Sugartown Sweets is 3 and How To Make 3 Ingredient Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Cups!

 Three Ingredient Salted Caramel & Peanut Butter Cups!

I'm so excited to share these with you on this fun day.

Sugartown Sweets is 3!

I remember how nervous I was putting together my very first post. I think it took me three days to figure everything out just enough to get it online.

When the moment finally came and I got to click "publish", I sat there waiting to see how many "hits" I would receive. Hahaha! 

The only hits I was getting were my own from checking every five seconds to see how many hits I was getting. Still cracks me up..mostly because I'm still checking.

Lol..I know..I have a problem.

But you won't have any problem with these.

My candy cups are super easy and tasty too!

 Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel and Chocolate.

Use any chocolate you like. 

I just happen to like Ghirardelli's dark candy melts.

 These are actually Christmas baking cups.

They look like circus tents to me!

 I popped my peanut butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then poured in the caramel. Stir together to mix.

 You can almost smell the caramel..

 Melt chocolate over low heat. 

Pour a small amount into mini baking cup. Using a food safe paintbrush, paint up the sides of the cup. I placed mine in a mini muffin tin to allow for more control.

Let chocolate sit to harden. You could also pop these into the frig to quicken this step.

Spoon or pipe peanut butter mixture into the chocolate cups.

Cover cups with remaining chocolate.

Now see if you can wait long enough for the chocolate to set before you try one!

 Salted Caramel & Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

Smucker's Salted Caramel Topping (11.5 oz jar)

1 cup peanut butter

2 12 oz. bags chocolate candy melts 

Prepare your chocolate cups.

Melt chocolate. Pour a small amount into mini baking cup. Using a food safe paintbrush, paint up the sides of mini baking cups. Let sit until candy hardens or pop into frig for a few minutes.

In a small microwave safe bowl, soften peanut butter in microwave oven for about 30 seconds. Pour jar of caramel topping over peanut butter and stir to mix.

Pipe or spoon mixture into chocolate cups. Cover cups with remaining chocolate.

Let sit till candy hardens or again you can pop these in frig for a few minutes.

24 ounces of chocolate is enough to complete 36 candy cups.

Sugartown Sweets..aka Karen..

Thanks You So Much For Stopping By On My Birthday!

Comments and New Members Make Me So Happy!

Googly Eyed Treats

 I always feel like..somebody's watching me...

I am so excited to share this super easy, super quick, super cute googly eyed treat!

No baking, no mixing, no cutting, no kidding!

I used Little Debbie cupcakes, a tub of ready made frosting, candy eyes and licorice wheels.

I had these little guys up and running in less than 10 minutes. As busy as my life has been lately, I am down with that!

 Happy Baking

Sugartown Sweets

Loves Your Comments 

&
Welcomes New Members!

Thank you for stopping by!

Candy "Apple" Spoons

If you need a super simple fall craft with minimal effort and/or supplies, plus is cute to boot, this one fits the bill!

 Ingredients and supplies needed: candy melts, pretzel sticks, plastic spoons, green fondant and a fondant cutter.

 You will also need parchment or wax paper.

 I try to always keep white fondant on hand.

This way, I can color my own should I be out of the color fondant I need.

However, green fondant can be purchased at any craft store.

Just roll out and cut. I used the smallest fondant cutter from this set.

If you don't have leaf cutters, you could easily cut them freehand with a knife.

 Follow directions on candy melts package on how to melt the candy. Hmm..did y'all get that?

I like to melt mine in a small saucepan over low heat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

 Dip spoon in candy, insert broken piece of pretzel and place leaf.

Let spoons rest on edge of pan till set.

I used a spoon on it's flip side to hold leaf in place until candy hardened.

 Ooohh that's it!

These would have made perfect "Back to School" teacher gifts.

Of course you could gift these anytime. 

Just use the appropriate themed ribbon and tie them up in cello bags!

Happy and Sweet Creating From

Sugartown Sweets!

Thank you for stopping by.

All new members and comments are welcomed.   :o)

Apple Cider Caramels

Apple Cider Caramels..do we need one more recipe?

Yes. We. Do.

While I know these candies have been around for several years, I've only recently found them myself. 

It was love at first google image.

I studied through several versions of this caramel recipe, before making just a couple of changes. One being to go with equal amounts of both brown and granulated sugars. I've never used anything other than brown sugar in my caramels thus far, so...this just makes me feel happy! I'm also adding a little corn syrup to these in hopes of getting a firmer candy without refrigerating them. 

There were two recipes with which I based mine on. This one and this one.

Thank you Annie's Eats and Smitten Kitchen.

Plus, I learned how to make boiled cider syrup. There are so many possibilities here. Win!

My A#1 Awesome Hunky Hubby and I are blessed to live close enough to apple country which makes an easy trip of acquiring cider...and fried pies..and donuts..and cookies..oh my!

If you can't get your hands on any local cider, or would like to try some Mercier's like I used, click on my link.

The difference in making these caramels as opposed to my original caramels is the apple cider reduction.

Turning 4 cups of cider into 1/3 cup, takes 40 minutes over medium high heat. I did stir mine almost continuously. 

The smell is pure apple-y cider-y heaven!
When I thought I had reached my 1/3 cup goal, I measured it only to find I wasn't quite there yet. So I just poured it back into my saucepan and got it right on the second measure. Remove pan from heat.   

Add butter, sugars, cream and corn syrup.
Attach thermometer to pan.
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the thermometer reads 252 degrees. Mine went to 252.4 and turned out perfectly. Remove from heat.

Stir in apple pie spice.

Pour into prepared pan. Let sit till candy "hardens". I cut mine the next morning. Perfect!

Apple Cider Caramels Recipe

4 cups Apple Cider (reduced to 1/3 cup)
1 stick butter (i use salted)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

 Begin by preparing pan with parchment paper. I used tin foil since I used a round pan. I found that I much prefer parchment. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

To make boiled cider, cook 4 cups over medium high heat, stirring occasionally (or more..like me) until reduced to 1/3 cup. This took me 40 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in butter, granulated and brown sugars, corn syrup and cream. Attach candy thermometer. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thermometer reads 252 degrees. This took me an additional 14 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in apple pie spice. Pour into prepared pan.

Let set at least a couple of hours. I let mine sit overnight.
Remove candy from pan. Lightly spray long, sharp knife with cooking spray. Cut caramels using a sawing motion. Wrap in wax paper squares. 

Now you can make a lot of friends happy here. I took my sweet little candies to church this morning and gave them all away. 
I enjoyed hearing all the candy compliments!

I did have a little "leftover" candy. 
As some others have said, melting this back down with a little more cream would make an incredibly delicious topping for cinnamon ice cream.
Or apple pie..or apple bread..or cinnamon toast..oh dear!

Happy Fall & Candy Making From
Sugartown Sweets!

Thank you for stopping by.
All comments and new members are welcome!