Christmas Caramel Candy

Dec 11

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Soft, chewy, buttery, rich yumminess! Christmas Caramel Candy is a tried-and-true family recipe. These make the best homemade gifts, especially during the holidays.

I wish I could take credit for this amazing recipe, but this one was given to me by one of the best cooks I know and my Cook of the Week sous chef, Rocco’s godmother. Lori would bring these every year on Christmas Eve. We would all be excited to dive into the bowl as soon as she arrived. It took me several years to ask for the caramel recipe, and probably another two or three years to work up the courage to attempt the recipe. There’s a lot of pressure to duplicate something so perfectly delicious!

The first few times I attempted this recipe was a little like Goldilocks. The first time the results were just a little too light, a little too dark, then just right. The second time the results were a little too soft, a little too hard then just right! Once I learned to trust the candy thermometer and to keep my eyes on the pot, every batch has turned out perfectly. I hope you try this one, you won’t be disappointed! Trust me, there have been 100s of batches of these caramels made in this pot over the last 20 years.

This is not a kid-friendly recipe. The ingredients have to get to 240 degrees to set, which is extremely hot! The ingredients need to boil to reach that temperature, and there is the chance that this will splatter. If the kids want to get involved, I highly recommend saving the wrapping part for the kids. When my kids were younger, I would make a batch after they went to sleep, and I could focus on getting it done without any interruptions. The next morning I could set up for a second batch, while the kids spent their time wrapping the caramels from the first batch. This strategy allowed them to be involved, but not in any danger of burns.

Once you commit to making the caramels, you need to be able to dedicate at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time in front of the stove to watch and stir this mixture. Make sure your pan is buttered before you start, and your vanilla and two good pot holders are nearby. Once the candy thermometer reaches the right temperature, you have to move fast to stir in the vanilla and lift the pot to pour the caramel into the prepared pan.

I’m not a big fan of kitchen gadgets, but here are a few that are a must for me when making caramels. You must have a candy thermometer! The difference between caramel sauce and teeth-cracking caramel is just a few degrees! A large rubber spatula to stir the caramel, allows you to keep your hand away from the boiling sugar. I love to use the Ove Glove to pick up the hot pot and pour the caramels into the prepared pan. The latest find, that I love to use when making caramels are these parchment squares. I found these at the Dollar Tree. There are 100 sheets of 4.5 x 4.5 pre-cut parchment sheets. A total time saver!

My boys aren’t so little anymore! But between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they would all take turns sitting at the counter wrapping caramels. I would usually be busy stirring a second batch, while they wrapped the batch from the day before. These were our standard teacher gifts each year, so the kids were always eager to participate in preparing gifts for their favorite teacher, coach, and especially their bus driver! Wrapping the caramels might honestly be the most time-consuming part of the recipe, but the hours spent with my kids at that counter - priceless!

If you’re looking for a homemade food gift to give out this holiday season, I hope you find the courage to try this recipe! They are delicious, and one recipe makes somewhere between 100-120 depending on how you cut them, so the recipe yields a lot of candy. They are super cute on their own once wrapped in parchment, you can easily put them out in a bowl, or sprinkle them around a cookie platter. There are so many fun and creative ways to present these if you’re thinking about gifting them. Here are a few of my favorites!