Aunt Emily's Soft Caramels

I made this recipe about 2 years ago and it was amazing!!!! I tried making it last year for Christmas, and had bad results which turned out to be a bad candy thermometer. I tried making them twice this year with a brand new, calibrated thermometer, and they turn out really hard every time! I cooked to exactly 244 (actually, 241 since I'm 1500 feet above sea level, so I adjust the temp down 3 degrees).

Do I just need to experiment? Also, one of the other posters noticed the whipping cream used to be heavy whipping cream. Perhaps that's an issue? Which one is it supposed to be?

I regularly double the batch size - the key is to use an 8-quart stock pot so you have ample room to accommodate the increased volume of ingredients. The only downside is that it takes twice as long to wrap them all! This is a superb recipe that is enjoyed and regularly requested by everyone that has tried them. PS: Sprinkling them with sea-salt after letting them cool for a few minutes is definitely worth trying if you haven't already done so!

I just made these candies last night, they are fantastic. Followed the recipe and they are perfection! Cut and wrapped in wax paper and headed to our family Easter ! Must say i'm impressed thank you for a GREAT recipe.

I made this and i am cooling them. How long are we supposed to cool them, and where? They look great though.

I have made several batches and all were perfect. Thanks for the great recipe!

I use this recipe over and over and over again....so fail proof if you follow the instructions precisely!!!

Excellent recipe really enjoyed those caramels. My first time making the caramels and turned out amazing. Whole family enjoys them now. :)

Delish but mine came out way sticky and super extra soft. They stuck to the pan and took a ton of patience to try cut and wrap them. And they stuck to the wrapping. Really bummed. Any suggestions?

I tried this last night and as a first timer was nervous it wouldn't turn out right but they are delicious! I only made a half batch and they turned out great 6 people have already enjoyed these.

I've never made caramels before but wanted to so I found this one and wow. A candy thermometer is very important. The only thing is that I hare to keep putting it in the refrigerantor while cutting it. It kept getting rather soft. Not to soft but it made it easier to cut cold.

I made this last night, cooked it to 142 - 143 degrees. I left it to cool over night and it seperated! Looks like creamy butter in top, and clear dark colored in bottom. Any idea what I did wrong? I make candies a lot and have never had this problem. Is that what happens when you undercook? Maybe my thermometer is off? Way off? The only thing is that I feel like it had been boiling for like a half hour.

I tried this recipe out, but I didn't have a candy thermometer. I did the ice water trick and it turned out great, so I thought my caramels were done. I ended up having caramel soup. So if you are to try this recipe or making carames in general, I suggest you use an actual candy thermometer. Yet the recipe does make the most delicious caramels in the world and I loved eating my caramel soup!

I was so nervous to make caramels b/c I have never made candy before. I followed the recipe and made sure not to stir after it started boiling and they turned out great. It took a long time to get to 244 degrees so just be patient. Thanks for the great recipe. This will be a Xmas tradition for me!

I'm having a bad caramel year. First too hard (discovered my thermometer was off by 20 degrees!) and this time I undercooked them. Can I re-heat the undercooked batch to get it to the proper temp?

Thanks.

I've never made caramels before, and this recipe turned out perfect! The only issue I've had is, as soon as my thermometer reads 240, the syrup starts to get brown spots, and I can't seem to stop this from happening.

I've made about 6 batches so far, and every single one has worked just fine for me. I even cut some into little squares, and dipped them in chocolate and topped it with sea salt. Yum!

My caramels turned out really hard, is there any way to fix this? Can I put it in a double boiler melt it and add more cream? I wanted touse them for making turtles!

I really enjoyed this Recipe, I added a 1/2 A cup of Peanut Butter, it was Wonderful! Great Reicpe Thank-You! Happy Holidays. God Bless Everyone!

