Make soft caramel candy from scratch with this easy tutorial. Instead of buying caramels this year, make them yourself with a few ingredients and patience! Homemade caramel is best. Caramel sauces and candies sold in stores are sweet with little caramel flavour and contain unnecessary ingredients for shelf stability.
Before you start the recipe, line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. The caramel mixture needs to be poured into the pan as soon as it's done cooking!
1
Cut butter into tablespoon pieces and melt in a large saucepan. I recommend Danish Creamery butter for best results. Most brands have 82–83% butterfat, but it has 85%. Extra fat makes caramel candy melty and creamy.
2
Combine the mixture by whisking. The caramel mixture must be constantly stirred while boiling. It should reach 236°F–240°F, the soft ball stage.
3
When caramel reaches soft ball stage, remove from heat. Mix in the salt and vanilla before pouring the caramel into the baking dish. After 1 hour at room temperature, the caramel must chill in the fridge for 2 hours before slicing.
4
By using a sharp knife that has been coated in non-stick cooking spray, I find that it is the easiest way to cut the caramel into pieces that are suitable for snacking.