I don’t know about you, but for me, ‘tis the season when shopping makes me mourn a little bit over my shrinking bank account.

Raise your hand if you’d rather not be in the red – and not the jolly kind – once the most wonderful time of the year is over. Yeah, me neither.

That’s why I’m going DIY with my gifts this year; and no, I don’t mean making popsicle-stick reindeer ornaments for my friends (though if it involves glitter, I might still do it). I’m planning on making something a little more enjoyable, like these yummy Sea Salt Caramels. These candies are so easy to make it’ll blow your holly-jolly self away, and the only bling you’ll have to give up is the glitter on those reindeer ornaments.

Here’s how to do it:



First, assemble your ingredients. When the caramel’s heating, you won’t be able to leave the stove, so get everything measured and set aside ahead of time.

Heat your heavy cream, butter and salt in a saucepan and set aside.



In a separate, larger saucepan, heat the remaining ingredients. Now you’re making caramel! Don’t freak out. Just follow the instructions very carefully, and for the love of St. Nick, don’t stir the sauce. Just gently swirl the saucepan itself occasionally to conduct even heating.



Once you get that classic caramel color, carefully pour in the cream mixture and heat to the firm ball stage. A candy thermometer will help you out with this.



Pour the sauce into a lined baking sheet, sprinkle with more salt and cool completely.



Then, cut the caramel into bite-sized pieces…



And wrap in wax paper so they’re all fancy-like.

There you have it. A delicious DIY gift that you and your friends (and your bank account) will love.



Stephanie (aka Girl Versus Dough) joined Tablespoon to share her adventures in the kitchen. Check out Stephanie’s Tablespoon member profile and keep checking back for her own personal recipes on Tablespoon!