Grandma Leila’s Caramels

The best part about going to my Grandma Leila’s house in Vinton, Iowa when I was growing up was the extreme quantity of treats she had ready for us when we got there—fudge, spritz cookies, candy cane cookies, pickle and cold cut plate (something we now call a cheese board) and her famous caramels. There is nothing quite like these buttery caramels. Sadly, I have never mastered this recipe. On rare occasion, I create perfect caramels, soft and chewy. Sometimes I end up with caramel sauce for ice cream. Worst case I create hard caramel lozenges or throw the concoction right in the trash because there is no hope. Brave soul, if you want to make the best caramels in the world and do not mind a bit of experimentation, here is the recipe:

Combine the following in a saucepan:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter (must be actual butter)

1 cup agave nectar

1 cup heavy cream

plus 1 more cup of cream to be added once it is boiling

Cook together until it boils. Once it boils, slowly add 1 additional cup of cream. Turn heat down so that it boils gently, stirring every three minutes until it is a caramel-y color, about 30 minutes. If you stir it constantly or cook it for too long, the caramels will be too hard. The final temperature of the caramel mixture should reach 245 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once it reaches the proper temperature, remove from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons of good quality vanilla. Pour in a buttered loaf pan. Let set and cut into squares. I have had to make these several time to get them to be just the right texture. Experiment a bit before you plan to give them as a gift.

Special Note:

The type of stove you have will effect the cooking time of the caramels. I have a gas stove and it takes 30 minutes. Try cooking them for 30 minutes the first time and you will know whether that is too much or not enough. If it is too much the caramels will be too hard (like lozenges) and if it is not enough they will not set up enough to cut and serve (except in a spoon). You can reheat those that are too soft and cook them a bit longer in an effort to reach the proper caramel consistency. These are not the easiest things to get right but once you do, they are the BEST!