25 Days of Holiday Treats: Christmas Caramels

ByGuest Updated on Everyday

Want to blow your friends and family away this holiday season with your prowess in the kitchen? This is your recipe. These homemade caramels are rich, decadent, melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Now, I’m not going to lie—they are also a bit time consuming. You’ll want to enlist a friend or family member for help wrapping these caramels up, but it’s all worth it in the end!

Stick them in the freezer and pull them out by the dozen every time you need to give a gift or do some entertaining.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sugar
  • 3 cups dark karo syrup
  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

*Note: You need a candy thermometer for this recipe.

Directions

  1. Combine sugar, syrup, and two cups cream on low heat.
  2. When hot, increase the heat until mixture boils hard.
  3. Watch to see it doesn’t boil over. Boil to 236 degrees.
  4. Add one cup of cream slowly and boil again to 236.
  5. Add the last cup of cream slowly and the butter and salt. Boil to 236.
  6. Stir in vanilla, then quickly pour into a greased jelly-roll sheet pan to cool.
  7. When cool, cut into bite-size pieces and wrap in waxed paper.

*Takes about one hour to cool, yields five pounds of candy.