Saturday, December 13, 2008

Caramels

I did it!

I made home made caramels.

It was easy and I read "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson while I stirred for about 45 minutes.

Here's the recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook if you'd like to make them too. You will definitely need a candy thermometer to make these caramels.

1 cup butter or margarine
16 ounces light brown sugar
2 cups light cream
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Line a 9x9 or 8x11 inch pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over low heat then add brown sugar, cream and corn syrup and increase heat to medium high. Stir mixture until it boils, then clip candy thermometer to the side of the pan and reduce heat to medium. Continue to stir for about 45 to 60 minutes until mixture reaches 248 F.

Remove caramel from heat and immediately add and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Pour caramel into prepared pan and let cool completely.

After about 4-6 hours, lift caramels out using the foil and turn onto a piece of waxed paper. Carefully remove the foil and then cut caramels into 1 inch squares and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap.

I found it was easiest to cut the caramels with a pizza cutter. I sliced a 1 inch strip off the block of caramel and then cut little pieces off and wrapped them before slicing off another 1 inch strip.

6 comments:

Senia said...

Mmm! Looks/sounds delicious! I hope you can stash one away for your dear old niece. ;-)

Grandpa might lose his dentures on these ones!

Afton said...

These caramels are so soft, grandpa won't even need his teeth.

Anna said...

I made caramels the other week, a slightly different recipe. It said to cook until 243 degrees. I remembered when my mom made them they were always too soft, so I tried 250 degrees. BAD IDEA! Derek says they still taste really good, i just have to give a dislaimer anytime anyone wants to eat them - don't try to chew... at all. You will break your teeth. I'm glad yours turned out so well. I'll try your recipe next time.

Senia said...

Your comment made me laugh out loud. Literally.

(Mmm! And that's just how I like my caramels! :-))

Debbie said...

Those look perfect! :) I think out of your list of treats I would have made these last...otherwise I'd risk all of them being eaten by the time I finished my other treats! Then their would be no caramels on my plates of goodies! I'd be double embarrassed if I had blogged about it...because then people would know I had made them, and they didn't get them, so I MUST HAVE EATEN THEM ALL!!! ;)

Afton said...

Er..(cough) I think I will need to make a second batch of these caramels, but Debbie, you make a good point. I'll wait until right before I'm read to give them out.

And it's not just me...I have 4 other people here that think they are delicious.