Fool Proof Caramel Disaster?!?

Question

Does anyone have a recipe of homemade caramel that will set up nicely and softly and a cooled batch of brownies. I am not looking for a frosting, just strait caramel. I have used the Cooks Illustrated version time and time again but I cant seem to heat the sugar to 360 at a low temperature without burning it. Please help, I am desperate!

Answer 1

Best Ever Carmels

2 c. sugar
3/4 c. white Karo syrup
1/2 c. butter
1 c. cream

Bring to boil over low heat in heavy pan. Slowly add another cup of cream, stir cook slowly to 250 degrees on candy thermometer or to a soft hard ball stage. Pour into 9 x 13 buttered pan. Don't scrape. Cool.

Carmels

1/2 c. Eagle brand sweetened condensed
milk
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. Karo white corn syrup
1 c. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook all 5 ingredients until it reaches 240 degrees; add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Bring back to 240 degrees; pour in buttered 9 x 9 pan. When cooled, cut and wrap in waxed paper.

Hope the helps.........

Answer 2

CARAMEL CANDY

1/2 stick butter
1 cup canned evaporated milk
2 cups sugar
16 large marshmallows
1/4 cup sugar, caramelized
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups broken pecan pieces

Melt butter around the sides and bottom of a heavy saucepan. Add milk and sugar. Stir with wooden spoon toward the center of the pan. Add marshmallows.
Place 1/4 cup sugar in small pan to caramelize (a cast iron pan works well but is not required). Turn pan frequently to prevent burning.

Transfer melted sugar into the larger pan, stirring constantly. Lower the heat, and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 238°F, stirring often; set aside to cool to 110°F.

Stir in vanilla and pecans, continuing to stir until the candy will hold its shape. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto buttered wax paper, parchment paper or silicone sheets.

Makes approximately 30 pieces.

Answer 3

Hi...I am hesitant to recommend any recipe I haven't tried but I saved this and it got rave reviews. If you watch Martha Stewart's show there is a woman she's had on twice who cooks for a Southern family--Dorothy Mae Brown.. She is a hoot and everyone went crazy about her stuff. This is part of an Apple cake recipe (which is know is good as it is almost identical to my apple cake, a recipe I spent years perfecting!). She serves it with this Caramel Sauce. (I usually serve mine with fresh chantilly whipped cream). Looks like this would be great drizzled on brownies...YUM!

I remember her saying it always comes out perfectly and it seemed super easy to make. I thought it would go well with lots of things. So here it is...if you try it please let me know if it's as good as folks said (there were tons of raves on the message boards there). It sound super simple and no measuring of temp. I'll put a link to a picture of it...I saved that when I saved the recipe in Mastercook. I know it's talked about in the message forums but didn't save that url. Hope this helps!

Caramel Sauce

1 cup light-brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Pinch salt

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened to desired consistency.

Answer 4

Fool Proof Caramel Disaster. LOL
MICROWAVE CARAMEL CORN
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. margarine
1/4 c. white Karo syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. baking soda
3-4 qt. popped corn, not salted
1 lg. brown paper grocery bag

Combine all ingredients except soda and popcorn in 2 quart microwave dish. Bring to a boil and cook, full power, 2 more minutes. Stir 1/2 way through. Add baking soda. Put popped corn in paper bag. Pour hot mixture over corn, close bag and shake well to mix. Cook in bag on full power 1 minute. Remove bag from microwave and shake or stir again. Cook on full power 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. (Depending on how powerful your microwave is.) Pour in pan to cool. Store in tight container, unless you eat it all first.

Answer 5

Caramel shortcut

1 tin of carnation condensed milk

take top off cover with cling film and boil in pot of water for 3 -4 hours keeping water just under top of can. make a sweet pastry in flan tin , cover with carmel and top with cream or chocolate.enjoy.
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Bacon Caramel

Bacon caramel like a chewy SKOR Bar with bacon. How much more of a comforting flavour combination could there ever be?

To do this, you'll need a couple of things beforehand, namely a pyrex dish or a couple of deep cookie sheets. You'll also need a candy thermometer and a silicone spatula, which is great for keeping the crevices of your saucepan from solidifying.

Start by frying up a good portion of bacon. I used about 300 grams worth, or 3/4 of a package. Cook as much as you can to be nice and crispy, without burning anything, which can be done over medium low heat.

Once the bacon's finished cooking, blot it well and remove any stubborn fatty bits that refuse to become crispy. Then trim it down into large-ish bacon bits that'd work nicely in a Caesar salad. Reserve in paper towel to promote further fat drainage.

Add to a deep saucepan the following:

1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
3-4 oz bourbon or maple syrup.

Over low to medium heat, dissolve everything while stirring constantly. Get your candy thermometer ready and then turn up the heat until reaches 240°F. Don't forget to keep stirring!

At that point, you'll be at the firm-ball stage and things should look a lot like this: (pic on website below)

Remove your pot from heat and then slowly stir in another 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

Then, put the pot back on the stove and heat it back up to 245°F while stirring still. Then, pour the mixture into a buttered Pyrex dish or deep cookie sheet.

Immediately afterward, add the bacon. Be sure to make it an even application!

And hey! I had some toasted almonds left over from dinner the night before, so I added those as well.

Then, let everything cool for at least 3 hours before cutting the bacon caramel into squares.

Serve it up to those without pancreatic issues and watch their eyes light up before they they begin to bounce off the walls!
http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/1...
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Vegan Caramels

Melt:
1 c vegan margarine

Add:
2 ¼ c brown sugar
dash salt
1 c corn syrup
3 cups vegan sweetened condensed soy milk (3 cups=3 times recipe below)

heat until boils
reduce heat and cook /stir until 245 on candy thermometer
remove from heat

Add:
1 tsp.vanilla

pour into greased 9x9
fridge overnight
stand at room temp 30 min
cut and wrap

TIPS: For Chocolate caramels add:
2 sq unsweetened choc w/ milk or 6 T cocoa and 2 T oil.


Sweetened Condensed Soy or Rice Milk (Slow Method) (for vegan caramels)

INGREDIENTS
o3 cups soy or rice milk
o1/2 cup sugar (or equivalent)
oVanilla, to taste
oPinch of salt

METHOD
Put 3 cups liquid soy milk or rice milk in a saucepan, and add 1/2 cup sugar or equivalent. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until volume is reduced to 1 cup. Add vanilla to taste, and a pinch of salt. Cool. Store in fridge.