Need a really good caramels recipe........

cmoose · ‎04-15-2010

I am hosting a baby shower in a couple of weeks and have gotten the cutest class jars with latches for the favors. I want to fill them with individually wrapped homemade caramels, the new mom's favorite.

Anyone have a tried and true recipe that isn't too hard to make?

Thanks-

LoLa · ‎11-27-2010

Hiya Cmoose!
These from Smitten Kitchen are divine. They are apple cider caramels ${#emotions_dlg.wub}$ I've made them many times. Always a hit!

Happy Wednesday,

Nightowlz · ‎03-11-2010

I got this one off the forums but I have not tried it. Sorry I cannot give credit to the poster since I forgot to note that.

I have made caramels at Christmas time for many years. This year, I found this 6-Minute Carmel recipe that is every bit as good as the ones I labor over on the stovetop, and it is super easy!! I will never make the stove-top version again. Recipe is from Food.com

Want sea salt? Just sprinkle it on top.

6 Minute Microwave Caramel

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Combine all ingredients.
Cook 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes.
Stir and pour into lightly greased dish.
Let cool.
Cut, wrap in wax paper & store in air tight container

Nightowlz · ‎03-11-2010

I also found this recipe online but have not tried it either. But the pics look good.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/12/sugar-rush-11-my-moms-famous-caramels.html

My Mom’s Famous Caramels

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk (add only ½ to begin with)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ cups chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Directions

Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 X 13-inch pan. Set aside.
In a medium heavy saucepan, add sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk, salt and butter.
Over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to ensure the sugar is completely melted, bring the mixture to a boil and add the rest of the sweetened condensed milk when it begins to boil.
Insert the candy thermometer and clip onto your pan at this point.
Once the second half of the condensed milk has been added and the mixture is boiling again, STOP stirring to prevent sugar crystallization (which means the caramels will have a grainy texture).
Boil the mixture still at medium-low heat, without stirring until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer (234 degrees F).
If you like your caramels a bit firmer, you can cook them up to 248 degrees F, which is firm ball stage but I prefer mine really soft.
(I will warn you that most people find this stage a bit too soft so use your best judgment and preference).
When the caramel reaches the right temperature, immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and toasted pecans (if using).
Carefully pour the hot mixture into the prepared pan without scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. Let the caramel cool completely before cutting into squares and wrapping in waxed paper.

A Few Tips:

*I think one of the most common reasons candy-making can cause frustration is because of errors in the candy thermometer you may be using. It is a good idea to calibrate your cooking thermometer before each use – and it is quite easy. Bring a pot of water to a boil. After the water has reached a full rolling boil, insert your candy thermometer into the water, being sure not to let the tip touch the bottom of the pot and inserting the tip at least 2 inches into the water and the temperature on the candy thermometer should read 212 degrees F. If your candy thermometer reads a few degrees higher or lower – no fear! You don’t need to go out and buy a new candy thermometer (although long-term you may consider it), you simply need to adjust cooking temperature of your candy the few degrees your thermometer was off in the boiling water.

*This particular caramel recipe is unusual in that you don’t need to stir after adding the second half of the sweetened condensed milk. This is a bonus because you don’t need to slave away at the stove stirring for hours – but still be careful to check your candy thermometer often to make sure the correct temperature has been reached (and not exceeded!). Also, in order for the caramel not to scorch, remember to cook the caramel over medium-low heat. This requires time and patience because the caramel won’t cook as quickly as at high heat, but trust me, unscorched caramels are worth the wait!

*Finally, when pouring the caramel onto a buttered baking sheet, do not scrape the caramel from the bottom and sides of the pan. Simply turn the pan and let the cooked caramel roll out onto the baking sheet – when it has stopped flowing out, stop pouring and resist the temptation to scrape up the caramel stuck to the sides and bottom. Just walk away. Well, don’t just walk a way, but put the pan in the sink and work on spreading out your caramels. You don’t want the icky stuff left over on the pan. Trust me.

Sabatini2 · ‎11-13-2010

Hi cmoose. You've gotten some great recipes already!

I remember back when this was a hot topic and racecar31 posted her tried & true recipe...she makes 100 pounds/year! Wow.

Have fun at the baby shower!

Here's the thread (& you posted on it! ${#emotions_dlg.laugh}$ ): Homemade Caramel Candy Recipe, please

Here's her recipe posted 11/19/2012:

Here is my tried and true recipe. I've been known to make 100+ pounds a year it gets requested so much.

CARAMELS (racecar31)

2 sticks butter

1 pound light brown sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup light corn syrup

1 tsp Watkins Double Strength Vanilla (yep, that’s one of my secrets)

Melt butter in a 2-qt non-stick saucepan.Stir in brown sugar.Add sweetened condensed milk and light corn syrup.Stir (almost constantly – you don’t want the caramel burning to the bottom of the pan – using a silicone spatula makes clean-up easier) over medium heat until a candy thermometer reaches 246º.(I use Pampered Chef’s digital thermometer and that is my magic temperature.)Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla.Pour caramel into an 8x8, 9x9 or 11x7 pan (have the pan well-buttered or line it with Reynold’s non-stick aluminum foil or even better – use a silicone pan).Let cool for 24 hours, cut caramels and wrap in wax paper.Makes approximately 2 ½ pounds of caramels.

VARIATIONS

For chocolate caramels, melt 2 squares of unsweetened baker’s chocolate with the butter.And for the chocolate ones, I take the temperature to 244º since the chocolate helps set the caramels.

For nut varieties, add one cup of your favorite nuts to the caramel mixture before pouring it into the pan.

OTHER EXTRACTS & FLAVORINGS I HAVE TRIED

Using approx 2-1/2 tsp (or to taste) of other extracts or flavoringsrange, maple, cherry, root beer, strawberry, rum, apple (I also added apple pie spice)