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For most women, (and some men) chocolate is a cure-all. Somehow, it just makes us feel better - while we’re eating it anyway.

For me, it’s caramel. Hard or soft, by itself or on ice cream or pie, I just love caramel.

You won’t believe how easy it is to make!

The versatility of home made caramel makes it a wonderful foundation for many desserts. It can be rich and creamy, or light and delicate. What’s more, the rich, brown color makes any desserts look beautifully exotic. Once you learn to master the art of making caramel, you’re sure to become an addict like I am.

There are two methods to making your very own caramel. I will share both of them with you. Just so you know, I use the wet method. I find it easier with this method to control the exact consistency of caramel that I desire.

DRY METHOD

In this method, sugar is simply melted in a pan without any additional ingredients. I recommend a medium to medium-high heat. As sugar cooks, it melts and creates a thick syrup that, when boiled, reaches the caramel stage. Wait for sugar to melt before stirring and make sure that sugar is completely dissolved before it starts boiling. Once boiling, swirl the pan occasionally, but do not stir.

This method involves very close attention. The sugar can clump and melt unevenly. What’s more, if even a little bit of it begins to burn, your batch is ruined. If your caramel turns out bitter, you know you over cooked it.

WET METHOD

Sugar is combined with water or another liquid, creating a thin sugar syrup. (Use milk for a very light colored caramel) During the boiling process, excess liquids evaporate, causing the syrup to thicken, the sugar concentration to increase, and the color to change from opaque to a rich, golden brown. DO NOT stir after concoction is boiled. (explanation to come) This method takes longer, but is easier to control and doesn’t burn as easily. This method is recommended for beginners.

Combine sugar and other ingredients in a heavy pan over medium heat. Stir only until sugar is dissolved. Again, once boiling, swirl the pan occasionally, but do not stir.

AVOIDING PROBLEMS

When making caramel, there is a danger of crystallization - the formation of sugar crystals that can interfere with the syrup’s texture. If the pan or spoon is not completely clean, if the syrup is stirred once it boils, or if the sugar is not properly dissolved, you’ll get lumps of sugar in the caramel.

This, however is easy to avoid. First, make sure you have a perfectly smooth, clean pan. Do not forget to avoid stirring. To test the consistency, simply swirl it around in your pan.

Once the syrup begins to turn a light gold color, watch it very carefully. You may want to take the pan off the heat for a minute to slow down the cooking. The heat of the pan will continue to cook the caramel and you will be able to control the heat. To test for proper color, take a spoonful
from the pan and drip it on a paper plate or white napkin. The color should be rich golden brown.

If you want to use a candy thermometer, cook to about 340 - 350 degrees Fahrenheit. However, I find it easier to watch for the desired color.

To stop the cooking, place the pan in a bowl of cold water. This assures that the consistency stays like you want it. When you do this, be very careful not to splash any water into you caramel.

CONCLUSION AND RECIPE

Although making your own caramel involves close attention, and perhaps trial and error, it is easy and involves few ingredients. Once you learn how to make caramel, it becomes an art. If you want to be creative, this is a fun way to do it. Use a wooden spoon or fork to ‘drizzle’ on your desserts (like pie or ice cream). You can even make designs on parchment paper, freeze for three minutes and ta-da! edible designs to make any dish look great! I love doing this with cheesecake.

2007-03-07 05:41:20 · answer #1 · answered by Fabulously Broke in the City 5 · 0 0

i do not practice dinner yet this became on a programme the former day.The chef stated now to not stir it in any respect.no longer a lot help yet it truly is what she stated for def. x only stumbled on THIS...! answer:Caramelized sugar is melted or dissolved sugar it truly is has been cooked until eventually caramelized. this offers the sugar the common caramel flavor and golden brown colour. It has assorted makes use of contained in the sweet kitchen jointly with flavoring cakes and as a base for caramel sauces and toppings. it truly is a quite elementary proceedure besides the undeniable fact that it needs to accomplished heavily because the sugar blend is fairly warm and it also burns very actual which promises a marginally bitter result. The parts will determination reckoning on the way you want to apply the sugar syrup besides the undeniable fact that it truly is frequent to dissolve the sugar in a pan over a low warmth with a small volume of water, stirring properly to dissolve each and each of the crystals. even as each and each of the sugar is dissolved you ought to turn the nice and cozy temperature as a lot as medium severe. The sugar syrup will gradually start up to regulate colour from colorless, through a straw yellow colour and on to golden amber. you ought to no longer stir the mixture on the this aspect yet heavily and gently swill the syrup in pan to distribute the colour. eliminate from the nice and cozy temperature on the on the spot the syrup reaches the right colour because it is going to instantly flow too some distance. you are able to dip the bottom of the pan in a bowl of chilly water to stop the sugar cooking any more suitable. At this aspect it will be needed to characteristic some water, reckoning on the use of the sugar. in case you try this be very careful because the sugar will nonetheless be very warm and could splutter. it truly is a reliable theory to hide the hand preserving the pan with a fabric to guard from sugar splashes. once each and each of the water has been added stir properly. it truly is truly frequent for the caramel to harden on the bottom of the pan. you ought to then go back the pan to the nice and cozy temperature and warm temperature gently, stirring each and each of the time to re-dissolve the caramel. some cooks melt the sugar right now contained in the pan without including water yet it is a fairly more durable technique, extremely if you're eco-friendly with sugar artwork.

2016-12-05 07:26:50 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

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