How to Make Caramel
October 11, 2011
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Dallas
• 0 Comments
How to Make Caramel
The Arabs may have invented “kurat al milh”, but today, caramel is a sweet confection enjoyed all around the world. It is found in everything from candy to cakes. This versatile confection can be used as a filling, topping, or served by itself.
Even though it is still very popular, caramel was once the most popular candy in the world. In fact, The Hershey Company got its start when Milton Hershey began selling caramel candies, not chocolate.
What is Caramel?
The simple definition, taught in many baking classes, is melted sugar that has just started to burn or caramelize, usually around 245°F. Different ingredients are added to the melted sugar to create different products and flavors. They may include water, cream, vanilla, corn syrup, and brown sugar.
Simple caramel syrups for desserts like crème brule are made by mixing sugar and water and boiling until the mixture reaches 350°F. You may think that you’d need to attend many baking classes to learn the secrets of caramel but you’d be wrong. We put together a simple and delicious recipe for caramel that will have making confections like a graduate of a Dallas culinary arts school.
Caramel Recipe
You may have never thought about making your own caramel, but this recipe is an easy way to create your own golden, delicious caramel. It’s versatile, too. You can use it to make a caramel sauce or as the base for caramel candies. It’s also so good that you’ll make your dinner guests think that you graduated from a Dallas culinary arts school.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of sugar
- 8 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon of real vanilla extract
Preparation:
Before you begin, be sure to have your mise en place (measured and prepared ingredients) ready. Once the sugar starts to melt, things happen quickly and there is no time to prepare other ingredients. You will also need a candy thermometer to accurately gauge temperatures.
- In a high sided saucepan melt the butter and add sugar
- Stir with a wooden spoon and cook the mixture until it starts to turn a light amber color, around 225°F
- Remove from heat and add cream and vanilla extract. Stir until mixture is smooth and creamy
Stopping here will give you a rich caramel sauce that you can use to top your favorite desserts.
To get a caramel that you can use for soft caramel candy cook the mixture until it reaches between 234 and 240°F. Pour the mixture into a lightly butter 8x8 pan and allow to cool. Once cool your cut the caramel into bite-sized treats.
For a harder candy or a coating for caramel apples, continue to cook the mixture until it reaches 250°F. Allow to cool in a prepared pan or pour over apples to cool.
Without going into too much chemistry, the different temperatures create a different crystal structure in the sugar as it melts and subsequently cools. The higher the temperature, the tighter the crystal structure, and the harder the caramel will be when it cools. It may seem complicated, but it really isn’t. Just keep a good eye on that thermometer or you won’t get the end result that you’re looking for.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Dallas. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Dallas offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Dallas, Texas. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Dallas for more information.
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