Caramel sugar is a simple process that turns white sugar into a golden brown color and is used to garnish desserts and make candies. Vigilance is required during the cooking process, and adding water can help achieve the desired consistency. It’s important to monitor the temperature and avoid burning the sugar.
Caramel sugar is a simple process that involves just a few ingredients and kitchen utensils. The caramelization process turns white granulated sugar into a golden brown color, the color of caramel candies. It is often used to garnish desserts such as flan, as a flavoring for icing desserts, or an ingredient in caramel candies. The cooking process is relatively simple, but vigilance when boiling and simmering is essential.
A thin solution of fudge sugar is used as a topping for desserts such as flan, while a thicker version of fudge sugar is often molded into decorative shapes for cakes and cookies. Caramelised sugar is often combined with milk and butter to create candies and caramel fillings for chocolate covered desserts.
To make fudge sugar, some cooks simply place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook it on the stove. As it heats, the sugar melts — sometimes unevenly — and browns, but with care, it can achieve the desired uniform color. Sugar cooked in this method often burns easily and can also “catch” a term cooks use to refer to a substance that has become stiff rather than soft or runny. To learn how to make caramelized sugar this way, you may need to do some lots of practice, as burnt or sequestered sugar must be discarded.
Less experienced cooks typically add a small amount of water to the sugar before cooking. The sugar water solution boils down to a smaller amount, so it’s generally best to use twice the sugar and half the amount of water of the desired result. For example, for a half cup of caramelized sugar, start with one cup of sugar and one-fourth cup of water. If that doesn’t produce the desired thickness, add less water or cook the solution longer until it reaches the right consistency.
The cooking process is simple but requires constant and careful attention. Put the sugar and water in a pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the water has reduced enough for the sugar to turn a light golden color, turn the heat down to medium to low. Watch the solution closely, swirling the pan gently if the edges begin to brown more quickly than the center. Scrape the sides of the pan into the solution so that all of the sugar crystals are in the liquid so the crystals on the side of the pan don’t burn.
While cooking, try not to touch the hot liquid with the scraping utensil. In fact, disturbing it as little as possible is best, so don’t constantly stir or agitate the substance. Interrupting the process can inhibit it, and as molten sugar can cause very severe burns, it is advisable to limit contact with it. Once the sugar solution has reduced to the desired consistency and color, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it over a dessert or into other mixes, such as frosting bases.
When making caramelized sugar, it’s important to closely monitor the temperature of the sugar so it doesn’t burn. Sugar tastes bitter when burned. If you’re not going to use it right away, to keep the sugar solution from overcooking once you remove it from the heat, place the hot pan in a bowl of ice to stop the cooking process. As it cools, the solution will thicken, eventually hardening into a solid glassy substance, so be sure to use it as soon as possible.
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