Phryday Phood Post

As promised, an easy recipe that will thrill any who wish to sample.  For years, my mother-in-law would spend hours at the stove making my birthday gift--home built caramels.  I would get a check box full of individually wrapped sweet delights that I would budget myself to one a day.  I knew the work that went into them.  I also knew how absolutely delicious they were.  I tried to make them.  I failed.  So every January 26, I would anticipate that sweet treat.  Sometime since then, a good friend shared with me her recipe for microwave caramels, and I hate to say it, but they are as good (actually, better because of the work involved) than those much anticipated birthday goodies.  And now, because I love you, the recipe is yours!

Microwave caramels
1 cup butter	2 1/2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup white corn syrup	1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Butter a disposable aluminum cake pan (2 for a buck at the dollar store!)  Place the 1 cup butter in a LARGE microwavable bowl (8 cup Pyrex ISN'T large enough) and nuke until melted.  Add sugar, syrup, and condensed milk and stir until well blended.  Set power on microwave to 90 percent.  Return to microwave and nuke on high for a total of 17 minutes.  Every two minutes, remove and stir completely.  Return and continue nuking until the 17 minutes have transpired.  Add vanilla and pour into prepared pan.  Allow to set up (4+ hours).  Turn onto glass (marble, whatever you have that's smooth and "cutable on") and peal off disposable pan.  Cut into rows and then into pieces.  Wrap in good quality wax paper (the cheap stuff sticks and wax-papered caramels are not nearly as good) and store in a sealed plastic bag.  Don't worry, they won't be there long!