Wild Thistle Kitchen: Caramelized White Chocolate
By • March 25, 2021 0 813
If you think, like I did, that white chocolate is kind of boring, one-dimensional and too sweet, make this caramelized white chocolate recipe and prepare to find a new appreciation for the white stuff.
A couple of hours at a low temp and several stirs later, white chocolate is totally transformed. It becomes toasty and nutty with distinct caramel flavor. It turns from white to golden. Use it in place of dark or white chocolate in cookie, brownie or blondie recipes, or just nibble on it whenever the craving strikes.
It’s so good. Let’s make some!
To make this caramelized white chocolate, all you need are a few bars of really good white chocolate, plus a baking sheet and some time in the oven. It is a very hands-off recipe — you will just give it a stir every once in a while. Then, right before your eyes, it will transform.
There will be moments during this process where the chocolate looks kind of clumpy and like you’ve ruined it. I promise you haven’t. Just have faith, keep stirring and all will be as it should in the end.
What to do with your caramelized white chocolate …
- Add it to cookies or blondies. May I suggest these brown butter blondies?
- Add it to ice cream, either chopped or melted into the ice cream base.
- Snack on it!
My friend Sam at Buttermilk by Sam has a whole bunch of caramelized white chocolate recipes on her blog. Head to this link to check them out.
I hope you’ll give this really neat recipe and technique a try. Let me know if you do!
xo — Anita
Caramelized White Chocolate
Ingredients
3 bars (about 12 oz.) of good quality white chocolate — I use Green & Blacks because I adore the vanilla flecks
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250. Break up white chocolate bars in a large glass dish or on a baking sheet. You can use parchment here, but it is kind of a pain when you’re stirring and it’s not necessary. Place chocolate in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and, with a rubber spatula, stir chocolate and spread into a thin, even layer before returning to oven.
Repeat this process until your chocolate has turned a light golden-tan color. It took mine about 2 hours, but all ovens are different, so just judge by the color.
There will be points during this process when you’re stirring and the chocolate gets clumpy and you think you’ve ruined everything. You haven’t. Just keep stirring and smoothing the chocolate and it will all come together.
After about 2 hours, you will have a golden puddle of caramelized white chocolate. Remove tray from oven and stir for about 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer chocolate to wax paper or parchment. Smooth into an even layer, as thick or thin as you’d like, and allow to cool until hardened. I left mine overnight.
Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Photo by Anita Parris Soule. Courtesy Wild Thistle Kitchen.
