OT REPOST Caramel recipe

I've received quite a few emails asking for the recipe, so I am posting it
again. I'm really pleased everybody is enjoying the recipe!

First a few caveats- brown sugar always seems to have tiny to not so tiny
lumps in it. I put the measured brown sugar in a big bowl and sift thru it
with my fingers until I get all those lumps out. They can play havoc with
the candy setting up. Also watch for lumps while cooking the candy- fish
them out with the spoon. And use a wooden spoon so you don't burn your
fingers- candy gets HOT!

Second, I only use Karo brand light corn syrup. It costs more, but every
off brand that I've found has water as one of the first few ingredients.
Karo doesn't list water, so I don't chance the cheaper brands. My candy is
worth the extra dollar or so.

I only use butter- not margarine. My candy is worth that, too. And it has
sooooo many calories what does it matter??? LOL

Boil a pan of water and check your candy thermometer. It should read 212
degrees when the water is rapidly boiling. (Mine read 216!). If it reads
high or low, adjust the temperature when cooking the candy. If it's humid,
cook the candy to 1 or 2 degrees hotter than the recipe calls for. Watch
carefully as you get close to being done- candy tends to stay at one temp
for a while then rise quickly for a few degrees.

Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk and not plain evaporated/condensed
milk- there's a BIG difference in the two.

I make one batch with light brown sugar and put chopped walnuts in it just
before I pour it into the pan. The next batch is made with dark brown sugar
and the third is made with light brown sugar and the chocolate added as
explained in the recipe. YUMMY!!!!!

I use Glad Cling Wrap cut into squares of about 3X3 in. That's the most
time consuming and bothersome part of making caramels- cutting the plastic
wrap and wrapping them!

Okay- here it is:

CARAMELS

1 cup butter or margarine
1 16 oz. package (2-1/4 cups packed) brown sugar
Dash salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate- chopped (optional)

Lightly butter 9X9X2 in. square pan. Set aside.

Melt the 1 c. butter or margarine in a heavy 3 qt. saucepan. Add brown
sugar and salt, stir thoroughly. Stir in corn syrup.

Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk stirring constantly but gently.
(Then add chopped chocolate if using.)

Clip candy thermometer to the side of the pan- do not let the bulb touch the
bottom of the pan. Cook and stir (occasionally) over medium heat to 245
degrees- firm ball stage. This will take 12 to 15 min.

Remove from heat- stir in vanilla (and walnuts if using). Pour into
buttered pan. It will cool more evenly if placed on a wire rack with air
circulation.

When cooled, cut into squares (dip knife into water between cuts if
necessary) and wrap. Makes about 2-1/2 lbs.

Am I right in thinking that the Light Corn Syrup is the UK's Golden Syrup?

Anyone know?

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)



Leslie & The Furbabies in MO. wrote:
I've received quite a few emails asking for the recipe, so I am posting it
again. I'm really pleased everybody is enjoying the recipe!

First a few caveats- brown sugar always seems to have tiny to not so tiny
lumps in it. I put the measured brown sugar in a big bowl and sift thru it
with my fingers until I get all those lumps out. They can play havoc with
the candy setting up. Also watch for lumps while cooking the candy- fish
them out with the spoon. And use a wooden spoon so you don't burn your
fingers- candy gets HOT!

Second, I only use Karo brand light corn syrup. It costs more, but every
off brand that I've found has water as one of the first few ingredients.
Karo doesn't list water, so I don't chance the cheaper brands. My candy is
worth the extra dollar or so.

I only use butter- not margarine. My candy is worth that, too. And it has
sooooo many calories what does it matter??? LOL

Boil a pan of water and check your candy thermometer. It should read 212
degrees when the water is rapidly boiling. (Mine read 216!). If it reads
high or low, adjust the temperature when cooking the candy. If it's humid,
cook the candy to 1 or 2 degrees hotter than the recipe calls for. Watch
carefully as you get close to being done- candy tends to stay at one temp
for a while then rise quickly for a few degrees.

Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk and not plain evaporated/condensed
milk- there's a BIG difference in the two.

I make one batch with light brown sugar and put chopped walnuts in it just
before I pour it into the pan. The next batch is made with dark brown sugar
and the third is made with light brown sugar and the chocolate added as
explained in the recipe. YUMMY!!!!!

I use Glad Cling Wrap cut into squares of about 3X3 in. That's the most
time consuming and bothersome part of making caramels- cutting the plastic
wrap and wrapping them!

Okay- here it is:

CARAMELS

1 cup butter or margarine
1 16 oz. package (2-1/4 cups packed) brown sugar
Dash salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate- chopped (optional)

Lightly butter 9X9X2 in. square pan. Set aside.

Melt the 1 c. butter or margarine in a heavy 3 qt. saucepan. Add brown
sugar and salt, stir thoroughly. Stir in corn syrup.

Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk stirring constantly but gently.
(Then add chopped chocolate if using.)

Clip candy thermometer to the side of the pan- do not let the bulb touch the
bottom of the pan. Cook and stir (occasionally) over medium heat to 245
degrees- firm ball stage. This will take 12 to 15 min.

Remove from heat- stir in vanilla (and walnuts if using). Pour into
buttered pan. It will cool more evenly if placed on a wire rack with air
circulation.

When cooled, cut into squares (dip knife into water between cuts if
necessary) and wrap. Makes about 2-1/2 lbs.

