Everyone at work knows I am a food and wine blogger. At Christmas time, Judie, who I work with, brought me a tin of handmade caramels that she told me were a family heirloom. Her Aunt Mary’s caramel recipe is loved by everyone in her family, but Judie is the only one to carry on the tradition of caramel-making. Since the caramels were some of the best I have had, I implored her for the recipe, but alas, she would not part with it.
Come January, and my 40th birthday, Judie brought me a mini gift bag with, to my surprise and joy, a copy of Aunt Mary’s Caramel recipe in it. It is with Judie’s approval that I share the recipe with all of you.
Ingredients:
- 14-ounce can of condensed milk
- 1 cup dark corn syrup
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 sticks (½ pound) butter, divided
- Fleur de sel or gray salt (optional)
- Add the condensed milk, corn syrup, brown sugar, cider vinegar and one stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to medium-low and stir constantly for 12 minutes.
- Add the remaining stick of butter and bring back to a boil. Continue cooking at a boil for 13 minutes, or at soft ball stage ~ 245 – 250 degrees F.
- Pour mixture into a buttered 8×8 or 7×10 metal pan and allow to cool overnight at room temperature.
- Once cooled completely, unmold the caramel onto a cutting board, cut into 1” squares, sprinkle with gray salt (optional) and wrap in wax paper.
Yields about 65 caramel squares.
Notes: Do not double the recipe. Make sure you wear a mitt when pouring the hot liquid into the pan to prevent burns from any splattering.
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