Auntie Karen’s Homemade Caramels

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Years ago, when my children were tiny, auntie Karen gave me this recipe. These homemade caramels make a wonderful Christmas gift. The time-consuming part is something that even very little children can help with. After you eat one of these homemade caramels, you’ll never want to eat the kind you buy in the store again!

Homemade Caramels

• 2 c. white sugar
• 2 c. cream and or milk (can also use 1 can evaporated milk.)
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. light corn syrup
• 1 1/4 t. vanilla

Cook first 4 ingredients together slowly in a heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally. Cook over a low burner until the caramel reaches the “firm ball stage” or 248° on the candy thermometer. (I always use a candy thermometer for this because I can never quite figure out which “stage” candy is in when it cooks.) This will take a long time–approximately an hour! Don’t rush this part; it’s worth it in the end.

Stir in vanilla. Pour into a buttered, 9-inch square baking dish. Cool for a bit. Before the caramel cools completely, cut into very small squares. I try to cut them into 1/2″ x 1/2″ squares. This is candy, so they should be small. Wrap each piece individually in wax paper, twisting the ends of the wax paper to secure it on the candy. This wrapping step is the one that children can help with. If you’re giving these caramels to grandparents, that makes them all the more special!

If you want to make chocolate caramels, you can melt 3 squares of bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate into the candy as you’re cooking it.

Barb

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