Caramel

If you want to make some of my ultimate favourite desserts, including creme caramel, cream cheese flan, caramel bread and butter pudding and tarte tatin, you have to master the art of making the perfect caramel. 

You will need 1 cup of sugar and a heavy based saucepan and also a pastry brush.

Put the sugar in the sauce pan and add water to just cover.  A lot of recipes do not add water, but although it prolongs the process, it does make it easier.  Heat over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.  It is very important not to let the sugar syrup boil before it is completely dissolved.

Now you can turn up the heat to bring the syrup to a boil.  Sugar crystals might start forming around the edges.  Dip the pastry brush into water and lightly brush the sides to dissolve the crystals.  Do not stir.

Let the syrup boil until it turns a light caramel colour.  It might feel like a long time before it starts to change colour, but do not take your eye of it, or you might end up with a burned mess.  

Once the right colour is reached immediately remove from the heat and dip the saucepan into a basin filled with cold water to stop the cooking process or if you have a marble counter top, just place it onto that, it will cool it down sufficiently to stop the cooking process.

 

If you get a burned sugar smell or see smoke, it is too late, start over! 

If you want to turn this caramel into a lovely caramel sauce - just stir in 1 cup of cream.  Thicken with a little bit of cornflour if you want and flavour with vanilla extract.