Cream Caramels Recipe

This was one of THE best recipe's I've ever used.  I would cook it a little less than the recipe said, and use it in home made caramels & pecans confectionery.  Folks could not get enough of it.  Truly and totally delicious!!!  Just use real butter in this recipe.  It's not worth the 1 hr. it takes to cook if your going to ruin it with Margarine.

Mix sugar, butter, syrup and 1 cup cream in fairly large saucepan.  Bring to boil at medium heat and while still boiling, add slowly the remaining cup of cream, slowly enough that the boil isn't hindered. (This is called slacking back the batch.. I'm not sure exactly why it's so important to do this.. but it never worked if I tried to skip it, plus it almost overflowed the pot.)

Continue boiling until mixture forms a firm ball in cold water.  (I'd cook until a soft ball, depending on the use my caramel would be put to.. folks loved it softer) Remove from stove, add vanilla, and pour into pans to set.  Cut and wrap in waxed paper (if cooked to firm) (Alternate method; pour over chopped pecans, then cut after cooling and coat with chocolate.)

I stored mine in clean, air-tight containers for about 3 or 4 days, after which time the flavors had mellowed, and it was right to use.  I poured chocolate circles onto waxed paper, arranged Pecans in the circle while the chocolate was still warm, dripped the caramel over the pecans with a tiny baby spoon, let it cool a bit, then spooned more chocolate over the top.  VERY delicious, but you need to get the crafting chocolate from your grocery store, not melted chocolate chips, as they require tempering and make a real mess.  Get Candy Coating from a craft store, or your neighborhood grocery store in the bulk bins and use that (melted in the microwave with nothing higher than defrost power settings for a minute or so at a time maximum).