Amazing Homemade Caramel

Every holiday season I get excited for two things, Christmas Music and this caramel recipe. It is so versatile we use it in a lot of different applications. To put on popcorn for caramel popcorn, to dip with apples, or to create our salted caramel chocolate pretzels. It's pretty straight forward, but you need to be careful about when yo pull the caramel off the stove as just a bit too long will make it impossible to chew.

Mom's Amazing Caramel

1 Cup white sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup butter
1 Cup corn syrup
1 Cup heavy whipping cream
Dash of salt
1 t. vanilla

In a large sauce pan (we like to use our non-stick one for easy cleanup), add both the sugars, butter, corn syrup, and salt to the pan. Heat at medium high and mix until all the ingredients are melted and incorporated. keep mixing until the mixture begins to boil. Add the whipping cream and vanilla. Keep stirring and letting the caramel boil. You want the caramel to get up to just under soft ball stage, so about 230F-ish. You can use a candy thermometer, which we have had bad luck with, so we use this method:

We pull the caramel just a bit before it gets as hard as it is in the video because we like to pour the caramel into a pyrex mixing bowl, which will make the caramel continue to cook from the carryover.
Let the caramel cool (unless you want to pour it over popcorn or dip apple slices in it while it's warm, Yum!). The butter make it easy to handle and form into whatever little treat you want to make.