Photo © DARINA KOPCOK/STOCKSY UNITED
Celebrate National Caramel Month with these luscious, autumn-inspired interpretations of one of fall’s favorite flavors.
What: Handmade from her Great Grandma Edith’s 1930s era recipes, Anne Marquart’s made-to-order caramels, including the buttery, apple cider and cinnamon–spiked bites, available only for a limited time
Where: Online from Paso Robles’ Sugar + Spoon (sugarandspooncaramels.com) and at retail locations in the Paso Robles area
When: Through October
What: Caramel-flavored beers, such as Paso Robles’ Firestone Walker Brewing Company Unfiltered DBA with notes of toffee, caramel, and toasted oak; Carpinteria’s IIsland Brewing Company Avocado Honey Ale with hints of caramel and honey; and Westlake Village’s Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. Finney’s Irish Red Ale with layers of rich caramel malt flavor
Where: Finney’s Crafthouse (finneyscrafthouse.com) locations in Westlake Village, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo
When: Year-round
What: Jessica Foster’s dark chocolate bonbons filled with tangerine caramel or sea salt caramel and pepitas
Where: Online from Jessica Foster Confections (jessicafosterconfections.com) and at multiple retail locations on the Central Coast
When: Through Thanksgiving
What: The Sea salt Zookie, caramel-pretzel ice cream, Nutella, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and cookie crumbles atop a fresh-baked, fish-shaped pastry
Where: Coastal Cone (coastalcone.com) in Ventura Harbor Village
When: Year-round
What: Caramel Apple Popcorn, a colorful combo of caramel popcorn and green-apple-candy flavored popcorn
Where: Popped Fresh (poppedfresh.com) in Agoura Hills
When: Year-round
What: Hot Caramel Sticky Buns, fresh-baked fluffy cinnamon rolls, topped with a rich caramel glaze
Where: Sticky Fingers Baking Company (stickyfingersbakingcompany.com), Ventura
When: Every other Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. until they run out; year-round
This story originally appeared in 805 Living Magazine, October 2020. Click here to see the section as it originally appeared in print.