Salted Caramel Walnut Candy

I love to make, eat, and gift homemade treats around the holidays. This caramel candy is always a crowd favorite. The texture is stiffer than normal caramel, closer to fudge, but the rich caramel flavor is there. We mix in foraged black walnuts for flavor and crunch. You’ll need a few tools for this one. A heavy pot is mandatory. I like an enameled Dutch oven. Next, to make good caramel candy, you will need an accurate thermometer, either candy style or digital.

This salted caramel candy with black walnuts is always a crowd favorite.

We pour the hot caramel into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or rubbed down with butter. Other than the foraged or purchased wild black walnuts, this recipe takes just a few simple ingredients you probably already have at home.

You can use bourbon or vanilla in this recipe with equally good results.

Take care when making this recipe. Molten sugar not only burns—it sticks to your skin and keeps burning. Be careful to avoid splashes and spills while stirring. There’s a reason most candy makers wear long sleeves and closed-toe shoes. Take your time to avoid splashes and spills. Make sure you use a deep pot for this recipe. When you add the cream to the molten sugar, it will increase exponentially in volume. Trust me, you don’t want this mixture bubbling over the sides of the pot and onto your stovetop.

Start by adding 3 cups of sugar to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar melts, but don’t walk away because the sugar can go from melted to burnt in an instant.

Stir 3 cups of white granulated sugar over medium heat until it melts.

Add the remaining sugar and heavy cream. When you first add the cream, your melted sugar will seize into a solid lump. Don’t worry. Just keep stirring, and it will smooth back out. Cook until the mixture boils and all sugar has melted.

Add remaining sugar and heavy cream to the melted sugar and stir until it boils.

Start monitoring your temperature until the mixture reaches 244 degrees. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the baking soda until completely melted.

Once the mixture reaches 244 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the pot from the heat.

Add the butter and bourbon or vanilla, stirring to combine until smooth. Rest for 20 minutes to cool. Stir in the black walnuts and blend until the color lightens noticeably and the mixture is no longer shiny.

Add the black walnuts to the mixture.

Transfer to a greased baking dish, sprinkle liberally over the surface with salt, cover, and rest for 2 hours or overnight. Slice into squares for serving. You can wrap the squares in wax paper for gifting or transport.

Transfer to a greased 9-by-13-inch pan, then sprinkle surface with coarse kosher or sea salt.