Caramels
Yield: About 3 dozen caramel candies.
Cook Time: About 30 minutes.
Tips: Watch caramel mixture closely during last 5 minutes of cooking.
Suggestion: Cooled caramels are also wonderful coated with melted milk or dark chocolate.
You don't need to be a candy expert to make a delicious batch of chewy Caramels. You can make your own Caramels with this fun and easy homemade caramel candy recipe. It's just a matter of combining a few ingredients in a saucepan and allowing them to bubble on the stove for about 30
minutes. The mixture gradually transforms into a golden amber color, and once poured into a pan, quickly cools into a sheet of chewy caramel that can be cut into any shapes you prefer.
The trick to a caramel with the perfect firm yet chewy texture and rich caramel flavor is knowing when to remove the caramel mixture from the heat and pour it into your pan to be cooled. A candy thermometer can be helpful when making this recipe, but is not at all necessary! You can easily test to see if your caramel is ready to pour into your pan simply by dropping a small amount of caramel mixture into a small bowl of very cold water to see if it has reached the "Firm Ball Stage," a term used when cooking sugars and syrups (see recipe directions for more details on how to do this easy test). Lastly, you can turn these caramels into a delicious chocolate caramel candy simply by coating them with melted milk or dark chocolate after the caramel has cooled.
The trick to a caramel with the perfect firm yet chewy texture and rich caramel flavor is knowing when to remove the caramel mixture from the heat and pour it into your pan to be cooled. A candy thermometer can be helpful when making this recipe, but is not at all necessary! You can easily test to see if your caramel is ready to pour into your pan simply by dropping a small amount of caramel mixture into a small bowl of very cold water to see if it has reached the "Firm Ball Stage," a term used when cooking sugars and syrups (see recipe directions for more details on how to do this easy test). Lastly, you can turn these caramels into a delicious chocolate caramel candy simply by coating them with melted milk or dark chocolate after the caramel has cooled.
Recipe▼
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 1/2 cups cream
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches firm ball stage* (248° F). (Note: During the last few minutes of cooking, watch caramel mixture closely to ensure it does not begin turning dark in color, as this will result in a tough caramel.) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour mixture into a buttered (or parchment paper-lined) 9x5x3-inch loaf pan or other pan of similar size that will produce a sheet of caramel about 1/2 to 5/8 inch in height. Allow to cool.
Once cooled, transfer sheet of caramel to a cutting board and cut into squares, rectangles or other desired shapes, then wrap individually in small pieces of wax paper, twirling the sides to seal (as shown in photo above). (Tip: Place cut caramels on wax paper until you are ready to wrap them, because they might stick to other surfaces.)
*"Firm Ball Stage" is a term used to refer to a certain temperature range when cooking sugars and/or syrups. The common temperature range is between 245-250°. To test doneness without a candy thermometer, simply drop a small amount of hot caramel mixture into a bowl of very cold water. Place your fingers in the bowl and gather the syrup, forming it into a ball. Once a ball is formed, lift it from the water. If caramel has reached the "firm ball stage," it will feel firm and pliable, yet still slightly sticky, and will retain its shape when removed from the water, but will quickly lose its shape when it returns to room temperature.
Once cooled, transfer sheet of caramel to a cutting board and cut into squares, rectangles or other desired shapes, then wrap individually in small pieces of wax paper, twirling the sides to seal (as shown in photo above). (Tip: Place cut caramels on wax paper until you are ready to wrap them, because they might stick to other surfaces.)
*"Firm Ball Stage" is a term used to refer to a certain temperature range when cooking sugars and/or syrups. The common temperature range is between 245-250°. To test doneness without a candy thermometer, simply drop a small amount of hot caramel mixture into a bowl of very cold water. Place your fingers in the bowl and gather the syrup, forming it into a ball. Once a ball is formed, lift it from the water. If caramel has reached the "firm ball stage," it will feel firm and pliable, yet still slightly sticky, and will retain its shape when removed from the water, but will quickly lose its shape when it returns to room temperature.
