𝑆𝑜𝑓𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶ℎ𝑒𝑤𝑦 𝐻𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑠

𝐻𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑠

𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

1 cup unsalted butter 🧈
2 1/4 cups brown sugar 🍬
1 cup light corn syrup 🍯
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 🥛
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 🍦
Sea salt for sprinkling (optional) 🧂

𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

𝟭. 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝘅 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: 𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆-𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗻, 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 🧈 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁. 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿 🍬 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝗿𝘂𝗽 🍯. 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵, 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘅𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

2. Add the condensed milk: Gradually pour in the sweetened condensed milk 🥛 while continuing to stir. This adds richness and creaminess to your caramels. Stir consistently to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Keep a close eye on the mixture as it begins to thicken.

3. Cook to perfection: Increase the heat slightly and cook the caramel mixture to a gentle boil. Insert a candy thermometer and cook the caramel until it reaches 240°F (115°C) 🕒, known as the “soft-ball stage.” This is the critical point where your caramel will be soft and chewy rather than too hard or runny. Stir frequently to keep the mixture smooth and prevent it from burning.

4. Add vanilla and pour into a pan: Once the caramel reaches the soft-ball stage, remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract 🍦. This gives your caramels a delicious aroma and enhances the flavor. Pour the hot caramel mixture into a greased 9×9 inch pan, spreading it evenly. Be cautious as the caramel will be extremely hot.

5. Let the caramels set: Allow the caramel to cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until fully set and firm enough to cut. You can speed up this process by placing the pan in the refrigerator, but be sure to let it come to room temperature before cutting to avoid cracking.

6. Cut and wrap: Once the caramel is set, use a sharp knife to cut the caramel into small, bite-sized squares. If desired, sprinkle a bit of sea salt 🧂 on top of each piece for a delightful sweet-salty contrast. Wrap each caramel in small squares of wax paper, twisting the ends to secure. These caramels can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 | 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝟯𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 | 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝟮-𝟯 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀
𝗞𝗰𝗮𝗹: 𝟴𝟬 𝗸𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗹 | 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝟯𝟲 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀

~ Donald Recipes