Grandma's Caramels

I don't know who was the first person to come up with the idea of boiling syrup, cream, more sugar into a cauldron of caramelly goodness, but super happy someone went down that path and created this type of candy. This is not really my grandmother's recipe, but I bet she did make some version of boiled sugar-and-cream. This is my version of a combination of at least 4 recipes, and one that we make often to gift. Certainly, my mom and I made this together a number of times, and used the 2 hours of stirring to have some great chats and laughs.

Here, we make a massive batch of candy -- enough to keep some and give some and make many people happy. If making more than one batch, do them one at a time or in separate pots. Do not double and try to boil at once as the mixture increases in volume when it starts to boil.

If looking for fun mix-ins, 1 cup toasted pecans (or other favorite nuts) are very tasty. 1 - 2 T coffee grounds (finely ground) is really good, too.

This caramel is also great for keeping on hand for recipes like in brownies or other bars, cookies and other treats.

Also a quick thought on special equipment: the candy thermometer mentioned in the recipe below is a nice-to-have sort of kitchen tool that easily monitors your mixture's temperature, neatly clipping to the side of the pan, out of your stirring spoon's way. I actually prefer to use a instant read thermometer but if this is the option you opt for, be sure that when you are measuring the temp, you do not allow the end of the probe to hit the bottom of the pan, but rather in the middle of the mixture so you get an accurate reading. I love my instant read thermometer, and will choose it every time over a candy thermometer partly because it is a very cool gadget that sits on the fridge with it's built-in magnet, and partly because we move often, so the fewer single-use kitchen gadgets I drag around the globe, the better. Use what you have and love.

Grandma's Caramels

Yield: 120 1-inch pieces of caramelly goodness

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vanilla extract

32 tablespoons (454g or 1 pound) unsalted butter

4 cups (907g) half-and-half

2 cups (624g) light corn syrup or cane syrup (Lyle's is great)

3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar

3 cups (600 g) light brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons table salt

flaky sea salt, for topping, optional; for salty caramels

Directions

Butter two 8" x 8" or 10 1/2" x 6 1/2" pans. You can also line the pans with parchment and butter that; this will help with getting the slab of caramel out of the pan later. Measure the vanilla into a small container, and set it aside for later.

Cut the butter into 1" chunks, to help it melt faster. Combine the cut-up butter, half & half, corn or cane syrup, sugars, and salt in a heavy-bottom, 5- to 6-quart saucepan. Make sure you use a pan with high sides.

Heat the mixture over medium-low heat until everything has melted, stirring constantly. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.

Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 248°F. Note: As the mixture boils it will become thicker and thicker and the frothy bubbles will give way to a more blurpy bubble that resembles thick lava, and the color will turn more golden amber. This happens gradually, but you'll notice it around 230°F and higher. This is when you really have to pay attention and watch the temperature carefully, as it tends to move more quickly from 230°F up. The whole process will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours so get comfortable, turn on the holiday music or get a good audiobook going.

Once the mixture hits 248°F, remove the pan from the heat, and keeping the pot an arm's length away, carefully stir in the vanilla; the mixture will bubble up and boil, splattering as the moisture in the vanilla boils off. Stir well to combine, and then pour the caramel into the prepared pans. Often at the bottom of the pot, there will be a darker residue-filled portion; don't add any residue from the pot into the pans; instead, scrape it into a separate container. Baker's treat!

Wait 30 minutes, then sprinkle with coarse-flake sea salt.

Cover the candy securely, and refrigerate.

Once firm, you're ready to cut and wrap. Remove the candy from the pan by loosening its edges with a knife or offset spatula, and banging the pan on a cutting board until the slab releases from the pan. Or lift it out, if you used the parchment liner. Note: Allow the candy to warm up a bit if it's hard, or it'll shatter when you bang the pan.

Cut the caramels into 1-inch squares, and wrap each in waxed or parchment paper. Enjoy! Or gift and let your friends enjoy! Store in the refrigerator for longest shelf life. Wrapped caramels can also be frozen.