Salted Cashew Caramels

Last night we went over to my dad's house to make caramel apples. The recipe we used was Kittencal's Caramel Apples from over at food.com, and it is so good! We had some caramel leftover and decided to make some individual caramel candies with it. They are really cute and would be perfect in a holiday candy dish. We added cashews and a sprinkling of coarse kosher salt to bump things up a notch. We were just kind of winging it, so for the parts not already in the caramel apple recipe, I don't have specific measurements. Of course you don't have to use cashews, you could peanuts, pecans, or any other flavorings or add ins you like. You could even keep them pure and simple. Any way you chew it, these caramels are oh so good and a great reminder of a night filled with family fun.

Salted Cashew Caramels

1 cup butter (no substitutes)
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla 

chopped cashews

kosher or other coarse salt. 

parchment paper cut into squares

1.In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and milk; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

2. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 248 degrees (firm ball stage) about 30-40 minutes and for a softer caramel cook just to a few less degrees.

3. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

4. Pour the caramel onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper and sprinkle on the cashews and some salt. Allow to cool until its cool enough to work with your hands.

5.  Pull off a piece of the caramel and roll it into a ball. Place it into a square of parchment paper. Fold it over the caramel, and then twist the ends to create an individually wrapped candy. Repeat until all the caramel has been wrapped. A bit time consuming, but not difficult. (especially if you have helpers) Enjoy!