Caramel 

Chewy rich caramel candy or caramel syrup for ice cream or cake topping.

Original method which brought smiles for many years.

-Single Recipe-
1 c butter
2 1/4 c brown sugar (l lb)
dash salt, more at end
1 c karo syrup
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
about 1 t  vanilla, to taste

-Double Recipe-
2 c butter (1 lb)
4 1/2 c brown sugar (2 lb)
dash salt
2 c karo syrup
2 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
2 t vanilla
More sophisticated method from the candy cookbook:

In 4 qt saucepan combine:
4 oz water
1 lb pure cane white sugar
14 oz sweetened condensed milk*
*see recipe for sweetened condensed milk*
12 oz light corn syrup
6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a silicone scraper.

Continue stirring until it reaches 240*. Begin testing with a spoon until it reaches 245* but no more than this. It will turn dark golden brown as it cooks.

Remove from heat and stir in:
1 t salt
2 t vanilla

If using for ice cream topping or caramel apple dipping or caramel steamers, stir in:
1/2 c heavy cream (or just the cream from the top of the unpasteurized milk) to prevent it from hardening into a soft candy.

     Thoroughly melt butter in 3 qt saucepan for single, 6 qt for double.  Add sugar and salt and stir thoroughly with whip.  Stir in corn syrup and mix well.  Stirring constantly, gradually add milk.  Clip candy thermometer to side of pan and cook over medium heat (#6), stirring constantly with wooden spoon.  Once it reaches "test" for candy, it does not need to be stirred constantly.
      Boil:  just barely to "test" (barely boiling) for ice cream or cake topping, 245* (just beyond 235) for caramel candy, and about 250* (closer to 260) for hard caramel slabs.    
     Remove pan from heat, stir in vanilla, add more salt to taste.  For candy, pour into buttered flat pan with sides.   When cool, cut with pizza cutter, wrap individually with cellophane or wax paper (to keep its shape).  Keep in refrigerator, but it can keep without refrigeration for a week or so.   When warming caramel for ice cream, place jar in warm water, do not microwave (texture is better), and stir in a little cream to keep it from hardening on ice cream.  *Use at room temperature for cake topping.

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