Who can resist a recipe for Walnut Caramels? Not me, and not reader Melissa who lost her collection of My Great Recipes:
I’m looking for a homemade caramel recipe. It was in my boxed collection and it got lost in my move. I remember you didn’t stir the caramels while they cooked. Please help me find this recipe. It was the best caramel’s you ever tasted. You cut them up and wrapped them in waxed paper.
With that description, I found card 5 in section 27 (candies and confections) which is Walnut Caramels. I think it’s the caramel recipe Melissa is talking about – and I don’t have any other caramel recipes quite like this one.
You definitely do not stir these a lot in the middle of the recipe.
Bonus – you can make these 7-10 days in advance of whatever event you’re having, wrap them airtight, and store in a cool, dark place.
And if you’re so inclined, you could probably leave out the walnuts or try out another chopped nut for variation. Pecans anyone?
Walnut Caramels
Luscious caramels make a welcome gift at Yuletide. They can be made a week to 10 days ahead of presentation, as long as they are wrapped airtight and stored for the interim in a cool, dark place.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups half and half
- 1/2 cup walnuts finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
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Prepare a well-buttered 8-inch square pan and set aside.
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In a large, heavy saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and half of the cream. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly.
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Stir in remaining cream, nuts, and vanilla.
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Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture reaches a temperature of 244 F on a candy thermometer (a small amount dropped into very cold water will form a firm ball.) As the mixture becomes thick, stir constantly.
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Immediately pour mixture evenly into prepared pan. Let stand until cool.
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Cut into 1-inch squares. Wrap individually in waxed paper or plastic film.
Thank you so much. I don’t remember them having nuts but I’m going to try this recipe out today.
Thank you
Melissa