Homemade Caramels

I love this time of year!
The weather is FINALLY starting to get cool. My Christmas tree is up, and ALL my Christmas shopping is done! Now, I get to focus on sitting back, relaxing and enjoying this beautiful season.
I love baking and making homemade goodies to send out as Christmas gifts. This year I made a bunch of cute bags, out of plain brown lunch bags, and decorated them. These will be perfect to package up all my goodies in!

The treat I’m going to share with you are my homemade caramels. This is my Christmas tradition. My family and friends go NUTS for these! I only make these once a year (they are too dangerous to have around!) I usually make these, package them up, and give them away…right away! That way I won’t be too tempted by having them in the house!

Here is what you need:

• 1  cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1  cup butter
• 1  16-ounce package (2-1/4 cups) packed brown sugar
• 1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1  cup light-colored corn syrup
• 1  teaspoon vanilla

Here’s what you do:
1. Line an 8x8x2- or 9x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter the foil. If desired, sprinkle walnuts onto bottom of pan. Set pan aside.
2. In a heavy 3-quart saucepan melt butter over low heat:


Add brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk and corn syrup; mix well. Cook and stir over medium-high heat till mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Reduce heat to medium; continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, stirring frequently, till the thermometer registers 248 degree F, firm-ball stage (45 to 60 minutes).


3. Remove saucepan from heat; remove thermometer. Stir in vanilla. Quickly pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Ciera loved helping stir the caramel ingredients!

When caramel mixture is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan. Use a buttered knife to cut into 1-inch squares. Wrap each piece in wax paper (this is the time consuming part, this recipe makes LOTS of caramels!)
For another fun idea, you can roll the caramels into a ball, dip them in some melted dark chocolate and sprinkle some sea salt over them. Homemade dark chocolate, sea salt caramels. Seriously…can it get any better?!

I hope you enjoy my caramels. This month I will continue to post my favorite treats and recipes to give away as gifts. Hopefully give you some good ideas. Treats are always fun to give {and receive} and don’t have to cost a fortune!
ENJOY, and happy happy December!