holiday treats -- third installment

two treats i look forward to most during the christmas season are my grandma's caramels and judy's english toffee. and since we're not heading to my parents for the holidays, i just had to make some of these treats for mr. pike and me. (baby girl drools over them!)

i wasn't disappointed at my efforts! both hit the holiday sweet spot! and in the spirit of the holidays, i'll share the recipes! (you'll need a good candy thermometer for these recipes!)

grandma's caramels
2 c. white sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1/4 lb. butter (1 stick)
2 c. whipping cream, divided
2 t. vanilla

In a heavy sauce pan, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and 1/4 c. of whipping cream. Boil 5 minutes and stir constantly. Add 1/4 c. whipping cream and boil for another 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add another 1/4 c. whipping cream, boil 5 minutes, and continue to do this until all cream is added.

Continue to boil until the caramel mixture reaches medium ball stage. Your mixture will be a dark caramel color. Add vanilla. (You can also test your caramel mixture by dropping a bit in a glass of cold water. If the caramel forms a ball, it's ready.)

Pour mixture into a buttered pan. Top with nuts if desire. Let cool for several hours. (I lined my pan with buttered tin foil, so I could pull the caramel out easy. Then pull off the foil and cut. I cut with a pizza cutter.)


english toffee
2 1/2 sticks of butter
2 1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. ground almonds
a bag of chocolate chips

Boil butter, sugar, salt, and water. Stir constantly. Continue to boil until mixture reaches 280-300 degrees. Pour into a buttered cookie sheet (with edges). Pour chocolate chips on mixture right away. Spread out until smooth. Top with ground almonds. Let cool for several hours. Break into pieces.