I found this recipe several years ago, and have been using it ever since. It isn't Christmas without it. It does take a little time, but it is well worth it. The finished product is a crispy foam that is delicious. I do add 1 t of vanilla when I add the baking soda, but other than that, the recipe is perfect. I have made cashew brittle with this recipe, they were already roasted so I just waited for the syrup to be very close to the right brown and added them at the end. If you work fast, you can spread the brittle once it is on the cookie sheet, for a minute or two it will continue to foam. Just remember that it is napalm at that point, and treat it as such. Even after it is too cool to spread, you can get a burn that feels like it will never quit. This recipe is the one sweet recipe that I get requests for at Christmas. Off to the kitchen now to make some for New Years!

Reviewed On: Jan. 1, 2011

I've made caramel this way for many years. It is delicious! A couple of hints: Don't use sweetened condensed milk with a pull tab top, think old school. The lids on these cans are already weak for easy opening. Use a BIG kettle of water. Fold an old dishrag and place under the can while boiling, or something else to lift the can off the bottom of the pot. You don't have to use a rolling boil, a simmer or a little bigger than that will do. 3 hours is a minimum for a spoonable caramel, longer makes a thicker, darker caramel. I'd guess that the reviewer that got the butterscotch flavor needed to leave it to boil a while longer. But hey, I like butterscotch, too. Allow the can to cool in the pot with the water. I wouldn't handle it until it is cool. Plus, who wants to handle a gallon of boiling water and a hot can of lava! This is WAY better than the dip you can buy for apples! My grandmother's name was Marie. She cooked for 8 kids. If she gave me a recipe, I knew it was tried and true!

Reviewed On: Nov. 5, 2010

I made this for dinner tonight. I was looking for something new and different to go along with quick and easy. This was delicious. Made a few changes after reading the reviews, nothing major. Boiled my chicken breasts with soup base and several bay leaves til they were tender and chopped. Added 4 cans of beans- because we like them. Put everything in the pot at the same time after sweating the onions and garlic, and simmered for 20 minutes. At the last minute added half a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis and a can of corn niblets. Skipped the cornstarch, it was tight enough without it. Topped mine with mexican crema. This was gooood! The only thing that could make this better would be cold weather!

Reviewed On: Jun. 8, 2010