I tried these today. The instructions, I felt, were very clear. But after I allowed them to cool completely, they were so hard that I could not cut them. Any suggestions on what I did wrong? Do you pour the mixture in a metal or glass pan? Does that make a difference? I did continue to stir after the mixture began to boil. I know it must be me, as others had good luck with them. Any suggestions? Thank you.

I wish you had mentioned in the instructions not to scrape down the sides of the pan with the occatsional stir. I have a pan of grainy caramels that I had wanted to use as gifts....bummer

can i substitute 2 cups of half n half in place of the milk and the whipping cream? i have made it exactly as the recipe calls for and it turned out wonderful. i was just wondering about the half n half substitution because i always have that on hand and don't always have the whipping cream because it is pricey.

i was just wondering, do they HAVE to be stored in the fridge?

We have made this recipe for over 15 years. It is the best. It started as something to help keep the kids busy a few days before Christmas and quickly became a tradition for gifts for teachers and friends. Everyone loves them.

I made this caramel and it came out PERFECT!! I am so pleased because I used another recipe and the caramel was kind of grainy but so delicious....I will be using this recipe from now on and like a few other reviewers here I used substituted an additional cup of whipping cream for the the milk and made an addition to one other ingredient to make it my own recipe. Absolutely delicious!!

This is a great recipie It takes practice and a good candy thermometer to have consistant results.Best caramels I have ever had. I did figure out a time saving trick. Instead of pouring the cooked mixture into a glass pan, place it in a Wilton silicone bite size brownie pan. It has 24 slots. I bought 2 and now all I have to do is place the liquid in each slot and then wait for it to set up. Then pop out the carmels on a cutting board and use a piazza cutting wheel to cut them in half. Works so well and then wrap and store.

This recipe worked perfect. The only change I made was 2 cups whipping cream, and no milk. They came out perfectly chewy. I also added some course sea salt to make it salted carmel!

I used this recipe to make caramel apples, and it turned out wonderfully! Thanks for sharing.

I also tried all cream and they are wonderful.....for Sharri....I think you forgot the second step...after they come to a boil, Continue cooking, until candy thermometer reaches 244°F. or small amount of mixture dropped into ice water forms a firm ball (about 25 to 30 minutes).

This is the key step....and I cooked to 241 per other reviewer comments, and they were nice and soft....

These are the BEST!!! I read a few comments and made mine with 2 cups whipping cream and no milk. They turned out perfect!! Everyone at work loved them. I'm going to make them for Christmas gifts. Just don't make them when you are in a hurry. Take your time and do it right and they should turn out just fine. They are well worth the wait.

Would love to hear how others cut and stored their carmels. Thanks, Diane

I'm confused as to how long to keep it on the burner, I brought it to a boil then took it off the heat and added the vanilla. I poured it into the pan and it stayed very liquidy - it never hardend. Did I not get it hot enough? Help!! thanks!

i made this recipe and i would rate it five stars for sure, it was easy for this beginner cook and it came out fantastic, thanks you

I thought of making caramels for christmas gifts so I tried this recipe as practice for upcoming holiday. I only had to make them once and they turned out awesome. Might even try dipping some in chocolate to see what happens.

I have made this recipe many times, love it!! I separate little plops of caramel onto parchment paper for the majority of the caramels. I wrap some of them in parchment paper & twist the ends to seal. It makes fantastic taffy apples! I used Honey Crisp apples & ice cream nut topping to coat & kind of pressed the nuts into the caramel. I waited till caramel had cooled & reheated a small amount in the microwave so apple wouldn't cook & get mushy.

This made absolutely delicious caramel candy. I think maybe I cooked it a little too long as it is a bit harder than I expected it would be. I used some to dip caramel apples and after hardening overnight, the coating is really to hard to bite through. The candies, however, are perfect and delicious. This is a very easy recipe although it does take some patience. It's too tasty to not try again. My husband who is not a big candy fan said it was the best caramel that he has ever tasted!

