Caramels

Directions

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   1. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment so excess paper hangs over edges. Spray pan with nonstick spray.
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   2. Over medium heat, warm cream, butter, and salt in the sm. saucepan until melted. Remove from heat.
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   3. In large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir until you form a thick grainy paste. Wipe down the sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush so there are no sugar crystals above surface of the sugar mixture. Clip instant-read thermometer to the side of the pan so that the tip is immersed in the sugar. Do not stir the sugar after this point.
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   4. Place pot of sugar mixture over medium/medium-high heat. Let syrup come to a boil without stirring. Around 250°F, syrup will turn transparent and boil rapidly. Around 320°F, it will darken slightly. You can proceed to the next step any time after the syrup reaches 250°F and before it reaches 325°F.
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   5. Remove syrup from heat. Slowly add warm cream mixture while whisking gently. The sugar syrup will bubble up. Stop whisking once all the milk and butter mixture has been added.
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   6. Return pan to medium/medium-high heat. Let the caramel come to boil without stirring. It will eventually darken to reddish-brown caramel. Remove from heat when the caramel reaches 245°F to 250°F.
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   7. Quickly whisk vanilla into caramel.
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   8. Immediately pour caramels into mold. Do not scrape the pan (there are sometimes hard burnt bits on the bottom). Bang pan against counter a few times to remove air bubbles.
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   9. Allow to cool for at least two hours or overnight. Once the caramels have cooled to room temperature, cover the pan.
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    10. Lift caramel out of pan by the parchment paper flaps. Cut into candies with a very sharp knife sprayed with PAM.
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    11. Cut squares of wax paper a little longer than your caramels. Wrap each caramel in wax paper and twist the ends closed. Caramels will keep at room temperature for about two weeks.