The Best Holiday Butter Caramel Recipe Ever
Make This Delicious Candy in Different Flavors
Nov 14, 2009
Butter caramels can make a great treat for the holidays. Caramel can be bought in the grocery store but there is a better flavor to the ones you make yourself. It isn't hard to make them and you can even flavor them to make a variety to serve or give as gifts during the holidays.
Caramel candy isn't an old invention. It is hard to say when it was but it was definitely in America and before 1650 when the candies were being made commercially as well as homemade. You need butter and milk or cream to make caramel so it was relatively simple to invent just by cooking. Of course real caramels have a little more to them.
Basic Butter Caramel Recipe
You will need a rectangular cake pan, waxed paper or foil, extra butter for greasing the pan, and a candy thermometer to make this basic recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1-3/4 cups white corn syrup
- 1 cup real butter
- 2 cups sweetened condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
- Line the pan with wax paper or foil and butter it lightly.
- In a heavy sauce pan place the sugar, corn syrup and butter.
- Stir constantly until it starts to bubble.
- Add 1 cup of the condensed milk and stir in well.
- Keep heating until it reaches soft ball stage or 235 to 240 degrees F.
- Add the second 1 cup of condensed milk and vanilla flavoring and keep heating and stirring constantly.
- The temperature of the candy thermometer should keep rising to 265 degrees F or hard ball stage.
- Once it does quickly pour into the prepared pan and distribute it equally in the pan.
- Set aside in a cool area covering it loosely with foil and leave over night.
- Cut into rectangular shapes and roll in squares of wax paper twisting each end to seal.
- These won't last very long but you really won't have to worry about that.
The following are variations on the above recipe so that you can make different flavors of butter caramels.
Molasses Caramels
Use the above basic recipe to make a molasses flavored caramel. Use only 1 cup of white corn syrup and ¾ cup of molasses.
Chocolate Caramels
Use the above basic recipe to make chocolate caramels. Use 1-1/2 cup sugar and ½ cup cocoa powder then add ¾ cup of semi sweet or milk chocolate chips when you add the second cup of condensed milk. Use a wire whip to stir in and make sure the chocolate chips melt all the way. Want something that will wake up the taste buds? Instead of the vanilla add ¼ teaspoon chili powder.
Raspberry Caramels
Instead of using vanilla in the basic recipe use 3 teaspoons raspberry extract. You can also add a little red food coloring to make the caramels look pink. Want something really yummy and different. Add the raspberry extract to the chocolate caramels instead of the vanilla. This works particularly well with semi sweet chocolate caramels.
Orange Caramels
Instead of using vanilla in the basic recipe use 4 teaspoons orange extract. This also works really good with either semi sweet or milk chocolate caramels.
Maple Caramels
Instead of using vanilla in the basic recipe use 3 teaspoons maple flavoring.
Espresso Caramels
Instead of using vanilla in the basic recipe use 2 teaspoons espresso powder. Chocolate caramels also taste wonderful with this addition of espresso but add one more teaspoon of butter to the recipe to make up for all the powders you are adding.
Once your caramel is in the pan you can sprinkle things on top like 1 cup chopped nuts, crushed peppermint sticks, raisins, cranberries, or mini marshmallows. Be creative and make all kinds of flavors. Caramels are some of the most loved candies of all time and they are a great way to celebrate the holidays.
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