- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, and sweetened condensed milk in a large, heavy saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the ingredients are well combined.
- Continue cooking over medium heat until the caramel reaches 240°F (120°C), stirring occasionally, and making sure it doesn't burn.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the mixture into a well-greased pan.
- Once it has cooled, cut it into pieces (you can make them as small as you prefer, but smaller pieces are recommended).
- Wrap each piece in small squares of plastic wrap.
Notes:
It is recommended to use a kitchen thermometer to measure the temperature. If you don't have corn syrup, you can substitute it with a homemade sugar syrup: heat 1 1/4 cups of sugar with 1/3 cup water until the mixture becomes syrupy.
Tips:
- Do not let the thermometer touch the sides or bottom of the pan.
- While waiting for the caramel to cool, cut the plastic wrap into 4-inch squares.
- Be careful with the hot caramel! Don’t lick the wooden spoon!
- If the caramel doesn’t harden when cooled, scrape it back into the pan and reheat it, making sure it reaches the correct temperature.
- If the caramel takes too long to reach 240°F, don't be afraid to turn the heat up.
- And one last thing: resist the temptation to eat more than five pieces in a row, or your stomach might complain!
Recipe & Photo Credit: As Minhas Receitas