Things You'll Need:
- 10" square baking pan lined with wax paper
- Heavy saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Candy thermometer (includes a clip on the side)
- Pastry brush
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut (you can also use unsweetened if available)
- Sharp knife
- Additional wax paper or candy wrappers for wrapping, cut into 5-inch squares
-
Step 1
Place the sugar, cream, corn syrup and salt into the saucepan.
-
Step 2
Clip the candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan so that the tip is inside the mixture at the bottom but not touching the sides or bottom of the saucepan.
-
Step 3
Heat the pan over medium heat, stirring to combine and dissolve the sugar. Use a wooden spoon to stir so that the heat from the cooking caramel will not travel up the spoon and burn you, as could happen with a wire whisk or metal spoon. Plastic utensils will melt.
-
Step 4
Put 2 tbsp. butter into the mixture and bring the pot up to a boil over medium high heat.
-
Step 5
Stop stirring as soon as you see the mixture boiling. Wait for the caramel to reach 248 degrees or above on the candy thermometer.
-
Step 6
Remove the pan from the heat as soon as it reaches 248 degrees. Add the vanilla and flaked coconut and stir thoroughly to combine.
-
Step 7
Pour the caramel into the pan, and let it cool for 30 minutes on the counter or 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Do not let it cool completely or the caramels will be too hard to roll.
-
Step 8
Cut the caramel in the pan into 1-inch-long strips.
-
Step 9
Remove a strip from the pan and roll it out into a rope about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. Use a knife to cut the rope into 3-inch sections. Repeat making the individual candies with the other caramel strips (See tip).
-
Step 10
Cut the wax paper into 5-inch squares and wrap each coconut candy by rolling it up in the center of the paper and twisting the excess paper on either side to close.
