If you’re looking for a holiday gift that’s inexpensive and homey, consider learning how to make caramel. Buttery and sweet, milk caramels are easy to make and fun to eat. Once you try these recipes, you’ll be hooked, and a holiday tradition will be in place.

Easy Classic Caramel Recipe
Ingredients You Will Need:
1 quart heavy cream
½ cup sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla

Heat cream in a heavy saucepan on medium high until cream comes to a rolling boil. Boil cream, stirring often, until it reduces by half. Then transfer the cream into a heavy skillet, mix in sugar and corn syrup, and bring to a boil again, cooking (and stirring) until the cream and sugar mixture becomes thick and melted caramel-like in texture. Add vanilla just after turning off the heat, and mix well. Scrape caramel into a buttered pan, and let it cool. Once cool, roll the caramel into a long log, slice it into pieces and wrap the individual pieces in plastic wrap.

This recipe is simple, but it takes a long time because you reduce the cream so much. You can also melt the caramels later to prepare caramel apples.

If you want to make hot caramel for an ice cream topping, simply stop cooking the above recipe before it gets too thick. Remember the caramel will thicken when it comes in contact with the cold ice cream.

Milk Caramel with Nuts

Ingredients You Will Need:
1 cup white granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup whole milk
½ cup condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, milk and condensed milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer reads 248 degrees or until a dollop of the mixture forms a firm ball if dropped into cold water. Turn off burner and add butter, salt, nuts and vanilla; stir well. Scrape caramel into a buttered pan. Let it cool for several hours. Slice into caramels, and wrap individual caramels in wax paper or plastic wrap.