Early American settlers cooked sugar and water together until they caramelized into a basic hard candy. Some stoner hero eventually came along and figured out that adding butter and cream made a gooey, chewy candy, and the caramel was born. Our cannabis candy recipe is easy to make—you just need a candy thermometer—and since there’s a lot of cannabutter involved, it can really pack a wallop. Be careful though—unlike marijuana, this confection can prove to be addictive! You’ll want to drizzle it over ice cream, yogurt, apples, maybe even an old library book … Better yet, drizzle this caramel over the top of a tray of uncooked brownies to create an ultra-luxurious ribbon that will bake up beautifully. Just like you will, about an hour after you eat them!
MAKES AT LEAST 2 DOZEN 1½-INCH CARAMELS
½ cup Simple Cannabutter (see recipe)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sea salt, chopped nuts, a sprinkle of ground red chili or cardamom, melted chocolate, for dipping or topping (optional)
Equipment: Candy thermometer
1. Line a shallow pan (8 by 8 inches or 10 by 12 inches) with foil. Grease the foil lining. Set aside.
2. In a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over high heat, combine the cannabutter, heavy cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and evaporated milk. Stir constantly and bring to a boil, until the mixture reaches 250°F on a candy thermometer. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla.
3. Immediately pour the caramel evenly into the foil-lined pan. (If you’d like to add one of the optional toppings, do so now.) Let the caramel cool completely before cutting it into 1½-inch squares with a lightly oiled knife. (If you’d like to drizzle your caramel over ice cream or a pan of brownies, then use it immediately after you remove it from the heat.) Wrap each candy individually in wax paper and store in a cool place. Refrigerate if desired.