Substitutions

When I need to get out of my head, I do something physical. I heart the exercising, but act of creating something just isn't inherent to hefting weights or cycling for a bargazillion miles, or even horseback riding.

I used to fulfill my need to create something with my hands by art. 3D collages, which I am promising myself to get back to making, and soon, and later with ceramics. Lately, though, and I'm sure you've already noticed, it's been with cooking and baking and kitchen experiments galore.

This weekend, I tried my hand at candy making, for the first time ever. When I was a child, I loved Kraft's Chocolate Caramels, and decided that that was the place for me to start. Using my new favourite cookbook, Chocolates and Confections by Peter Greweling, I set to work.

Two things that I thought would ruin the batch:

1. The power went out and stayed out for a good minute 2/3 of the way through the process, though since I didn't seemingly loose and heat from the mixture, and kept stirring away until the power came back on, I decided to finish the batch and see how they would turn out.
2. The next morning, I realized that I had used half and half instead of heavy cream, meaning a lower milk fat content in the candy.

That being said, those suckers still turned out! They're just a little softer then I had wanted, due to the accidental half and half substitution, but still tasty and lovely and chewy.

I wrapped 'em on up in wax paper and will be brining them into the office tomorrow.

So, take a look: