Caramel

[Smithno13]

Second attempt was actually a success.
Waiting for it to cool now...

[Ethan]

That is legit!
Good luck!

[Drakonid]

I did lemon curd today, probably eating it with mashed cookies and mascarpone.

[granturismo]

Can we see pictures?

[Smithno13]

They're still a little soft, next time I'll let the sugar boil past firm ball stage...

[La Vie Cruelle]

Were you aiming for hard caramel?

Looks perfect for a caramel chew. I make them all the time. Actually this gives me an idea for a King Cake I was supposed to bake off today. Was going to do a brown sugar-pecan filling, might caramel some of the sugar and make a thick sauce to drizzle inside. Going to be topped with a New Orleans rum or bourbon glaze. Fuck yeea. I like these random ideas.

By the way, is your major pastry or savory?

[Smithno13]

Savory/culinary. This was just a random thing. I spontaneously cook the most amazing food.
Craziest so far? Twix mini cheesecakes at 4AM.

PS - I'm writing a report on Jose Andres. You did molecular gastronomy, so you know about him, right?

[La Vie Cruelle]

The craziest thing I made was the deconstructed cheesecake in a caramel cloud. Now that shit was bomb. I wish I got a picture of it, but the one day my phone actually died on me.


I have a piece on my phone i need to show you. Let me upload it to photobucket and post it. It was my final project for Cajun creole. It took me a hell of a lot of arguing with the director to get him to order what I needed and let me use the cajun microwave. HA!

Edit: Yes. He is one of the chefs who had a menu specifically for molecular gastronomy. I heard in school that he is teaching physics at Harvard. I learned from a local executive at Strobe's steakhouse here in Baton Rouge. That man was a genius.

[Smithno13]

I'm just having problems with it because all of the sources I've found just list accomplishment after accomplishment, nothing about him or his inspiration.

[La Vie Cruelle]

COCHON DE LAIT!

In the cajun microwave.


Presented for centerpiece in dining room for chef's table.

[Smithno13]

Looks awesome, but I've never been big on presenting meats whole... Too hard to carve on the table.

[La Vie Cruelle]

I've done so many steamship rounds at crowne plaza during their big events. You just have to keep your knife honed throughout carving. I have a Miyabi 10 inch carver so it's fairly any effort in cutting.

[Smithno13]

Jealous. I have a mercer knife set, but they dont hold an edge as well as I had hoped.

[To Give You This Gun]

isnt carmel . just vegistabal oil and sugar?

[La Vie Cruelle]

Jealous. I have a mercer knife set, but they dont hold an edge as well as I had hoped.

The school gave us mercers, but I said fuck that and went out to search for the perfect knives. I ended up getting the complete miyabi set. Never regretted it at all.

@Brandon- Butter and sugar. Add heavy cream and you have a sauce.

[To Give You This Gun]

oh I see, because i was making french frys onetime , and i was told that mcdonnalds puts sugar in there vegistabal oil to make them so yummy and i did it and my frys were covered with caramel.. lol

[Smithno13]

Actually, the recipe I used does use heavy cream, milk, butter, sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt.
I had to boil it for half an hour to lose all the liquids so it would solidify correctly.

And brandon, the secret to mcdonalds french fries is a tiny bit of vinegar.
And alot of steps.

[To Give You This Gun]

i dont know i dont eat caramel its to freeking fatting and unhealthy

[La Vie Cruelle]

Actually, the recipe I used does use heavy cream, milk, butter, sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt.
I had to boil it for half an hour to lose all the liquids so it would solidify correctly.

That recipe sounds more like it's for forming candy.

The most simple form of caramel is just Butter, sugar, and heavy cream for a sauce.
If you just want hard caramel to use for designs all you have to do is put a little white sugar in the pan, keep it from crystallizing with a brush and water, and wait until it starts to brown while layering more sugar on top of that as you go. It'll turn to a type of caramel where you can drizzle out to make designs that would stand up on a cake or something.

[Smithno13]

Well, it's for a soft caramel of course. Overall, I think having all the different ingredients give it a much richer, creamier flavor. Beats storebought caramels.

[La Vie Cruelle]

Well, it's for a soft caramel of course. Overall, I think having all the different ingredients give it a much richer, creamier flavor. Beats storebought caramels.

The only thing in that recipe that seems very out of place is the corn syrup. All that would duld prevent crystallization. Unless it's the way the process goes that requires it. I wouldn't know unless the whole recipe was given.

[Smithno13]

It's just to cheat my way out of burning the sugar at the beginning. You start with sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a pot, boil it, add butter, then slowly add a milk and cream mixture, being sure to keep the sugar boiling the entire time. Then cook it until it reaches 245F, pour, and cool.
That was the quick summary