Soft Caramels

Steps

1. Fit a sheet of foil into an 8-inch square pan with the ends hanging over two sides, and butter it well.
2. Put the 1 cup butter, the sugar and the corn syrup into a heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter is liquid and the pot is bubbling all over, then stop stirring and let it boil for 4 minutes.
3. Take the pan off the heat and slowly stir in the condensed milk. It will foam up, so pour carefully.
4. Clip on a candy thermometer and set the pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring all the time and scraping the bottom so it does not scorch, until it reaches 238°F to 240°F, the soft-ball stage, about 15 to 20 minutes.
5. No thermometer? Spoon a few drops into ice-cold water. It is ready when they gather into a soft ball that slowly loses its shape out of the water.
6. Remove the pan from the burner and stir in the vanilla. Pour into the lined pan and leave it on the counter until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. Lift the caramel out by the foil, peel the foil away, and cut into 1-inch squares with a buttered knife. Wrap each caramel in a 4-inch square of wax paper, candy-wrapper style.

Good to know

• For softer caramels, stop at 238°F. For firmer, chewier ones that hold a sharp square, cook to 244°F to 246°F, the firm-ball stage.
• If they turn out too soft to hold their shape, scrape the caramel back into the saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water, melt it over low heat, and cook it again to 2 or 3 degrees past where you stopped before.
• Wrapped caramels stay soft and fresh for about 2 weeks in a sealed tin on the counter, and for about 3 months in the freezer.
• Light corn syrup works in place of dark; the caramels will be a little paler and milder.