Bourbon Caramel Candy Recipe - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between caramel sauce and caramel candy? ›

The Difference Between Caramel Sauce and Caramel Candy

Caramel sauce ends up being a soft-set caramel candy in the fridge, and if you let caramel candy sit out in a warm room, it becomes almost a thick caramel sauce. The two are on a continuum that starts with granulated sugar and ends with carbonized sugar.

Just keep the flame low to keep it from going too far. If the temperature gets too hot and the caramel becomes too hard as it cools, you can put it back in the pan with a couple of tablespoons of cold water to try and save it.

The flavor of caramel is often described as sweet and buttery, with a creamy texture. Caramel can be made with varying ingredients, which affects the overall flavor. Some caramel is made with brown sugar, giving a molasses flavor along with a buttery taste.

Caramel is all about indulgence and it satisfies everybody's sweet tooth. It can also help to add multi-sensoriality as consumers are looking for an intense sensorial delight. From soft to gooey and crunchy textures, different shades of golden and characteristic tastes, caramel has a lot to offer.

Caramel sauce results either from cooking sugar until it browns or by thinning melted caramel candies. When a recipe calls for melting caramel candies, you can use a homemade caramel sauce to replace the melted caramels.

This is usually caused by sugar crystals stuck to the side of the pan that didn't get fully dissolved. It only takes one to set off a chain reaction, and before you know it you have crunchy caramel.

The liquefied sugar is then cooked, without stirring, until it darkens in color, taking on additional flavor notes the longer it remains on the heat. You want to hit the sweet spot here: If the caramel is too light, it won't have much flavor, but if it gets too dark, it will taste burnt and bitter.

Once the sugar has melted, continue cooking it until it turns into a rich amber color. It should be removed from the heat source when it begins to smoke and foam a little around the edges. Burning most commonly occurs when the caramel is left for too long on the heat source or when the temperature is too high.

Butterscotch vs Caramel

The difference between butterscotch and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas butterscotch is made with brown sugar and cooked to 289 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why does my caramel taste like toffee? ›

The difference between caramel and toffee is greater, as caramel has a more liquid consistency and is usually pure sugar (it doesn't contain butter or flour). Still, the taste of caramel, fudge, and toffee is relatively similar, as they are all made from mostly sugar (as well as butter in the case of fudge and toffee).

It tastes burnt because you're burning it. Pull your caramel from the heat when it is light amber in color. It will continue to cook and darken as it cools. If you leave it on the heat until it reaches the final desired color, it will overcook.

A study from the University of Florida discovered that the brain releases endogenous opioids, a heroin-like chemical, when you eat something sweet, salty or fatty. When the three of those are combined, it sends your brain into overdrive.

It's thought the most basic form of caramel was first made by the Arabs around 1,000 AD by mixing sugar and water to form a crystallised liquid, that they used initially in the beauty industry, (think waxing and sugaring) and later becoming a confection which they first called simply a “ball of sweet.”

Firstly, salt acts as a flavour enhancer, which means it brings out the flavours of the caramel that may have been previously overlooked.

When creating caramel, there are typically two different versions: wet caramel and dry caramel. Wet caramel refers to caramel that has been made by adding water to the sugar during the heating process.

Dulce de leche directly translates as 'caramel sauce', which felt like the perfect name for this 1 ingredient caramel. With origins in Argentina, dulce de leche is a thick caramel originally made with reduced sugar and milk.

Caramel sauce is easier to mix and dissolve, and it also has a richer flavor because of the dairy / fat. If you want to use it to decorate your coffee (hot or iced) on top of the whipped cream, I'd recommend syrup because it holds well in lower temperatures and it is better to make drawings.

Light caramel has a light golden brown hue, while dark caramel features a dark amber color with a slightly more bitter taste than light caramel. Various candies, confections, desserts, and beverages are made with caramel. Desserts such as flan and creme brûlée even contain a topping of caramel.