I made this recipe over ten times and I loved the flavor but it was not as soft as I wanted. I have experimented and finally feel I got it perfect. The most important thing is the temperature. A few degrees off makes a big difference. I found that cooking the caramel to just 241 degrees makes a softer and better candy. Also, I cut the butter into pieces and froze it before putting in the mix. I had read somewhere that this would make a difference and I think it did because this turned out absolutely PERFECT. One other thing I changed was I substitued the milk for heavy whipping cream...which meant 2 cups of whipping cream and no milk. These turned out exactly like the ones I have purchased for a dollar each in stores next to the cash register. I hope you try this because I know you'll be pleased.

Been making caramels for years never had a problem but these didn't turn out followed the instructions , possible brown sugar made them get sugar crystals good flavor

so tasty! And not a sticky caramel. More of a melt-in-your-mouth kind. If anyone has heard of knutsens caramels, I would compare the two!

I am not sure what happened to my caramels. The next day they started to crystalize. I think I might try using ONLY granulated sugar and NO brown sugar. Not sure if I will try again.

AWESOME!! I make these every year around Christmas and everyone loves them.

Did anyone else notice that they needed to be cooked at a higher temp than 244? Mine were too soft.. maybe 250 next time? Help :(

I tried this recipe at Christmas for the first time. These are good, very creamy,soft,chewy caramels.They are a little time consuming as far as the cooking goes. Gave them to friends and family for Christmas. Everyone raved about them. Try them if you like your caramels soft and chewy !

These are the best caramels I have ever tasted. Although it takes awhile to make these wonderful treats, it's well worth the time. I made 30 lbs. of Aunt Emily's caramels last Christmas and the people I gave them to are still raving about them.

My husband and I have made these caramels over and over because our family members, friends and co-workers ask us for them over and over! They are easy to make and we double the recipe all the time. We have found that using non-stick aluminum wrap works well instead of buttering the pans. My husband likes this because there are less dishes to clean afterwards.

EASY! I have tried several caramel recipes and this one is the best mouth-feel. The right balance of chewiness and firmness. I added some sea-salt crystals to the top of the caramels immediately after I poured it into the 9x13 pan. Probably 1-2 tsp total. The crunch and bite of the salt contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the caramel. You need the large crystals of the sea salt to do this - don't use regular salt !

I have made this recipe for years and everyone in my family LOVES it!!

The best caramels ever! They are soft and chewy, and the buttery flavor is wonderful!

I made these a few weeks ago and I'm am making them again for Christmas. They are turned out great and everyone that had one commented on how good they are.

I have made these for about 10 years now last year I did not get them made and my kids were not happy they have gone to get the heavy cream so I can make them for them. This is by far the best caramel recipe I have ever made and there have been a few.

love em

very easy, good flavor, melts in your mouth, not at all chewy

Was awesome the first time, making it again, oh yay!

I made these today in no time. By far and away the best caramel candy recipe I've ever tried. I added black walnuts and oh my gosh they are divine!!! Just don't overcook or they become a little too chewy. What a great gift idea. I will be trying the chocolate caramels next.

I made these wonderful caramels in no time. SO easy and GOOD. Just don't overcook as they get too chewy.

They tasted extremly good

First time making caramel. Surprisingly easy, but long process. I've made them 2 Christmas' now. My kids love them.

Perfection! After trying several recipes prior, this one is the best by far!
<3

Great recipe thanks, and it makes a good amount for the cake stall at the kid's school.

AWESOME. This was great and very easy to make. I will be making this one again.

I made this last year for Christmas. Everyone loved it. I had never made caramel before and I couldn't believe how easy it was. Wonderful!

These are delicious! They've become a standard of my holiday "baking."

These are great!! This year I am going to dip homemade marshmallow in the carmel and then roll in pecans! Another great thing to do with is make homemade turtles. YUMMY!

I just made these caramels for the 3rd year in a row. They are so delicious and so easy to make. If you do not typically make candies because it's intimidating, you can make these. Follow the directions and they come out perfect: soft, chewy, and buttery.

