed with cinnamon. The caramel raised steadily in temp then hung out at 246F for awhile. I gave it a stir and boom! The mix went up in temp so fast, that I ended up pouring it into the silicone dish at 250F, which is 2 degrees over. 🙁

The candies are rock hard, but still delicious when cut in small pieces and chewed carefully. I guess it is a good excuse to make another batch. What recipes do you make that have taken a few attempts to get just right?