Sally's Caramels

Homemade caramels are pure alchemy: cream, sugar, butter, and patience turn into glossy, golden squares that pull just right between your teeth. The reward is worth every minute of stirring.

Adding the cream in two stages is the move that sets these apart. The second cup goes in slowly, a little at a time, so the mixture never stops boiling. Keeping it at a rolling boil builds that deep, toasty caramel flavor.

Watch for stray sugar crystals on the sides of the pot. Brushing them down with a wet pastry brush keeps a single crystal from seeding the whole batch and turning your caramels grainy.

A thermometer is your best friend here. Pull the caramel at the firm-ball stage and you get a soft, chewy bite; cook it hotter and it sets hard as a rock.

Grease the pan before you start, not after, because once the caramel is ready it waits for no one.

Vanilla goes in off the heat at the very end, where its aroma survives instead of cooking away.

Pro Tips

• Use a candy thermometer and pull the pot right at the firm-ball stage, around 238°F (114°C), for soft, chewy caramels.
• Stir almost constantly near the end, since caramel scorches fast once it climbs past the halfway point.
• Brush the sides down with a wet brush throughout to dissolve crystals and avoid graininess.
• Let the caramels set fully before cutting, then wrap squares in wax paper so they do not stick together.

Variations

• Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top before they set for salted caramels.
• Stir in toasted pecans for caramel turtles.
• Dip cooled squares in melted chocolate for a candy-bar finish.