Homemade Caramels

These melt-in-your-mouth caramels taste like a little piece of heaven. Mmmmm, add them to your Christmas goodies this year!

1 cup butter

1 16 oz. pkg. brown sugar (2 1/4 cups, packed)

2 cups light cream

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter a 9 x 13 pan.

In a heavy 3-quart saucepan melt butter, add brown sugar, cream and corn syrup. Mix well.  Stir with a wooden spoon over med-high heat to boiling. Stir every few minutes, and clip a candy thermometer to the side. Boil over med heat till it reaches 248º, firm-ball stage. Start testing the temp after it looks like the mixture has thickened and is boiling lower in the pot.

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, pour into prepared pan. Let cool completely. (I let mine set over night.) Cut into 1 in. pieces and wrap in wax paper squares. Makes about 2 pounds.

 If you want to add nuts, sprinkle the bottom of the pan with chopped nuts before you pour in the caramel.

Fudge, sooooo good!

4C sugar

12 oz evaporated milk

1 C butter

3 C chocolate chips (2 11 oz bags - I use Guittard: one semi-sweet and one milk)

1 bag walnuts

1. Mix together sugar and milk in a large, heavy saucepan (the sugar/milk will double in volume).

2. Put on just-below-medium heat. You don't want to bring to a boil too quickly, or you will scorch the sugar/milk and get grainy fudge. And DON'T STIR!!

3. Once the sugar/milk begins a rolling boil (in my hands, this happens at 216ºF), continue to boil for exactly 11 minutes (in my hands, the temperature rises to about 225ºF). DON'T STIR!!

4. Take off heat and add the butter and chocolate chips, and mix vigorously (it's a bit of a workout). If you did the heating part right, the mixture will be really shiny. If you scorched the sugar/milk, or stirred while heating, it will be grainy. Some people say to keep mixing until you get a satin sheen. I've done this or not, with little difference in the result.

5. Stir in the chopped walnuts.

6. Put in a buttered 9X13 pan.

7. Let set overnight.

Homemade CANDY CORN

Back to Candy Corn Season!

I found an easy recipe online for making them at home, and thought it was worth a try. Takes just one saucepan and common ingredients. A willingness to roll out long "snakes." A knife to cut recognizable triangles...easy enough.

The end product is tasty. A bit softer and chewier than store-bought (we'll see if they harder a bit over night), but good when eaten in moderation.

HOMEMADE CANDY CORN
1 C. Sugar
2/3 C Corn Syrup
1/3 C Butter
1 tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 C Powdered Sugar
1/3 C Dry Powdered Milk
1/4 tsp Salt
Red & Yellow Food Coloring

1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter. Bring to a boil over high heat while stirring constantly, then reduce to medium and continue to boil for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
2. Remove mixture from heat and add vanilla.
3. Combine the powdered Sugar, powdered Milk, and salt in a separate bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients to the saucepan, mixing thoroughly.
5. Allow the dough to sit until it's cool enough to handle.
6. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
7. Add Food coloring: one orange, one yellow, one uncolored or white.
8. Knead the dough until smooth and colors are even.
9. Roll each part into a long, thin rope.
10. Lay the three ropes along side each other, with the orange in the middle (oops, I switched the order). Press the colors together gently, to keep the sections together.
11. Cut the dough into triangles using sharp knife. Gently shape the "kernels" with your fingers, if needed (can also make a small bit of green dough to create the pumpkins).
12. Allow the candy to sit for a while to harden.
13. You'll end up with over a pound* of homemade candy corn! Some with yellow tips, and some with the traditional white tips!