Caramels Homemade caramels (okay, or carmels) from my Grandmother's recipe. She makes hers softer, I make mine chewier...it's just a matter of what ingredients and how long you cook them! Experiment to find how you like them. Ingredients 1 3/4 cup dark Karo syrup 1/2 lb butter 2 cups sugar 1/2 pint whipping cream 1/2 pint half and half 2 teaspoons vanilla Sugar And Fat, Yum! Melt butter in large saucepan. Add syrup, sugar, and half and half. Bring to boil over low heat. When boiling, slowly add the whipping cream. Try not to let the mixture stop boiling as you're adding the cream. Cook to hard ball stage on candy thermometer (or until a bit dropped in cold water becomes hard, but not brittle). Add vanilla, beat by hand, and pour onto greased cookie sheet. Cut into 1" pieces. Cut 2" squares of waxed paper, place caramel in center, fold over and either twist ends or tuck under. Can be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator or freezer. Notes and Hints and Stuff Use the Good Stuff If I say it again, I might scream...but use the good stuff. Real vanilla extract, real butter, heavy whipping cream. Yes, it is more expensive and more fattening, but hey...if you're gonna do it, do it right. Otherwise just buy a bag of Kraft carmels and call it good. Be Patient Depending on your cookware, these can take an hour to cook. I find that the old-fashioned heavy cast aluminium cookware speeds up the time without burning the caramels. But don't crank up the heat, keep it on low to medium low, or you'll find out first hand that sugar burns quite well. Don't Overcook If you overcook this mixture, you will get toffee. It's not bad toffee...but it's not caramel. If it happens, break it apart and dip it in chocolate and crushed nuts, no one will know it was an oops. Don't Undercook If you undercook this mixture, you will have caramel topping. Which is fine, if that's what you want. But if you want caramels, it's kind of a mess. How Do I Cut This Stuff?? I have found two methods work well: pizza cutters and utility shears. If using a pizza cutter, score the caramels while they are still warm, then every 5 to 10 minutes until cool. If using shears, it helps if they're pre-scored, but it isn't necessary.