Homemade Caramels

I have always shied away from homemade candy. There's the fussiness of thermometers, and trying to figure out "soft ball" and "hard ball" stages. I think we tried to make candy in Home Ec (oh, there - I've just dated myself - good job Lis) and it was a resounding disaster. So for the better part of 30 years, I've been content to buy my candy and make other things.

Well not yesterday, folks.

I know there's a lot of controversy right now about Pinterest. I'm in "wait and see mode" at this point - I'm currently keeping my boards but re-pinning very cautiously to be sure I'm pinning the original, etc. Anyway, I found two recipes I simply could not avoid trying. Today I'll tell you about the Microwave Caramels. Yeah you heard me - mic-ro-wave.

That got my attention, too.



Then I read the recipe here. And this recipe says it takes...wait for it...

6 minutes

to go from a bowlful of ingredients to rich luscious caramels.

Hey, it's 9 PM and I have 6 minutes! Sold!

I pulled out my ingredients last night. As I was shaking my can of condensed sweetened milk, I casually glanced at the stamped date at the bottom. 2008. Hmmm. *Consider consequences of eating. Can looks good, no bulging, no rusting. Opened can, smells just fine. Smells quite delicious, in fact.*

We're still in business.

It was at this point that I decided a double batch would be a good idea. This way I would not have half a can of expired condensed milk on my hands. I hate waste. So, double batch it is.

Butter. Butter. Grab an unsalted cube from the fridge, still rock solid cold. Hmmm. *It's going in the microwave anyway. It'll melt. Throws in hard cube of butter.*

Mixed. Nuked. Stirred every 2 minutes as instructed. Poured into a lightly greased baking sheet as instructed. Waited for it to set up. Waiting. Waiting. Poked it to be sure. Waiting. Put it in the garage where it's cold. Put it in the fridge where it's colder.

Not gonna happen. It was gummy - not runny like a syrup but not firm enough to do anything with. Except taste.

It tastes fantastic.

Did I mention I hate waste?

It was then I decided on a drastic plan - re-cook it! Into the microwave with you for 8 minutes now, stirring every 2. As I watched it bubble up, I started to feel hopeful. In my few candy attempts in the past, I seemed to recall that sugary bubbling and foaming was a good thing.

Poured into a new lightly greased pan.

Moderate success! They firmed up enough to cut but not enough to keep their shape at room temp. So I wrapped them in waxed paper and put them in the fridge.

At 2 AM.

So as long as they stay cold, they are nice firm caramels. And they are great for breakfast.

Key takeaways:
1. If your milk is expired, your caramels might not set up.
2. If your butter is hard, you probably need to not be lazy and melt it first.
3. If your caramels haven't bubbled hard within the 6 minutes, add a few more minutes.
4. If you make a double batch, you might need to add some cooking time. See number 3.
5. Runny caramels are still excellent when scooped up and eaten using a spoon.
6. Factor in wrapping time when considering making a double batch. See number 4.
7. The internet can be full of wonderful recipes that lie to you about how long they take in the real world.

Later taters!
Lisa