Ingredients
Serves 4-6Sugar
Method
You will need the following:
• A small stainless steel pot suitable for the amount of sugar you are working with.
• A bowl of ice water that your stainless steel pot can easily fit into - to stop the cooking process.
• Approximately 1½ cups of sugar (or more, depending on how much you want to make)
• A wooden spoon or silicon spatula
Place the stainless steel pot on the stove on medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir slowly until melted.
Once all of the sugar has melted, it will start to take on an amber colour. If you lift up some of the caramel with your wooden spoon and let it drizzle off of the spoon back into the pot, you will be able to gauge the colour of the caramel better. The darker it gets, the more bitter the flavour - don't let it get too dark.
When the desired colour of caramel has been achieved, place the pot gently into the cold ice water bath for a couple of seconds to stop the cooking process. Remove from pot the ice bath.
Wait a couple of minutes for the caramel to become a bit thicker as it cools. If it is too hot/runny, you will not be able to create threads of sugar for decorating. The caramel is now ready for use.
Use the caramel to decorate a Croquembouche (a high cone of profiteroles), or drizzle over other desserts.
*Trying to clean a pot full of hardened caramel is a daunting task. For easier clean up, immerse the pot in warm water until all of the sugar dissolves or fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil on the stove.