By Three weeks to Christmas and two weeks to my birthday, which this year I am approaching with more warmth than usual. Fifty-three has a particular sound to it that I find I don't mind. I am past the ages that surprised me — fifty was the one that required adjustment, the rounding of a corner — and now I am settling into my fifties the way you settle into a good chair, with the particular comfort of something that fits.
The fruitcakes are ready. I unwrapped one this week to check and the bourbon has done its work — the fruit is dark and rich and the whole thing smells like the second shelf of Bernice's pantry in December, which is exactly right. Three cakes: one for the house, one for James and Dorothy as the holiday gift, one to give away. This year the third one is going to Kezia's grandmother, because she has been watching Kezia cook in my kitchen for two years now, passing her granddaughter into my care on Saturdays, trusting me with something irreplaceable. A fruitcake is the appropriate acknowledgment.
Bernice's Table held its final Tuesday service before Christmas this week and we sent people home with bags — Sister Odalys organized this again, as she does every December. Canned goods, rice, the things that last. Kezia decorated the bags with paper stars she had spent three evenings cutting, because she is seventeen now and her sense of ceremony has grown alongside her cooking. I watched her hand each bag to each person personally, with something she said — a specific thing, not a generic have a good holiday — and I thought: she is already doing this, the thing that makes a table more than a meal. She is already the person who sees people when she hands them their plate.
The fruitcakes take weeks and they are meant to — that kind of patience is part of what you’re giving. But there is always room for something quick and sweet to tuck alongside, the thing that says a little extra thought went in. These caramels come together in under ten minutes and they wrap beautifully, which makes them exactly right for a bag like the ones Kezia handed out at Bernice’s Table, or for slipping into a pocket alongside a card. When the ceremony matters, it’s often the small sweet thing that carries it.
Seven Minute Microwave Caramels
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 7 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes (plus cooling) | Servings: 36 pieces
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus flaky salt for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the pan. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides. Lightly butter the parchment and set aside.
- Combine ingredients. In a large microwave-safe bowl (at least 2-quart capacity — the mixture will bubble up), combine the butter, corn syrup, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and sweetened condensed milk. Stir to combine.
- Microwave in intervals. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove and stir well. Return and microwave for 2 more minutes. Stir again — the mixture should be deepening in color. Microwave for a final 2 minutes, watching carefully. The caramel is ready when it is a deep golden amber and registers 240–245°F (soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer.
- Finish and pour. Carefully stir in the vanilla extract and fine sea salt. The mixture will steam. Pour immediately into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Top and cool. Scatter flaky salt over the surface if desired. Allow to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour, then refrigerate for 30 minutes until fully set.
- Cut and wrap. Lift the caramel slab from the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into 36 small squares with a sharp knife. Wrap individual pieces in small squares of wax paper, twisting the ends, or layer between sheets of parchment in a tin.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 68 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 28mg