Salted Caramel (Susie's Favorite)

This recipe is amazing! Makes the best salted caramels! And who doesn't like salted caramels? (Other than my strange husband:) So make and enjoy. I originally found this recipe through Pinterest. I adapted it from this website.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon course sea salt

The how to:

1. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with foil and then spray with non-stick cooking spray. A loaf pan makes larger caramels so if you want them a little smaller use a square casserole pan.
2. In a small saucepan, heat cream, vanilla, kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat then cover with a lid and set aside.
3. Add sugar and corn syrup to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, and then add a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, until sugar the has dissolved. Try not to splash any sugar up the sides of the pan. If granules of sugar become stuck to sides of saucepan, use wet pastry brush to brush granules down towards syrup.

1. Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring then cook caramel until the thermometer reads 310 degrees F. If you notice any hot spots or darker areas of caramel, gently roll saucepan around to evenly disperse.
2. Remove the saucepan from heat. Then, slowly pour cream into the caramel. Don't panic if it bubbles violently, just be careful to add cream slowly so nothing bubbles over the edge of the saucepan. Stir until smooth.
3. Now, return the saucepan to medium heat and cook caramel until the thermometer reads 240 degrees F for firmer caramels (the way Susie likes them) or 230 for softer caramels.
4. Remove saucepan from heat and remove the thermometer. Then, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until caramel is smooth and shiny. Pour the caramel into the prepared loaf pan then cool 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Sprinkle coarse sea salt evenly over the top of the slightly cooled caramel. Then, cool completely in pan on cooling rack.
6. When the caramel is cool, remove from pan by lifting foil. Peel the foil away from the caramel and using a sharp long knife, cut into 35 to 40 squares. To store, wrap each caramel individually with waxed paper or cellophane.