its been said that if someone gives you caramelized white chocolate, they must really love you. why you ask? while its not difficult to make, it takes a bit of time and a bit more love and attention to make. i promise you though, it is worth it. so, worth it.
this magical thing happens when you bake white chocolate over low heat for about an hour. it transforms from flat and overly sweet into this rich golden, caramel-y chocolate; with notes of vanilla and a slight roasted taste in the background. caramelized white chocolate instantly elevates anything you add it to. im seriously contemplating if i'll ever go back to regular white chocolate again!
a few tips before you start:
- make sure your cocoa butter is listed as the first ingredient. this typically indicates your white chocolate is at least 29% cocoa butter which is the minimum required for this to work. anything lower and your chocolate will just clump together (which could be good for baking into cookies!) but it won't melt and smooth out.
- a spatula and/or a palette knife (used for spreading frosting) are the best tools to move the chocolate around as its caramelizing
- you absolutely must stir all the chocolate and smear it back into a single layer. if you don't, the chocolate may burn.
- you can use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to line your baking sheet if desired, but for me it wasn't needed. your rimmed baking sheet should be very clean, dry and smooth.
did you make this recipe?
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Laura Thompson says
It looks divine and I'm going to try it out this week. However, why would I store it in a jar? It seems to me that it would solidify to the point of being hard and then I wouldn't be able to get it out of the jar. I think breaking it into shards is the best bet. I would just like clarification on the "jar" thing.
Thanks!
Megan says
Hi Laura,
The option to store the chocolate in a jar is totally up to you! I like to store it in a jar if I'm planning on melting it at a later time. I have also poured it into a lined container, let it solidify and chopped it. Enjoy!