Okay, here’s my blog post about making caramel without cream or milk, written in a casual, first-person style:
So, I wanted to make caramel the other day. Usually, I’d just grab some heavy cream, but guess what? I was totally out. And milk? Nope, none of that either. I was about to give up, but then I thought, “There’s gotta be a way!” I started poking around online, and it turns out, you can make caramel with just sugar and water. Who knew?
The Experiment Begins
First, I grabbed a heavy-bottomed saucepan. This is important, apparently, because it helps distribute the heat evenly and prevents burning. Don’t want burnt caramel, that’s for sure.
I poured in one cup of granulated sugar. Just regular, everyday sugar. Nothing fancy.
Then added water into a saucepan with sugar.
- Start with the Sugar and Water:I added about a quarter cup of water. The idea is to just wet the sugar, not drown it. It should look kinda like wet sand.
put the pan on medium heat.
I resisted the urge to stir! Stirring is bad at this stage, they said. It can cause crystals to form, and you end up with grainy caramel. No thanks.
Watching the Magic Happen
I just let it sit there and do its thing. Slowly, the sugar started to dissolve, and the mixture began to bubble.
It went from clear to a light golden color, and then to a richer amber. The whole process took maybe 10-15 minutes? I wasn’t really timing it, just keeping a close eye on the color.
- Swirling, Not Stirring:If I saw any sugar crystals forming on the sides of the pan, I gently swirled the pan to wash them down. Still no stirring!
Once it reached that perfect amber color (think the color of a shiny penny), I took it off the heat. Be careful at this stage, because molten sugar is HOT. Like, seriously hot.
The Finishing Touches
I carefully(and slowly) add a little bit of * water to thin out the caramel, because it gets pretty thick when it cools. Then mixed with a spoon, the caramel is finished!
I let it cool down for a bit, and then, bam! Caramel. No cream, no milk, just pure sugary goodness. It was a little bit thicker than the caramel I usually make with cream, but the taste was spot on. Perfect for drizzling over ice cream, dipping apples, or just eating with a spoon (don’t judge!).
Would totally do this again, especially when I’m out of cream. It’s a great little trick to have up your sleeve!
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