CARAMELS

As the seasons turn to fall it means it’s time for CARAMELS.  Thanks to a friend (Shannon) I found the best and easiest caramel recipe ever. Actually I make them year around but always for all the fall holidays. It has become one of our families favorite candies.



Caramels
2 3/4 cubes Butter (no substitutions)
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Milk can White Sugar
1 Milk can Brown Sugar (I like the dark brown)
1 Milk can Corn Syrup
1 Teas Vanilla

Using the 1/4 cube of butter, butter a 9X13 pan generously. I leave the paper on it as I do it, it keeps my hands cleaner.
Put the first 5 ingredients in a heavy pan. Remember you are reusing the can from the sweetened condensed milk to measure sugars and corn syrup.

Cook all ingredients until firm ball with a wooden spoon. Never scrape the sides of the pan once it begins to boil. Once I have mixed all the ingredients together I never touch the sides of the pan again even before it boils. It will cause it to go grainy.

We live at 6000 feet so I just use the water method for testing candy. (Otherwise you need to figure out what temp to cook to and adjust for altitude. I don’t know the formula anymore, this way seems to work the best for me)
Pour a spoonful of the candy into a cup of COLD water, lift it out and if it keeps a firm ball in your hand it is ready.  This is how the finished candy will be.  You can eat the ones that aren’t ready yet or I’m sure one of the kids will wait for the taste, mine always do.



Remove from heat and add 1 teas vanilla. I do the capful way of measuring. One capful is close to 1 teas.

Stir in vanilla remembering again not to touch the sides of the pan.

Pour into the prepared 9X13 pan. DO NOT scrape the caramel into the pan, let if flow out.

Then I scrape all the leftovers in the pan onto a ‘coolwhip’ lid.

Set aside to cool. The scraped always cools first so you can have a taste fairly soon.

After it has cooled cut into rectangles. 1” by 2” or the size you like.

Wrap in caramel wraps. You can use wax paper but I like the caramel wraps so much better. They come precut 5” X 5” squares. And the caramel never sticks to them.

Enjoy! I hope they become a favorite of yours to.