This will probably be the simplest blog recipe, but at the same time the one I spent the most time and nerve :).
Making candies works simple - on paper. And actually it is!
But ... if you do not pay attention to every detail a lot of it can go wrong that will ultimately result in a caramel that you will not want to serve yourself in warm milk when you're cold.
Until now, I have never had the need to do homemade caramel.
Only when my caramel was needed to prepare a dessert, and when I went to work alone at home, I realized how much thermal heat treatment is a sensitive job and how much it can go wrong.
So if you have not prepared caramel or you are not happy enough to do so, I suggest that you learn from my mistakes that I make below.
Groceries:
- 120 grams of water
- 200 grams of white crystalline sugar
- 4 grams of salt (half a teaspoon)
- 200 grams of sweet cream (about 200 ml)
- 3 drops of vanilla flavor (if desired)
Instructions:
In a deep pan, mix the sugar, salt water.
Turn on the burner and in medium heat without any stirring, stirring, and sugar syrup, let it go first to boil. Then, without changing the flame strength, leave the sugar to continue caramelizing (also without touching). Syrup will constantly squeeze and create bubbles and foam on top that will eventually become loser.
After 10 to 15 minutes of sugar syrup, the sugar will be caramelized. Then look at the caramel in the pan, as it can quickly overcome and become bitter. The real moment when the caramel is over will be recognized for its beautiful dark brown color.
When the caramel is finished, pour the sweet cream of room temperature.
Because of the difference in temperature, a part of the candy will suddenly harden and the cream will begin to flash quickly and suddenly around the candy. Then just continue mixing all the ingredients until they turn into a smooth caramel sauce.
Leave the finished sauce to cool at room temperature, and then store it in the refrigerator.
Notes:
When preparing candy, it is most important that you do not touch sugar during dissolution and in the caramelization process. Once the burner has been switched on, any stirring should be avoided, rotating the pot or pot, etc. Sugar candy is a thermally sensitive work, and with mixing you change the crystalline structure of the candy and part of the sugar is cooled so it will remain crystallized and with the barkes in relation to the rest of the candy.
The amount of water is a less important factor, it is enough to overcome the sugar to make a syrup that will lighten evenly and start with caramelization. Caramel can also be made without water, but this way I personally struggle because the sugar does not always dissolve evenly.
You can also flavor the caramel in the process of adding water. It was with some hard drink or plain vanilla. I used a couple of vanilla drops and I had a great taste.
You can regulate the density of caramel sauces in several ways. The first and easiest way is through the gradual addition of sweet cream to caramel. The less cream the caramel will be languishing, and vice versa. And if the sauce is too rare for you, you can add it to your desired density by brief cooking.
Remember that the sauce in the cooler additionally squeezes, so if your heated candied sauce are very chalks the chances are that it will completely cure once it cools down.
The recipe's recipe is for liquid candy sauce that will continue to run after the day. If you want, you can agree a thicker sauce that can be used as a cream or salad.
Use only wholly sweet cream of animal origin. Herbal substitutes for sweet cream are not good and with them I managed to get half a pound of sugar and candy destroyed before I realized the problem was in the cream :).