Most Amazing 7-minute Microwave Caramels

I made these once as a treat for my friends that worked with me at church and to this day I still get requests for them. They are fairly simple, delicious and you can add your own spin on the flavor if you wish.

This recipe involves dealing with VERY hot, molten sugar, which can be VERY dangerous. As a result of this, the recipe is not suitable for children unless they have exceptional parental oversight.

Ingredients:

• Unsalted Butter | 1/2 Cup | Good Quality
• Light Corn syrup | 1/2 Cup
• Light Brown Sugar | 1 Cup
• Sweetened Condensed Milk | 1/2 cup
• Sea Salt
• Cut Wax Paper Squares for wrapping the caramels. (some stores carry already cut squares)

Directions:

1. Lightly grease a square or rectangular baking pan.
2. Gently melt butter in medium-sized, microwave-safe glass bowl in the microwave.
3. When the butter is melted, remove it from microwave.
4. Add corn syrup, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk to the bowl.
5. Stir well to combine everything together.
6. Put back in microwave and cook for six minutes at full power
7. ***See "Ice Bath" notes below for first time cooking
8. The bwol is going to be HOT, and the molten sugar will burn the heck out of your hand will also sticking to it, so I suggest you use gloves if you have them.
9. Carefully pour the hot caramel into your greased baking dish.
10. Sprinkle with coarse ground sea salt.
11. Cool in refrigerator until set, at least 30 minutes.
12. Remove when ready and cut caramels into rectangles or squares. I use a chef's knife, but I will warn you that making these in bulk will dull a knife in a hurry. It's also worth noting that you should use both hands when chopping, so use something like a folded towel to act as a second handle.
13. Wrap individually with waxed paper or cut and separate so that the caramels do not touch.
14. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Separate the layers with wax paper if you are not wrapping them individually.

Ice Bath:

If it is your first time making this, you should check the "done-ness" of the caramel to determine if it is ready to be poured. Once you have dialed in the amount of time needed to cook thuroughly, you can skip these steps.

1. Prepare an ice bath (bowl full of water and some ice).
2. At six minutes, take a small spoonful of the caramel and drop it into the ice bath for a second or two.
3. Pick it up and roll it around in your fingers. If it can form a soft ball that you can roll around, then it is done. If it is too soft to roll easily, then cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Continue with the ice bath test every 30 seconds until it has reached the right consistency. NOTE: It should NOT take more than 8 minutes at full power (it took me 7), but the time does vary depending on how much you make, the wattage of your microwave, and the size of your bowl.