Caramel Candy

This recipe comes courtesy of my wonderful MIL! She's made this candy for years and shared the recipe with me a long time ago. It's such a good caramel candy recipe...not grainy...very smooth, creamy and  wonderfully delicious. You can add nuts, or not. I've even rolled it thin and wrapped marshmallows inside..which is particularly yummy. It's easily doubled and I almost always do that because it goes so fast around here. I'm not sure why I only make this at Christmastime...because it's good anytime!

Caramel Candy



2 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 3/4 cup light Karo syrup
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 - 2 cups pecans - optional

In a large pot, mix sugar, 1 cup of the cream, Karo syrup and butter. 

Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. When it reaches a rolling boil, add the remaining 1 cup of cream. 

Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil until mixture reaches the firm-ball stage....about 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. (If you're an experienced candy person, you might not need a thermometer. If you can judge the "firm-ball" stage with a glass of cold water, then have at it!) 

Remove from heat. 

Add vanilla. Add the pecans - chopped or whole. 

Pour into a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish. 

Let caramel cool and set up. Cut into bite-sized squares and wrap in plastic wrap. 

I'm not kidding when I say this is the best caramel candy EVER. So good, you'll want to sit in it. But don't. That would get messy. Just make it.



 
The cast of characters

 
Mix the sugar, 1 cup of cream, Karo and butter in a pot.

 
After it comes to a boil, add the other 1 cup of cream.

 
Boil again...it needs to darken some. 
When it's done, add the vanilla. And 
the nuts if that floats your boat.

 
I made one batch and split it between 
two smaller pans. One with nuts....

 
...and one without.

 
I cut them into about 1.5 inch 
squares..but not perfectly perfect. 
Then I wrapped them individually.