~Caramels!~

1 batch makes 180-200 pieces. Pre-cut waxed papers can be purchased at Maid of Scandinavia .
Required: 6 quart sauce pan (bigger pan than I used!)
Candy Thermometer
Jelly roll pan
Ingredients: 1 lb. butter
2 lbs. light brown sugar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
16 oz. light Karo syrup (brand is important b/c of water in others)
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar and salt until well blended. Add the syrup and mix well.Add the milk. Stir constantly! Bring mixture to a full boil. Bring to 245 F. on the thermometer.

From the time the mixture boils and reaches temp will take around 25 to 30 min. Depending on room temp and humidity, 245 is not always optimal.

Once the mixture reaches temp drip a little caramel into a glass of very cold water. Test to makes sure it is the consistency you desire.

Remove from heat and add the vanilla. It will sizzle.:)

Pour into buttered pan sitting on a cooling rack or wooden cutting board. As you pour move the pan around to prevent sticking.

cool thoroughly.

Peel the caramel from the pan and cut into desired sized candies. Cutting IS the worst part.

I made just a half batch and it turned out great.

Caramel Apples

This past week we made Caramel using a recipe that Jenny gave me last winter.
My pot was almost too small.:) It turned out very yummy. It was not very hard to do ether.
I saw the idea for mini caramel apples in a magazine at the dentist office. They made it a lot easier for the kids to eat. And we did not waste any apple since we all we happy to eat whatever was left on the core.
Tis the season for APPLES!

English Toffee

Here is a recipe for candy that the girls and I just made. It turned out really yummy.
1/2 lb. Butter (no substitute) 3 T. Karo syrup 1 T. cold water 1 c. sugar 1 1/2 c chopped nuts 1 lg Hershey bar ( or a bunch of choc. chips)
Place 1/2 of nuts on wax paper about the size of 13 x 9 " pan. Mix butter, sugar, syrup and water in heavy sauce pan. cook over high heat until brittle when tested in cold water( soft crack on my thermometer) . Pour hot candy over nuts. put broken chocolate over hot candy and spread. top with remaining nuts. break into pieces when cooled.
for part of mine I put chopped up pieces of candy can with the nut layers. I used the pampered chef chopper thingy.

This picture with the beautiful baby hand was because he saw me taking pictures of it and thought he should help himself to some. It's the sweetest picture.