Homemade Carmel's

So I am taking a break from my much failed thirty day challenge and sharing with you one of my most favorite beloved recipe.  My Grandma's famous carmel recipe.  These things are amazing and always remind me of the holidays.  There were always plates of them everywhere to have at all the family gatherings.  My Grandma started getting older and was fighting cancer.  She has successfully gone through her cancer treatments and is doing much better, but still not up to par.  This last holiday season she was unable to make these beloved family treat, with this my aunts stepped in and after trial and error succeeded in creating this recipe.  Now I have learned how to make them, and for whatever reason had an extreme craving for them in the middle of August.  Now the recipe my grandma has is very vague and if I were to just write it down you might figure it out, but it would involve high stress and confusion.

Now what you will need is

+2 and 1/2 cups of white sugar
+2 cups of white caro syrup
+3 cups of heavy cream
+1/2 cups of sweetened condensed milk
+1/4 teaspoon of salt
+1 teaspoon of vanilla
+candy thermometer
+jelly roll pan

First get a large (get a big pot, it is better to have too big of a pan then have the carmel's start to boil all over your stove.) heavy duty pan.  The more thick and heavy the pan is the less likely your carmel's will burn on the bottom. (but that has to do with the heat as well) Add in your caro syrup and white sugar. It should look something like this:

Now turn it on to about medium to medium high heat.  You are wanting to get this baby to boil on the lowest heat possible, I usually have mine on about medium heat.  You want to stir it occasionally to get the sugar and caro syrup to incorporate, but do not stir it too much.  

Now that your caro syrup and sugar mixture is boiling set your timer for ten minutes.  Stirring this mixture occasionally.  While your mixture is boiling take small sauce pan add your cream, sweetened condensed milk, and salt.  Once all the ingredients are in the pan you want to heat it up, but whatever you do, do not let it boil.  You are going to be adding this into the caro syrup and sugar mixture and you want it to be hot when you add it.  It should look something like this: 

Now once your cream mixture is hot and your caro syrup and sugar mixture has been boiling for 10 minutes you are going to add the two together.  Take your small sauce pan with the cream mixture and very slowly start pouring a little stream into the caro syrup and sugar mixture.  While pouring make sure you are stirring constantly.  The goal to pouring slow and stirring is YOU WANT TO KEEP THE MIXTURE BOILING.  Make sure your heat is high enough and you are pouring slow enough to keep the boil.  

Now once you have skillfully kept your mixture boiling and all the cream is added pop your candy thermometer into the pan.  I have one with a clip so I just clip it to the side of the pan.  Now is the hardest part.  Being extremely patient.  Again you want this mixture to be always boiling, but on the lowest heat you can.  And whatever you do, DO NOT STIR IT.  I know it is SO tempting but do not stir the mixture. 

Now it should slowly but surely start rising in temperature and darkening in color. 

Notice the color darkening 

And sometimes after 10 minutes it doesn't seem to darken all that much, but do not doubt, and most importantly do not be tempted to turn up the heat or stir them.  Now you need to baby them because they sometimes like to boil more than you think, so if you leave the kitchen, you have a good possibility coming back with it boiling over. 

They keep darkening in color and rising in temperature.  

Now you know they are getting close when the color starts looking like this, and the boil looks a little different.  The most important part is taking them off on the right temperature.  You are probably wondering why I haven't told you the temperature.  It really depends on how chewy or hard you like your carmel's.  Now I personally like them chewy, but on the softer side.  I usually cook mine to about 

+234 to 240 degrees F which is the soft-ball stage. 

 or if you want them not as soft, but still chewy you can cook them to about

+244 to 248 degrees F is the firm-ball stage.

or if you want them more hard you can cook them to about

+250 to 266 degrees F is the hard-ball stage.

It honestly all depends on your preference.  I prefer the soft-ball stage.  A good way to gauge the texture is once it reaches a temperature get a nice big glass of ICE COLD WATER.  Make sure it is ICE COLD.  Then stick the tip of a spoon in the boiling mixture and let the mixture drip it into the water.  It should immediately set up, you can then eat it or feel it to see how done it is.

Now the last little part of the temperature rising always seems to take the longest.  Again do not give into the temptation to stir it or turn up the heat.

Now my temperature was about 230 in this picture.  I only needed it to go about 5 more degrees.  Unfortunately I am a slacker and did not get the picture of it at is final temperature, because it went faster than I expected and didn't want it to get too done.

Now somewhere in all the watching the carmel you need to get a jelly roll pan and butter it.  Do it way before your carmel's will be ready. Don't over butter it, but butter it enough that your carmel's will not stick to the pan, and causing a big sticky mess.  If you are wanting nuts in your carmel's or half nuts half plain sprinkle them on the pan now.

Once your desired temperature is reached take the carmel's off the heat.  Add your vanilla.  I repeat add your vanilla.  This is a step often forgotten due to the pure excitement that this long process is almost over and you want your carmel's.  Don't get too excited that your forget your vanilla, they will still taste pretty darn good, but I promise you need to vanilla.  (And yes, I have forgotten before) Stir in the vanilla, then pour onto your pan.

Now the waiting game.  You have to wait for these bad boys to set and cool.  That is why it is super nice making them in the winter, I just take them outside on the porch.  It may seem forever, but I promise they will cool and set.  Once they do then you can cut them and eat them.

Enjoy!!