Sunday, July 8, 2007

The Best Caramel

The Best Caramel

½ C butter
½ C brown sugar
½ C white sugar
½ C light corn syrup
7 oz sweetened condensed milk

Combine ingredients in heavy pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Keep at roiling boil and cook until the soft ball state (about 15 minutes). Pour into buttered pan.

Soft ball stage test: fill a small bowl with cold water. Spoon a little caramel into the water. After a few seconds try to form a ball with your fingers. If the caramel doesn’t stick to itself, it needs to cook longer. If it forms a ball and feels soft, it’s ready (hence the name “soft ball stage”)