Caramel sauce is a medium to dark orange confectionary product that is made through heating of sugar. This sauce is used as a flavoring in desserts and puddings. This sauce is also used as an ice cream topping or as the filling in bonbons.
Origin
The English word comes from French caramel, borrowed from Spanish caramelo (18th century), itself possibly from Portuguese caramel.
Caramel sauce
Ingredients
- 200 gr granulated sugar
- 50 gr butter
- 1,25 dl heavy cream
- 1 tsp Morton kosher
Try adding
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
or
- 1 tsp licorice powder
Instructions
- Heat the sugar at medium heat in a saucepan. A big one is preferred. Let it melt without touching it as you then avoid lumps. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the pot from the heat.
- Immediately add the butter in smaller portions and with continuous stirring in the mass.
- Put the saucepan back on the heat and immediately add the cream while still stirring in the caramel mass.
- When the sauce has become smooth and thick remove it from the heat and add a well-dried salt (taste yourself - make sure you do not burn yourself!).
- If the caramel sauce is too thin you can cook it a little more, if it has become too thick add a little more cream.
Video
Nutrition
History and background
There are a variety of caramel sauces. Each of these sauces has a different method of preparation. For example, salted caramel is made the same way as regular caramel. However, the only difference is that during its preparation, larger amounts of salt is added. This type of caramel sauce is often served together with deserts. It is also used with vodka or in making hot chocolate.
A study conducted in 2017 by the University of Florida suggested that the popularity of salted caramel is due to its chemical composition, as all of its main ingredients have effects on the reward systems of the human brain, resulting in a process described as ‘hedonic escalation’.
Caramel or toffee
Caramel candy or toffee is a chewy, sweet dense candy that is made by boiling a mixture of sugar, milk, cream, vanilla and butter. The sugar and glucose are heated separately to reach 130 °C (270 °F); the cream and butter are then added which cools the mixture. The mixture is then stirred and reheated until it reaches 120 °C (250 °F).
Upon completion of cooking, vanilla or any additional flavorings and salt are added. Adding the vanilla or flavorings earlier would result in their burning off at the high temperatures. Adding salt earlier in the process would result in inverting the sugars as they cooked.
Alternatively, all ingredients may be cooked together. In this procedure, the mixture is not heated above the firm ball stage (120 °C [250 °F]), so that caramelization of the milk occurs. This temperature is not high enough to caramelize sugar and this type of candy is often called milk caramel or cream caramel.
Ingredients how to make caramel sauce
The process of making caramel sauce is known as caramelization. This process entails heating sugar slowly over low temperature of around 170 Celsius. As the sugar heats up, the molecules break down and re-form into compounds with a characteristic color and flavor.
Caramel sauce is made by mixing cream with caramelized sugar. It can also be made by missing in fruit purees, butter, vanilla or even a bit of liquor.
What goes well with caramel sauce?
A variety of candies, desserts, and confections are made and served with caramel. Some of these include: brittles, nougats, pralines, flan, crème brûlée, crème caramel, and caramel apples. Ice creams sometimes are flavored with or contain swirls of caramel.
