Carrying on a tradition from my family growing up, we make these to-die for caramels every year. It’s worth the time to make these – I promise!
We make a double batch, in a ginormous pot, then pour it into a well-buttered 10×15 glass pan. (And btw, the kids will pry out this first batch of caramels and eat them without even wrapping them. Sorry, neighbors.)
Yumminess!
Here is the recipe that normal-sized families typically make:
2/3 C sweetened condensed milk
3 C cream
Mix together and heat to just below boiling. Use a heavy-bottomed pan or a double-boiler
In large pan, bring to a boil
2 C sugar
2 C white corn syrup
Boiling sugar and corn syrup
Bring to soft ball stage. I use the cold water method of dropping boiling syrup into ice water. (Soft ball stage is 235-245 F, or one where the syrup easily forms a ball while in the water but flattens once removed.)
Start adding cream mixture. Keep mixture boiling. I stir pretty darn near constantly with a sturdy nshima spoon from Zambia.
Candy mixture will start with an ivory color. It will darken as it get closer to firm ball stage (245*-250*F or one where syrup holds its shape when formed into a ball but loses its shape when squished).
Getting the candy all the way to the firm ball stage takes a fair amount of time and the status changes quickly once you get close to done. Ask me how many batches I’ve made over the years that ended up with a pan full of hard candy that shatters when you try to get it out of the pan……
Once you get the candy to the firm ball stage, remove from heat and add 3 Tbsp of vanilla. (We use Molina Mexican vanilla – yum!)
Stir quickly and well, then pour into well-buttered glass pan that is already sitting on a hot pad. Scrape pan – and don’t lick the spoon until the caramel cools. Yowies! Sugar boils at a higher temperature than water – and it sticks….
Let caramels set for 12 hours. Score, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Roll up individually in pieces of wax paper.
Enjoy!