I don't think it is, Sally. I remember looking this up before - but, of
course, I don't remember what I found!
..
In message , Sally Swindells
writes
Am I right in thinking that the Light Corn Syrup is the UK's Golden Syrup?

Anyone know?

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)
--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

I just Googled and found some interesting sites. You can have a look
and see what they say. Leslie does say she uses the one which does not
include water in its contents, so making a sugar syrup might be
counter-productive. Some of the sites say you can substitute golden
syrup if in the UK. A few people say maple syrup could be substituted.
I might try that because I love maple syrup and have some!!
..
In message , Patti
writes
I don't think it is, Sally. I remember looking this up before - but,
of course, I don't remember what I found!
.
In message , Sally Swindells
writes
Am I right in thinking that the Light Corn Syrup is the UK's Golden Syrup?

Anyone know?

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

This site has some, I didn't check the postage.

http://www.americansweets.co.uk/karo...yrup-476-p.asp

Megwen
Bath, England


"Patti" wrote in message
news
I just Googled and found some interesting sites. You can have a look and
see what they say. Leslie does say she uses the one which does not include
water in its contents, so making a sugar syrup might be counter-productive.
Some of the sites say you can substitute golden syrup if in the UK. A few
people say maple syrup could be substituted. I might try that because I
love maple syrup and have some!!
.
In message , Patti
writes
I don't think it is, Sally. I remember looking this up before - but, of
course, I don't remember what I found!
.
In message , Sally Swindells
writes
Am I right in thinking that the Light Corn Syrup is the UK's Golden
Syrup?

Anyone know?

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

Am I right in thinking that the Light Corn Syrup is
the UK's Golden Syrup?

No - Golden Syrup is made from cane sugar.

Corn syrup is sweeter (higher fructose). It's not very common
in the UK - "Karo" is one brand you might find in the "weird
foreign stuff we don't know where to put" corner of the shop.

But Americans tend to like sweet foods much sweeter than we do,
so simply substituting golden syrup might work anyway.

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

Thanks Megwen
I saw mention of that place on one of the other sites I found, but they
said things "cost a mint" so I didn't check it out. I didn't think
theirs was too bad a price? As you say, it might be with the postage
added!
..
In message , Megwen Woodham
writes
This site has some, I didn't check the postage.

http://www.americansweets.co.uk/karo...yrup-476-p.asp

Megwen
Bath, England

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

I've also seen suggestions that glucose syrup is a reasonable substitute
rather than golden syrup. I use it a lot for the very rich but moreish
truffle torte in Delia Smith's christmas book.

Megwen

Bath, England

"Patti" wrote in message
...
Thanks Megwen
I saw mention of that place on one of the other sites I found, but they
said things "cost a mint" so I didn't check it out. I didn't think theirs
was too bad a price? As you say, it might be with the postage added!
.
In message , Megwen Woodham
writes
This site has some, I didn't check the postage.

http://www.americansweets.co.uk/karo...yrup-476-p.asp

Megwen
Bath, England

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

We don't have 'strange foreign foods' here on the wild Suffolk coast -
just lots and lots of good fresh produce from the bakers, butchers and
farm shops. Don't even have one of the big big Supermarkets unless we go
20 miles to Tesco! Don't miss them a bit.

One site I found suggested Glucose syrup, but said it was much more
expensive.

Perhaps its something to add to my shopping list for next year as DH is
seriously talking about another visit to California as DS is flying his
model gliders in a competition in San Diego in June. (Oh dear, I'll have
to be brave and go on a real plane!)

On our last visit my list included all the things I had heard the names
of like Twinkies and Yumyums and HoHos (have I remembered the names
correctly?) Found them all! Brought home some flavoured syrup for coffee
which wasn't around here then - it is now.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)



Jack Campin - bogus address wrote:
Am I right in thinking that the Light Corn Syrup is
the UK's Golden Syrup?

No - Golden Syrup is made from cane sugar.

Corn syrup is sweeter (higher fructose). It's not very common
in the UK - "Karo" is one brand you might find in the "weird
foreign stuff we don't know where to put" corner of the shop.

But Americans tend to like sweet foods much sweeter than we do,
so simply substituting golden syrup might work anyway.

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

Pat, I don't know about using maple syrup. Karo syrup is very thick and
maple syrup tends to be thin. I have no idea how that would affect the
caramels. But if the caramels didn't set up using the maple syrup, then it
makes a lovely apple dip or ice cream topping. Last year I had FIVE batches
fail to set up- my thermometer was off and I wasn't cooking it to a
sufficient temperature- and I ended up with 12.5 pounds of caramel syrup.
NOBODY can use that much apple dip!

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

"Patti" wrote in message
news
I just Googled and found some interesting sites. You can have a look and
see what they say. Leslie does say she uses the one which does not include
water in its contents, so making a sugar syrup might be counter-productive.
Some of the sites say you can substitute golden syrup if in the UK. A few
people say maple syrup could be substituted. I might try that because I
love maple syrup and have some!!
.
In message , Patti
writes
I don't think it is, Sally. I remember looking this up before - but, of
course, I don't remember what I found!
.
In message , Sally Swindells
writes
Am I right in thinking that the Light Corn Syrup is the UK's Golden
Syrup?

Anyone know?

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

--
Best Regards
pat on the hill