Caramel: the marriage of heat and sugar
Everyone knows and loves chocolate fondue, but sometimes tastebuds crave a little something extra. A caramel fondue offers a great alternative. It is deceptively simple to make, and once mastered, offers an awesome sauce that can be used in everything from sundaes to Chocolate Sea Urchins.
If you don’t know how to ready the various stages of sugar color and balling, you’ll need a thermometer that can read temperatures beyond 350 degrees. Only when it is a deep-amber color should the hot cream be added. This will ensure the correct taste and keep the fondue from clumping.
Caramel Fondue
Serving: 2 cups
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
pinch salt
2 tablespoons
cold unsalted butter
Dash of vanilla extract (optional)
1. Pour 1 cup water into medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add sugar to center of pan, being careful to not get it on the pan sides. Cover, and bring to boil over high heat. Uncover pot, insert candy thermometer, and continue to boil about 15 minutes until syrup is thick and straw-colored (300 degrees on candy thermometer). Reduce heat to medium; continue to cook until sugar is deep amber, begins to smoke (350 degrees), about 5 minutes longer. Meanwhile, bring cream and salt to simmer in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. (If cream reaches simmer before syrup reaches 350 degrees, remove cream from heat and set aside.)
2. Remove sugar syrup from heat. Pour about ½ cup of hot cream into sugar syrup; let bubbling subside, then add remaining cream. Add bubbling subsides, whisk gently until smooth, then whisk in butter and vanilla. Let cool until warm; serve. (Can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 month. Reheat in microwave or small saucepan over low heat.)
3. Serve warm caramel fondue in a small fondue pot with a widemouth made of heat-proof ceramic, porcelain, or enameled cast-iron over a small flame with chocolate chunks, apple, banana, butter cookies, or nuts.
The fondue can also be used as a caramel sauce.
For a more sophisticated version, with a bit more bitterness, not so numbingly sweet, carefully take the temperture to 380 degrees.
For safety, be sure to have a bowl of ice water nearby.
Oh, and it is "caramel," not "carmel," a town in California.
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