Mentioning to a friend that I was writing an article on caramel,
she immediately exclaimed this was a perfect time of year to go
over there as the weather is nice and there are lots of good
restaurants to just sit and enjoy the day, or go walk on the beach.
I was talking about candy. She had the beach on her mind.
Mentioning to a friend that I was writing an article on caramel, she immediately exclaimed this was a perfect time of year to go over there as the weather is nice and there are lots of good restaurants to just sit and enjoy the day, or go walk on the beach. I was talking about candy. She had the beach on her mind.
Caramel, carmelle, Carmel, karamel and even karmel seem to be any of the acceptable words for the browned sugar confection that is popular world wide. Some cuisines refer to the browned sugar as Burnt Sugar, such as the creamy custard from England which has just a bit of a layer of caramelized sugar over the top. Most restaurants use the more romantic French name for the dessert, which is the ever popular Creme Brulee. No matter the name, the effect is the same with the thin layer of hardened caramelized sugar over the top of a dish of creamy custard.
The process of caramelizing sugar is quite simple and can produce various results depending on the recipe and the application desired. Sugar is simply placed in a heavy bottomed pan and is heated until it melts. It will turn in color from a golden brown to a deep brown. If left to cook longer it will become very dark and will burn and be bitter. At the early stages of caramelizing, it will be a light golden brown and will remain sticky and chewy whereas the longer it cooks and as it becomes darker in color, the candy will be brittle and hard. So depending if you are making chewy caramels or peanut brittle, it is necessary to know the temperature stages.
The easiest way is to watch it with your eyes to see the color changing. By using a candy thermometer, you will be able to get a more accurate and consistent product. Just follow the temperature guide as listed in your various candy recipes.
If you come across any cookbooks from the early 1900s through the 1950s, take a look at the candy making section. People really made a lot of candy then. Those cookbooks and recipes make wonderful reading material and will give you a much better understanding of sugar cookery than any modern cookbook. True candy making takes some time and knowledge and these days we may not have much time and little knowledge of food science in the home. So go antique cookbook hunting and enjoy the experience of sugar cookery.
In the meantime, here are a couple of quick and easy caramel recipes just in time for fall and winter parties and gift giving.
CARAMEL CORN
2 batches of popped corn,
or about 12-14 cups popped
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup real butter (not
margarine)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon real vanilla (not
imitation)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pop the corn and place in a large heat proof glass or ceramic baking dish, at least 9 by 13 inches in size. Make sure the dish will fit into your microwave oven. Set aside. In batter bowl put sugar, syrup, butter and salt. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, stir well. Microwave another 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla and baking soda. Mixture will be bubbly and funny looking. It is supposed to look like that at this point. Pour it over the popped corn and stir a little to get the syrup distributed. You will not be able to coat each kernel, don’t worry. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Stir as much as possible, but don’t worry. Microwave 2 minutes more. Stir again. Continue until the corn is coated and turning brown. JUST BEFORE IT BURNS, remove and pour out onto a buttered board or a silicone lined pan to cool. It will get very crispy and this will be the best caramel corn you will even make. This recipe may make you famous with your family and friends. It may take one batch until you get it perfected, but trust me it is so easy and so good.
MAPLE CARAMELS
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea
salt
1 1/2 cups maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
In heavy bottomed 3 quart sauce pan combine sugar, salt, syrup and cream. Cook on medium heat, stirring gently and nearly constantly with a silicone spatula without splashing the mixture up the sides of the pan. Cook until the mixture reaches 245 degrees on a candy thermometer. In meantime, butter a 9 by 9 inch pan generously. When mixture has reached 245 degrees, add the butter and gently pour into the buttered pan. Do not disturb until cool, which will take about 3-4 hours. Just let it stand until cool. Then invert onto a cutting board and with a sharp thin knife slice into squares. Wrap individually with waxed paper squares.
CARAMEL APPLE
PUDDING
3/4 cup sifted or lifted
all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking
powder
1 1/2 teaspoons
cinnamon
pinch of chipotle pe
per or red pepper
flakes
1/4 teaspoon fine sea
salt
1 1/2 cups coarsely
chopped San Benito
County apples
1/2 cup San Benito
County walnuts,
chopped
1/2 cup low-fat milk or
apple juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or olive
oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
extract or vanilla paste
3/4 cup water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In batter bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, pepper and salt. Blend in the apples, walnuts and milk. Spread into a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole. In another batter bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter and water. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until sugar and butter are dissolved. Pour over batter. Bake 45-50 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.
