Caramels

1 C. sugar
1 C. real butter
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. sweetened condensed milk
1 C. Karo syrup

Cook between 244-248 degrees or until soft ball stage. Take off heat & pour into buttered pan. I keep it on medium, stirring the whole time so you don’t get burnt flakes in it. Our candy thermometer wasn’t working right, so I did the whole test in a cup of cold water. I used the thermometer for a bit of a gauge, but then when it got around where I thought it might be done, you just drop a little by teaspoon into a cold cup of fresh water, and see if you can ball it up with your fingers. Once you can do that, and it balls up to the consistency you’d like your caramels, it’s done! (Or you can try a reliable candy thermometer.) Make sure you spray or butter the pan. We pour ours onto a cookie sheet. Then let cool. Then you have to cut it all up with a sharp knife into the size of pieces you want, and cut up a bunch of waxed paper to wrap them in.

From my neighbor, Amelia Torgerson.