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Recipe Detail Page
Butterscotch Candied Grapes
Summer 2016
It’s summer, too hot to make caramel from scratch. Use this easy and delicious cheat for sweetly juicy bites. Once the grapes are coated in the molten butterscotch, anything you dip them into will stick — shredded coconut, crumbled nuts, cookie crumbs, toasty seeds…Whatever you like! Use the best quality butterscotch candy — Werther’s Originals work well. When picking grapes, the bigger the better; larger grapes are easier to work with.
Makes about 70 to 90 grapes, depending on size
70 to 90 seedless green or red grapes, about 4 cups (1 L), at room temperature
70 to 90 toothpicks or small cocktail skewers
1 cup (250 mL) of a topping or toppings of your choice (nuts, sesame seeds, coconut, cookies, sprinkles, etc.)
13 oz (400 g) or about 75 hard butterscotch candies
3 tbsp (45 mL) 35% cream
1 Line a large tray or cookie sheet with parchment; set aside.
2 Wash the grapes and dry them completely with a clean, non-linting kitchen towel. Stick with the picks and set aside on another clean, dry, non-linting kitchen towel. 3 Prepare the toppings of your choice. If using nuts or cookies, add to a food processor and pulse until fairly finely crumbled. If using sesame seeds, toast in a dry skillet over medium heat until browned and beginning to pop; about 2 minutes. For an efficient set-up, organize the various toppings into little dishes or in the cups of a muffin tin. Set aside.
4 In a small saucepan over low heat, start to melt the candies. After about 5 minutes, when the candies are about half melted, add the cream. It will be hard or even seem impossible to stir at this point, but just keep at it; it will soften and then the cream can eventually be stirred in — this should take about 10 minutes. Keep a close watch on the melting candies, stirring often.
5 Once very runny, work 1 grape at a time, dipping into the butterscotch, then into the toppings, then onto the parchment-lined sheet.
6 Give the butterscotch a stir every now and then, and when it becomes too cool, too thick and too stiff to work with, return to low heat and bring back up to a more runny state, stirring constantly. Carry on until all the grapes or butterscotch is used up —whichever comesfirst — that depends on grape size and generosity of the coating!
7 Allow to cool and set at room temperature and serve within 2 to 4 hours. Make them too soon and the grapes will start to lose their juice, become sticky and wet, and the picks are apt to fall out.
Makes about 70 to 90 grapes, depending on size
