Gooey Caramel

I am currently in the process of making myself sick.
That's what happens when I make Caramel corn.

2 cups brown sugar (or 1 brown 1 white if you like a lighter caramel)
1 cube butter ( I prefer unsalted)
1/2 cup light Caro syrup

Melt together on medium heat until totally combined,
While that is melting open a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk and set it and a spatula next to your pan so they are ready to use.
Then crank it up almost as high as your stove will go (8 or 9 on mine). Stick in the candy thermometer and stir constantly.

Right when you see your candy thermometer hit soft ball stage, kill the heat, add your sweetened condensed milk and stir like a mad person until it is smooth and beautiful, then add a teaspoon of vanilla and stir a little bit more.

DO NOT leave your caramel in the pan, it will crystallize and you will want to cry. Put it in a glass something or on to whatever you're going to eat it on right away. Also, if you're going to save it, don't put a lid on it right away, or there will be condensation which will also cause crystallization.

This makes enough caramel to do about a five gallon bucket of popcorn. Not everyone follows in the Eliason family tradition of eating heinous amounts of caramel corn, so I would advise having a clean jar around to save the extra... or just make it and use it to dump on whatever you think sounds delicious drenched in gooey caramel. That is also always an option.

(I'm going to put this on ice cream tomorrow)

If you would like to increase the recipe... you can double the sugar with out changing any other measurements.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go get a glass of milk to help my polish off my mixing bowl of caramel corn...