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When I posted pictures of these online I had a shocking amount of people not know what they were.  Please tell me you all have heard of Cow Tales?

If you haven’t, first of all you NEED to make this recipe or at least try a store bought Cow Tale! And secondly, Cow Tales are soft and chewy tube-like caramel candies that are dusted with confectioners sugar and filled with a sweet vanilla cream.

Also, For those who know what they are. Did you know they were called cow “tale” candy and not cow “tail” candy? Mind blown! Why are they called “cow tales” and not “cow tail’s”? Let’s find out.

Let’s Break It Down

Why Are They Called Cow Tales and Not Cow Tails

Apparently, the Goetze company gets this question very often. And they say that they want ” to hint at the whimsical and nostalgic children’s bedtime stories, since this brand is a more youthful and light-hearted take on Caramel Creams®.

The image of the cow jumping over the moon, on the early packaging, was a nod to the “Hey Diddle Diddle” nursery rhyme, emphasizing Goetze’s choice of “Tales” over “Tails”. ” So that’s why are they called cow tales and not cow tail’s?

Why Are They Called Cow Tales And Not Cow Tails – Making the Cow Tale/Tail Candy

      There are 2 types of caramel in this world.  The smooth, rich sauce kind of caramel that you put on iced cream or the soft and chewy candy version.  We have already made the sauce type on this blog and my YouTube channel before.

Today we are making the chewy candy type.  It’s essentially the same thing as the sauce with the addition of corn syrup.

I personally find it a bit easier than a sauce.   Just like when I made the sauce recipe, there are a few things that I just want to remind you of/warn you about.

One is that melted sugar which is basically what caramel is, is very hot and burns from melted sugar are not pretty so be extremely careful.  Using a bigger pot than needed helps me personally.

The second thing to remember is that this will bubble up quite a bit so keep an eye on it and continuously stir so that it doesn’t overflow.  

The Thermometer Method

Once this mixture comes to a boil and the cream is added, you could do this in 2 different ways.  The first method is just with a candy thermometer.  

All you have to do with this is clip the thermometer to the side of the pot and you are good to go.  Just cook this until you reach 250• F.  Just once again, be careful because it will bubble up quite a bit.

The Touch Method

What if you don’t have a candy thermometer?  What then?  Well I’m gonna show you.

All you have to do is when the caramel starts to turn a dark amber color and you start to feel it getting thicker as you stir, it’s time to start testing.

For this you will need a small bowl of cold water.  Just take a small portion of the caramel and pour it in the water and let it cool.

When the caramel is at the point that it come into a ball that is soft and pliable, it’s ready.  After that, it’s the same for both methods.

Shut the stove top off and add the butter and salt ,stir until it melts and pour the caramel into your prepared pan.

While The Caramel Cools

After you put the caramel into your prepared pan it will take about 45 minutes to an hour to cool and set.  While you wait you can do two things.

First, clean your pot and your candy thermometer and then make your vanilla cream filling.

Cleaning The Pot

What you should do immediately after your caramel is in the prepared pan is clean your pot and candy thermometer.

To do this, simply fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil on the stove.  Doing this will melt the sugar so that you don’t have a bunch of caramel stuck to the bottom.  

Take a pastry brush and brush the sides of the pot with the boiled water to melt the sugar on the sides as well.  Lastly, just clean you pot and candy thermometer with soap and water.

Mixing Up The Filling

The last thing to do while waiting for your caramel to set is to make up the filling to go into the cow tales.

To do this just simply combine 11/2 cups of powdered sugar,1/2 of a cup of vegetable shortening and 1 TSP until it all comes together into a thick paste. Add more or let powdered sugar if needed.

Why Are They Called Cow Tales And Not Cow Tails – Rolling Out The Caramel

This first step to assembling this cow tale candy is to roll out the caramel with a rolling pin into a quarter inch thickness.

 I used a 9×9 inch baking pan for this caramel so the caramel is at about 1/2 inch thickness.  You could do 2 things, roll out the caramel to 1/4th of an inch thickness or skip this step by using a larger baking pan or jelly roll pan for the caramel to make it a thinner slab.

Why Are They Called Cow Tales And Not Cow Tails – Assembling the Cow Tale/Tail Candy

Now comes the fun part.  It’s time to assemble the cow tales,  I won’t bore you by writing out all those steps again because they are written below in the recipe and also I urge you to check out the video below to visually see what the steps look like.

You could put the caramel on a cutting board with confectioners sugar so that nothing sticks or for a little added insurance, you could use this silicone non-stick mat. I have one and I love it for rolling out doughs and especially something that will make an absolute mess if it sticks like this.

I hope you enjoyed your time with me today and I hope you try this recipe.  I know you will love it.  Follow this blog and my YouTube channel to make more delicious messes with me and I’ll see you next time,  bye guys

Homemade Cow Tales

Yield: 24 4 inch Cow Tales

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Soft and chewy caramel tubes with vanilla cream filling.

Print

Ingredients

Chewy Caramel

• 1 1/2 Cups of Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup of Heavy Cream (Divided)
• 1/2 Cup of Light Corn Syrup 
• 2 Tbsp of Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 of a Tsp of Salt

Vanilla Cream Filling

• 1/2 of a Cup of Vegetable Shortening
• 1 1/2 Cups of Powdered Sugar
• 1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Chewy Caramel

1. Prepare a 9X9 inch baking pan by spraying it with non stick spray and laying a piece of parchment paper in it, one way across, spraying that with non stick spray and laying another piece of parchent paper in the other way and then spraying that piece with non stick spray.
2. Place 1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream, 1/2 Cup of Corn Syrup, and 1 1/2 Cups of granulated sugar in a large sauce pot. Stir the ingrediants to combine.
3. Let the mixture come to a boil over medium/low heat. Do not stir.
4. As soon as the mixture turns from a milky white color from the cream to an opaque color, add in the remaining cream.
5. As soon as it comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to low and stir continiously until you reach 250• on a candy thermometer. This could take about 30-40 minutes. Be extra careful because the mixture will bubble up occasionally.
6. As soon as you reach temperture, shut it off and add in the butter and salt and stir until the butter melts.
7. Pour the caramel into your prepared pan and wait for it to cool and set. About 45 minutes to an hour.

Vanilla Cream

1. In a medium size bowl add all your ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula or electric mixer until you form a thick paste-like frosting. Add more or less confectioners sugar if needed.
2. Place the filling into a piping bag and set it aside for later use.

Assembling the Cow Tales

1. Once the caramel has cooled amd set, gently take it out of the pan and place it on a cutting board.
2. In one swift motion,flip the caramel over on the board so you can remove the parchemnt paper.
3. Roll the caramel out with a rolling pin until you reach 1/4 inch thickness.
4. Cut a half inch in diameter hole out of the piping bag and pipe a line of filling down the side of the caramel slab. Leave enough room to fold the caramel over the cream.
5. Fold the caramel tightely over the cream and cut the excess caramel off with a pizza cutter.
6. Repeat this process until you run out of caramel.
7. Lightly dust the cutting board with powdered sugar and roll each tube out to be about the diameter of your pinky finger. Cut each tube into 2-3. The goal is to get 4 inch cow tales.
8. At this point the cow tales are ready to be eaten immediatly. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperture for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

While you are waiting for the caramel to cool and set, make sure to clean your pot and candy thermometer. You can do this by filling the pot with water, attaching your thermometer to the side and bringing the pot to a boil. Once at a boil, using a pastry brush, brush the sides of the pot with the water to melt the caramel. This will make your pot a whole lot easier to clean.

If you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below, message me on instagram, facebook or leave me an email. 

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