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Soft Caramels
Appears in
By Culinary Institute of America
Published 2015
If the Mixture for caramels is undercooked, they will be too soft and will not have the proper caramel flavor. If it is overcooked, they will be too firm. Although a thermometer is helpful in making caramels, the final assessment of whether the caramel is ready should be determined by testing the batch using ice water and a spoon. If the caramel is too firm, more liquid can be added to adjust the consistency.
Soft caramels may be flavored in any number of ways. Strong flavorings such as coffee beans, hazelnut paste, or spices can be added to the cream at the beginning of the cooking process. To make fruit caramels, replace up to half of the liquid in the recipe with a fruit purée. When using a fruit purée, it is advisable to cut the amount of glucose syrup by half, and it is likely that you will have to cook the caramels to a higher temperature to achieve the same consistency, due to the acidity of the fruit and the reduced amount of milk solids in the formula.