Fleur De Sel Caramels

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with the vegetable oil.

In a deep saucepan (6 inches wide and 4 ¹⁄₂ inches deep is best), combine ¹⁄₄ cup water, the sugar, and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don't stir - just swirl the pan. Watch carefully as it can burn quickly toward the end of cooking.

In the meantime, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter, and 1 tsp fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful - it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer (firm ball). Very carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.

When the caramels are cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut the square in half. Starting with the long side, roll one piece of the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch-long log. Repeat with the second piece. Sprinkle both logs with fleur de sel, trim the ends and cut each log into 8 pieces. Cut glassine or parchment paper into 4 x 5 inch pieces and wrap each caramel individually, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.