Vanilla Caramels
These chewy caramels are melt in your mouth fabulous!

Have you ever had one of those recipes that makes you look like you actually know what you are doing in the kitchen?
This is one of those recipes.
I had decided that candy thermometer of mine was not to intimidate me any longer.
I was bound and determined to feel totally comfortable cooking with it.
The only way to do that is to actually use it.
That is when my quest for the perfect caramel began.
So after doing some research, I used a recipe by David Lebovitz. You can get the recipe
here.
I brought the caramels to work, to find out what my panel of taste testers thought of it.
While it was quite good, we all wanted something not as hard, a little softer.
So I tried a Barefoot Contessa recipe. You can get the recipe
here.
Please don’t go out and buy that expensive French Fleur de Sel salt.
I used kosher salt and it was fine.
The problem with Ina’s recipe is that, I didn’t cook it long enough.
It ended up way to soft.
I think my candy thermometer was off.
I calibrated it by putting it in a pot of boiling water.
If your thermometer reads 212 (boiling point of water) then you are good.
Mine was off by five degrees.
On this batch I adjusted my five degrees and it turned out perfect.
So repeat after me.
If you want a chewy caramel you must cook it to 250 degrees.
Fahrenheit y’all, Fahrenheit.
Let me repeat this again, if you want a chewy caramel you must cook it to 250 degrees.
No more or no less.
If you cook it less, it wont set up.
If you cook it more, you will crack a tooth.
Look on the bright side, at least your dentist will love you.

Vanilla Caramels
Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 stick salted butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
Parchment paper for wrappingNOT WAX PAPER
Directions:
Line a 9×12 inch baking dish with parchment paper or foil. Make sure you bring it over the sides to use as a handle later. DO NOT USE WAX PAPER. THE WAX WILL MELT AND RUIN YOUR CARAMELS. Set aside
Combine sugar syrup and butter in a large saucepan. Stir to combine. When butter is melted, add in the condensed milk. Attach the candy thermometer and bring to a full boil. Mix constantly until it reaches 250. When the caramel is at the right temperature, remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla.
Pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with sea salt. Allow caramel to cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.
When caramel is set, use a spatula to wedge the whole piece of caramel out of the pan. If you used foil or parchment paper remove it with the handles and peel it away from the caramels. Once cool, cut into strips and then into small pieces.
Wrap the caramels in parchment paper and enjoy.



Peace be with you,
Veronica
Can you clarify this for me:
“When the caramel is at the right temperature, remove the pan from the heat and add the beer.” “Beer”? Where did that come from? Do you mean the vanilla?
Yes, that is vanilla. Good catch Libby. Perhaps I should have gotten you to edit it for me before I posted. LOL
Beer, vanilla, whatever, right?
I recently purchased a candy thermometer but have yet to use it. Now you have me thinking I want to try something like this
These look intimidating to me! 🙂 I think my candy thermometer is off too. It is like the dial got twisted off and “decalibrated” it. I think I need to save up for a digital one before I try to tackle caramels.
I too have a new candy thermometer still in it’s package. I’ve bookmarked these caramels to try in the future. If they turn out as lovely as yours, I may package them for gifts next Christmas!
I too have a new candy thermometer still in it’s package. I’ve bookmarked these caramels to try in the future. If they turn out as lovely as yours, I may package them for gifts next Christmas!
I’ve had some success with my cheap candy thermometer. I need to give these a try! Love caramels!
Oh, I love caramels…and yours are perfect! Love your photos, too.
There’s any chance to do this without corn syrup? Is almost impossible to get here, and if you do, is extremly expensive…
I am not sure Luisa. I have never made this without corn syrup. Perhaps honey will work better. try this recipe http://www.two-tarts.com/2011/12/vanilla-caramels-with-sea-salt.html I have not tested it so I cant speak for how good it its. It replaces the corn syrup with honey.