Drinda's Famous Caramels

2 cups sugar

1 ¼ cups corn syrup

2 cups heavy whipping cream

½ cup milk

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the cream & milk together in a bowl. Pour about ⅓ of the cream mixture into a heavy-bottom cooking pan along with the sugar, salt & corn syrup. Cook over fairly low heat for about 30 minutes or until it becomes pale beige in color. Turn the heat up to medium & add about half of the remaining cream mixture. (The main thing to remember is to keep it at a low boil after you add the cream mixture. If it stops boiling it could curdle). Add the rest of the cream mixture about 15-20 minutes later and cook to a firm, soft ball stage 230⁰-234⁰ (depending on elevation & how soft you want it). Stir more often towards the end of the cooking time so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan & burn. Pour into a buttered 9X13 pan & let cool completely (preferably 24 hrs). You can add chopped nuts to the bottom of the pan before pouring in the caramel. When cool, lift the whole caramel sheet out onto a cutting board. Cut into 1- 1½" squares & wrap in paper wrappers.

To make turtles cook to 228⁰. To dip the caramels in chocolate cook to 230⁰- 232⁰. To cut & wrap the caramels cook to 234⁰.