Old Fashioned Caramels

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 ¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

Line a 9” square pan with foil, making sure it’s big enough to cover sides of pan and have a little over the top of the pan.  Lightly butter foil. 

In heavy saucepan, ( saucepan should be at least a 3 quart pan), melt butter.  Add brown sugar and mix well.  Stir in light corn syrup.  Cook over medium low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is well blended. 

Remove from heat and stir in condensed milk.  Cook over medium heat for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 244 degrees (firm ball stage).

Remove saucepan from heat & stir in vanilla extract.  Pour in buttered foil lined pan.  Shake to make sure mixture is even.  Let cool about 30 minutes. 

When candy has completely set, carefully remove from pan by picking up overlapping sides of foil.  Use a thin blade knife and cut caramels into small pieces, using a sawing like motion.  Wrap pieces individually in waxed paper, or parchment squares.  Store in refrigerator.