I haven’t posted for over a month, it is only appropriate then, that my first post back has been an epic failure.  Yes, that is the way life has seemed to go lately.  Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating.  During my absence, I took an incredible vacation to Disney World with my family, my crochet (and other) classes have been fun to instruct and my social life has been busy (thanks to my six year old).  Still, I have had the beginning of Spring blues.  Maybe it is because the last two days have been torrential downpours and gloominess, and today the gloominess has turned into the bright white of a blizzard.  I feel like Jack Nicholson in the Shining, without the homicidal tendencies.

But that isn’t what this post is about.  Thank to Tracy at It’s a T-Sweets Day for hosting this month’s BAL and snapping me out of my funk by making sweet and chewy caramels?  This month A.J.@ A Petite Slice of Life has given us her recipe for vegan caramels.  I readily agreed to this challenge, mostly because in a last ditch effort to lose weight before my 40th birthday, I have  greatly lessoned my sugar intake.  Needless to say, I was jonesing for something sugary.

The fates had other plans.  Somehow, something out their is determined to keep me on this diet and ruined my effort.  Okay, maybe it was me.

First, I decided to cut the ingredients in half.  I knew this would not be a treat my husband or daughter would eat, and I don’t like to waste food.  This is what some of the ingredients looked like bubbling on the stove.

I realize, now that this is over, that I am a very impatient baker.  This is a fundamental flaw where caramels are concerned.  I didn’t have a candy thermometer, and not knowing (or bothering to look up) the hardening on the spoon method, I winged it.  Looking back, I don’t think the sugar or coconut oil properly dissolved.

I let it sit, and sit.  Then stuck it in the fridge, and forgot about it.  The next day, it still was liquidy, so I stuck it in the freezer for over an hour.  This didn’t do any good.  The coconut oil hardened on the top, but the sugary syrup underneath didn’t.

At this point, I called it.  It was an epic fail and I was okay with it.  Not everything always works out in the kitchen.  If I did it over again I would not cut the ingredients in half, I would let it boil and not be impatient, and I would put it in the freezer sooner.

Sometimes, you gotta stick with what you know, also.  I started crocheting a new shawl immediately after my baking failure.  It’ll be a great activity to work on during the blizzard.

Check out all the other bakers in this sweet challenge.  I am sure their baking went better than mine, thanks for reading!  Happy Crocheting Baking!