Christmas

Lemon Caramels (Citronkola)

by:
December 10, 2024
4.5
4 Ratings
Lemon Caramels (Citronkola)
Photo by Nea Arentzen
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 35 minutes
  • Serves 42
Author Notes

Unlike American Christmas, which often revolves around cookies, Swedish Christmas is all about homemade candies like caramels (kola), chocolates, and marzipan. Growing up, my mom, Tove, would always make us lemon caramels, a family favorite. They’re no more difficult to make than regular caramels, but in my opinion, they’re even better—the lemon adds a bright, tangy flavor that perfectly balances the sweetness. We’d wrap them up as gifts and stash some away to make them last throughout the holiday season.
Tips & Tricks:
• While a thermometer is incredibly helpful for determining when caramel is ready, I also recommend the cold water test. Drop a small amount of caramel into a glass of cold water; it should cool quickly, and you can check if the texture feels right.
• If you're planning to make a big batch to give as holiday gifts, the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Pour the caramel into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Keep in mind that a larger batch will take longer to cook, so keep a close eye on it.
—Nea Arentzen

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (227 grams) heavy cream
  • 1 cup (198 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 1/2 cup (156 grams) light corn syrup
  • 1 medium lemon, juiced and zested
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • a pinch of kosher salt
Directions
  1. Line a 8x5-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. In a large heavy bottomed pot, combine the heavy cream, sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice and zest, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over low heat; cook for about 15 minutes.
  3. Stir in the butter until fully incorporated; continue to cooking, stirring once or twice, until the mixture turns lightly golden brown and reads between 238 to 240ºF on a kitchen thermometer (see tip!!). Give it a few stirs as it starts to brown.
  4. Because the caramel will be very shallow, it’s important to move the thermometer around a lot as you’re taking the temperature. You can easily accidentally be too close to the bottom or you could be in a hot spot.
  5. Immediately pour the caramel into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with more lemon zest and flakey sea salt, if desired. Let it cool completely.
  6. Transfer the caramel to a cutting board, removing the parchment paper. Cut the short side into 6 strips, and the long side into 7, making 42 rectangular-shaped caramels.
  7. Gather some extra hands. Cut 42 squares of parchment paper individually wrap up each one, twisting the ends to keep them shut. Store them in a jar, sealable bag, or pack them up to give away.
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  • CJ
    CJ
  • Giuliana
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  • Karina Meléndez
    Karina Meléndez
  • carlie
    carlie
Nea Arentzen

Recipe by: Nea Arentzen

Test Kitchen Content Creator & Recipe Developer at Food52

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4 Reviews

CJ
CJ December 27, 2024
This was so fun and easy to make! definitely make sure you have extra hands when wrapping each individual caramel. Was a hit at my families Christmas dessert table.
 
Giuliana
Giuliana December 23, 2024
These are so delicious and were a hit with my family! The texture is perfectly soft, pullable caramel. The lemon adds a great balance to the sweetness. I definitely see this becoming a holiday tradition for us, so thank you for sharing!
 
Karina M.
Karina M. December 21, 2024
These caramels are delicious!! I added a lot of lemon zest because I love the aroma and, as the chef suggested, I replaced the light corn syrup with honey because I could not find light corn syrup in Lima. The first time I cooled them, they weren't hard enough, so I reheated the mixture until it reached 240F again, and it was perfect!
 
carlie
carlie December 20, 2024
I think there needs to be more specific, detailed instruction throughout the steps. I botched the recipe and separated the butter by the end, I guess because I was cooking too long or wasn’t stirring enough. I referenced other articles while making because I found the lack of instruction to be confusing . I didn’t know what to expect the consistency to be at each step.