Cinnamon Valentine Caramels

Butter a 9″ x 13″ pan and set aside.

Place all ingredients except the cinnamon oil and the red coloring in a heavy medium-sized sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 240°F. This will take awhile, but don’t wander too far away, as the temperature seems to rise quickly right at the end.

Once it reaches 240F, take the pot off heat and stir in the cinnamon oil and red coloring. Pour into your buttered pan. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to set. Take out of refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes before cutting.

If you want to gift these caramels, simply cut them into your desired size and wrap in wax paper.

Notes:
*I used cinnamon oil from a Wilton candy flavorings multi pack, found at Michael’s. Cinnamon oil is very strong, but necessary for reaching a stronger cinnamon flavor. Be careful to not get it on your skin, as it can cause irritation. For a more subtle cinnamon flavor, substitute 3 teaspoons of cinnamon extract for the cinnamon oil. The extract can be found in the baking section of your grocery store.

*For the red coloring, I used Wilton red “no taste” icing color, found at Michael’s.

*Using candy thermometers can be a tricky thing. Thermometers can vary quite a bit, which can give you different results. When Mom makes these caramels, she cooks them to 236°F, as her thermometer registers a bit differently than mine. If you want to calibrate your thermometer, to know exactly where yours sits, I found a great tutorial over at OurBestBites.com.