Caramel is essentially melted and toasted sugar, and it’s that toasting that gives caramel its color and delicious, complex flavor. The darker the caramel, the more intense the flavor, which is why we take our caramel to a very dark stage. The flavor is more intriguing and unique that way, and it also ensures that the flavor doesn’t get lost once we mix it into the ice cream base or other ingredients.
TOOLS:
- A deep, heavy, flat-bottomed, not-nonstick saucepan.
- A wooden spoon.
- Oven mitts.
- A bowl of ice water.
INGREDIENTS:
- Sugar.
- Heavy cream.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Put 2 tablespoons of sugar in your saucepan and put the pan over medium-high heat. Let it sit undisturbed until the sugar starts to melt on the edges and you get a few darkish bubbles in the center.
- Give the sugar a gentle stir—just enough to help the sugar melt and brown evenly. Let the sugar continue to caramelize, stirring occasionally. If the sugar seems to be caramelizing too fast or threatening to burn, you can reduce the heat at any time in the process.
- When the sugar is mostly melted and a nice dark amber color, stir in another 2 tablespoons sugar. Working in 2-tablespoon increments, continue to add the sugar, stirring frequently and allowing each batch of sugar to melt and caramelize before adding the next. (Once you get that initial batch of sugar melted and caramelized, subsequent additions of sugar will go pretty quickly.)
- Once all the sugar is added, let the caramel continue to cook, stirring just enough to help it darken evenly. During this stage it may look lumpy, and it will eventually become frothy on the surface and start smoking, so don’t be alarmed.
- The very instant the caramel turns very dark mahogany—almost reddish in color—pull the pan off the heat and slowly and carefully add the cream. The mixture will bubble and sputter vigorously, so maintain an arm’s distance as you add it. (If the caramel “seizes up” and solidifies at this point, just heat it gently over low heat until the sugar dissolves into the cream. This process could take up to 10 minutes.)
- When the bubbling subsides, stir gently until the caramel and cream are completely blended and smooth. Again, if there are any stubborn lumps that won’t dissolve, put the pan over low heat until they do. The caramel will stay rippin’ hot for quite a while, so let it cool completely before giving it a taste.
TIPS:
- Put everything in place before you turn on the stove. Measure all of the ingredients and put all the necessary equipment within easy reach.
- Once you turn on that burner, don’t walk away. Don’t answer the phone, and resist flipping through the rest of this book!
- Take action the very instant your caramel reaches the desired color. Because caramel gets so hot, it continues to cook and darken rapidly even after you take the pan off the heat. To capture just the right hue of caramel (and to prevent burning), we stop the cooking by adding cream to the mixture. So when your caramel gets to the right color, don’t delay and add the cream right away.