This is exactly what I have been looking for, so delicious. Exactly like the soft caramels you occasionally see sold at check out counters for 50 cents each. This was so simple to make, doesn't require a lot of fuss or a candy thermometer - the firm ball test works perfectly. The hardest part is wrapping them all! I used wax paper cut from the roll in about a 6" strip, then cut that with scissors into thirds. If you cut the caramel in long strips, you can chop the strip into pieces more easily and quickly. These make fantastic gifts because they are hard to find in stores and people just love them.

I was a little nervous about making these because the thermometer I have only goes up to 220 degrees. I have a neighbor who makes caramels as well so I just watched it carefully and waited until it looked like hers and it turned out great! I put the pan in the fridge after it was cooled and it was a lot easier to cut. These caramels are definitely going to be an addition to the goodies I make for Christmas gifts!

These were the first caramels I've made and they were absolutely delicious. I had to stop myself from 'sampling' the whole batch as I wrapped them for our church Christmas Bazaar! Thanks for such a perfect recipe!

Love this caramels!!! I have make these so many times I can't count. I usually dip them in chocolate for an added treat. These are great to package as gifts... I have doubled the recipe with no problems. Thes are soft, buttery and creamy...Just the best!!

Love it. I come back often to make it for the holidays. It was recommended by a friend.

I have made this candy several times. My family loves it.
A couple times I did not cook the candy to a high enough temp. But I was able to fix it by cooking it again. This candy can be cooked to a soft or hard state.
Great Recipe.

This have got to be the very best candy I have ever made!! I took some to work and gave away some in christmas baskets this year and was told by everyone to make more. I even had a few offers for people to buy them from me!!!!

Warning: make these caramels, but don't share. If you share they will want them all the time! Easy and very good.

I just made these and they are super good-I love the big ones-but could have cut them smaller to give away in my Christmas goodie baskets.

I have made this recipe for the holidays for the last 15 years. It was instantly a family favorite!
When my daughter was in college I would make a tray of cookies and candies for her to share with her friends during the holidays. They have all graduated now, but they ask every year if I will make the caramels. I make sure that they each get a bag at Christmas time.
I wrap the caramels individually in colored candy wrappers and put them in seasonally decorated bags. Then I tie the bags with pretty curly ribbons and add a personal note.
It is an easy recipe to make and I always have to do some "taste testing" to make sure they have turned out!

Wow! These caramels are buttery and chewy. They would make a wonderful gift if they don't disappear first.

I make homemade caramel a lot. I decided to give this recipe a try. It was fantastic. The flavor is really good and it's by far the easiest recipe I've used. I will make this recipe again.

I've never made caramel before because I thought it would be too difficult. Wow...this recipe is not only super easy, but delicious! It'll look great on my candy tray and I'll feel proud to say that I made them myself!

What a great recipe!!! These were a breeze to make!! Will probably make them a yearly tradition!! Buttery delicious!! The best part is that it really does make quite a bit so there's plenty for gift giving too!!

I've been looking for this recipe for a long time, this is the one!! chewy, buttery, soft caramels, like my grandma use to make in my native province of Quebec...can't believe I found it here, do not hesitate to make this scruptious candy, it is the recipe you are looking for I'm sure!!!

I have been making these for Christmas gifts for about 6 years, and they always work! It is really important to make sure your thermometer is accurate to have success.

This is my third year making these caramels. They always turn out so wonderful!

I made these carmels with my 5 and 7 year old daughters for Christmas. They loved helping and watching the carmel boil. The recipe is easy to follow and the carmels have a nice buttery flavor. Perfect for gift giving!

Easy recipe to follow. Easy to make as long as you watch your candy thermometer to make sure you hit the right temp. I love that it makes so much. Great for holiday gifts. I will make them again

I don't know what I did wrong but my caramels were so soft I couldn't work with them.

Very easy to make. Great buttery flavor. Good gift idea.