By Mary Ellen Psaltis
Garfield the Cat never met a lasagna he didn’t like. I feel that way about caramels. However, not all caramels are created equal. A fine caramel is shiny smooth and never too hard at the edges. It invites one to admire it before popping into the mouth. My kind of caramel requires a bit of chewing but at mouth temperature it begins to melt. Buttery, sweet – a true caramel is an experience. Béquet Caramels from Bozeman, Montana, is totally up to meeting my caramel expectations.
Robin Béquet, owner, spent years perfecting her basic caramel. Initially the business sold three types – soft, chewy and chocolate. Now there are eleven to choose from that include chipotle, Celtic sea salt, espresso, salt chocolate, butterscotch, green apple, cinnamon swirl, and the newest salted mocha, a layered affair with one layer of salt-chocolate and one with espresso-caramel, a veritable “symphony of flavors.”
The salted mocha is the favorite of Lindsey Cozzi, who works in sales and marketing for Béquet. She explained that many of the 500 retail locations and resulting sales happened by “word of mouth.” Participating twice yearly in the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco and New York is also important.
Initially Cozzi was not a big fan of caramels, but that’s changed. She admitted that she really appreciates them now and is happy to say that she loves Béquet caramels and “won’t have another” made by someone else. All production, packaging and sales are done in the same facility in Bozeman. That means that all 25 year-round employees (twice that many over the holidays) can enjoy the smells of cooking caramels. She told me she especially notices the days the cinnamon swirls are in production.
Creating exquisite caramels is not an accident. It mixes science and art. A simple mixture of butter, sugar and cream might turn into a dreamy batch of manna or a nightmare of burnt glue forever stuck to your pot.
Caramel production requires a series of calculated events must take place with fierce precision, and any false step could lead to results that are grainy, undercooked or overcooked. The art of caramel making requires the chef to have all ingredients at hand and preparations complete. Do you have heavy cream and high quality butter? Is your candy thermometer working? Do you have your recipe and proper measuring utensils? And, don’t ignore the weather. Heavy moisture in the air can adversely affect your precious caramels. You will have more predictable success on a drier day. They need to be cooked in small batches. It makes sense that Béquet’s business tag line is ‘hand crafted in small batches by Montana artisan caramel maker.’
Multi-award winning Béquet Caramels can be found at locally owned Bayview Thriftway and Ralph’s Thriftway stores. Twice they have won the Gourmet Retailer Magazine “Aisle by Aisle” award from the Fancy Food Show being one of 17 products chosen from over 100,000.
Robin Audet, Customer Service Manager for Ralph’s, said that the Celtic Sea Salt Caramels are wildly popular, and the store can “hardly keep it in stock.” Customers taste one and hurry back for more. Audet agreed with her customers, “They’re the best caramels.”
You can purchase single wrapped pieces and also small gift packages that make a lovely hostess gift (or a quick treat on the drive home).
