Lemon Zesty Goat’s Milk & Vanilla Bean Caramels

Makes about 30 caramels

Takes about 5 hours including cooling

These great homemade sweeties are chewy, intensely caramelly, with a lovely sharp zing of lemon zest, and the creaminess of goat’s milk underneath it all

500mls goat’s milk

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

250g caster sugar

100g light soft brown sugar

100g golden syrup

50g unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

zest of 2 lemons, very finely grated

½ tsp salt

• Pour the milk into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the bicarb and whisk in. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, then simmer till reduced to 300mls. Sieve into a jug and set aside. Wash the pan
• Prepare your steel baking tray by oiling it lightly with a little groundnut oil, then lining it with greaseproof paper. Sprinkle the lemon zest evenly across the paper
• Return the reduced milk to the pan and add all the remaining ingredients except the lemon zest. Stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then put your sugar thermometer in and bring to a boil. Continue to bubble, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 121C/250F. take it off the heat immediately, add the salt and stir in, then carefully pour the mixture into the baking tray. Leave to cool for at least four hours. Once cooled, cut into bite sized pieces and wrap in twists of greaseproof paper