Caramel Success

I woke at 3:15 this morning.  It happens.  Tried to go back to sleep but gave up at 4:06.  I was thinking of last night's 3rd attempt to make caramels and was curious to see if they had set up.  This time last Sunday morning I had come down to check batch #2.  They looked pretty good so I cut and wrapped a few in wax paper and went back up to shower.  When I came back down, they had all melted and run through the edges of the wax paper.  Boo.  I read a few blogs and realized I didn't cook them quite to the boiling temp that they needed to go.  Batch #1 was thick and hard but tasted like praline without the pecans.  I cooked that one too fast and didn't use a candy thermometer.

So we tried again...Batch #3.  My husband said he admired my persistence.  Hmmm.  Does he really think I'm stubborn?  Well, I know I am but I told him I was DETERMINED.  (I was thinking:  if this doesn't work I won't be trying again.)

4:10 a.m. report:  IT WORKED!!!  No I didn't wake my family to tell them the good news but they won't be waiting to read this blog to find out either.  We have caramel success.

Wow, it takes as long to cut and shape and wrap those little caramels as it does to stir and get them to the exact temperature.  Now what's next??  I am tempted to try a chocolate caramel recipe that I found.  Meagan is voting for red velvet whoopie pies with peppermint cream cheese icing.  I told her we could try those next year.  She said:  "Next year is only a few weeks away."  Smart girl.  They will make a nice Valentine treat.

In the meantime, these soft and chewy caramels will make great little gifts in a pretty bag or box.   It's all about the packaging for me.