An easy, one pot, no stir recipe for creamy and indulgent whiskey salted caramels. The perfect recipe: rich, chewy, and flavorful. Bourbon whiskey provides an additional complexity to these candies with notes of vanilla, oak and caramel. These caramels make a wonderful gift to share with friends and family. Make enough to keep some, too! You'll find yourself reaching for the candy jar over and over.
Line an 8 x 8 inch pan (20 x 20 cm) with parchment paper, letting it overhang slightly on both sides. If you have binder clips or clothespins, clip the overhanging parchment to the edges of the pan to prevent it from falling into the hot caramel. Set aside.
In a heavy bottomed 3 quart saucepan, heat the cream, salted butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over low heat until butter is fully melted. Increase the temperature to medium heat.
Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the saucepan, making sure that the bottom of the thermometer does not directly touch the pan bottom. As it heats up, the mixture will bubble up within an inch of the top of the pan. It will settle back down as it continues to cook. Cook at medium heat until caramel reaches the firm ball stage, 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius).
Immediately remove the mixture from the heat and add in the whiskey and vanilla. It will bubble up - be careful as you add the liquids. Stir briefly to incorporate. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, being thoughtful of the hot caramel. Gently push the extra caramel out of the pan with a silicone spatula. Do not firmly scrape the edges of the pan; this helps avoid adding any undissolved sugar crystals to the caramel mixture.
Set aside to cool at room temperature for 3 hours or overnight.
Use a large chef's knife to cut the caramel into strips. If the knife sticks, rub a thin layer of butter on both sides of the blade. Reapply butter as needed to keep the knife from sticking. Cut each strip into manageable pieces. I slice the caramels into 12 rows, and then divide each row into 5 pieces, for a total of 60 caramels.
If possible, use pre-cut confectionery wrapping papers from a craft or restaurant supply store (or online) to wrap each caramel. Other wrapping options include wax paper or parchment paper. Be sure to cut a large enough rectangle to allow extra space at the ends for twisting the paper closed. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.